Events by L's Blog

Anyone who has ever attended or thrown a surprise party knows how important the organization of the event is. What could be worse than the guest of honor walking into the venue and walking past their mom or dad’s car in the parking lot? Oops. Kind of kills the whole element of the surprise that you have been striving to make happen for weeks now. Good planning is the key to making a surprise party a total success.

First and foremost you need to take into consideration does the guest of honor like surprises? Not everyone does and in fact if you are anything like me I want to be completely prepared for what I am walking into. I want my outfit planned out accordingly for each occasion and it needs to be ready days before the actual event. This should go without saying but you never know, be sure the GOH, (Guest Of Honor), is dressed appropriately for the event. You want them happily surprised and excited by this party. So be sure that they will enjoy the surprise element and if they do get ready for an exciting event!

One thing I would recommend avoiding is the old we forgot it was your birthday trick. No one likes to feel as though their birthday, or what ever the occasion you are celebrating, has just slipped past their loved ones minds. Even if you are planning a surprise party you know that, the GOH doesn’t and will ultimately feel hurt and left out prior to the big reveal. The best way to avoid this whole situation, and actually maintain the surprise element is to have the surprise party before the GOH’s actual Birthday or whatever the occasion you are celebrating. This will help to really catch them off guard.

Now where will you want to have the party? Since it is a surprise, I would advise renting a space for the event rather than at the GOH’s home. How will you lure them out, where will you hide the decorations, food, etc? It is more feasible to have it at a space that you can go to prior, or enlist your friends or family to arrive and get the venue party ready. If you are able to enlist help or personally go prior, this will also be beneficial so you can drive the GOH to the venue and ensure the perfect arrival.

Since proper planning is everything in pulling this whole thing off, you must take into consideration who is going to be on the guest list. If your friends are the type that shows up 30 minutes late to every event then plan accordingly. Instead of everyone arriving 30 minutes early to the party have them arrive an hour before the GOH is due to arrive. Be sure there are appetizers served so that no one gets a little too tipsy to remember it is a surprise party and they will need to be quite or hide even. Also consider who can keep a secret. You must caution everyone numerous times that this is a surprise and that there will be major consequences if this cat gets out of the bag!

Since this party is to celebrate the GOH, be sure to keep their interests in mind at all times. Serve the GOH’s favorite food items, play their favorite music, and you can coordinate their favorite colors throughout the party. This is their party and you really want them to enjoy it to the fullest. After all, you did pull this whole surprise off and they had no clue, now it’s time to celebrate.