Let’s face it, planning and throwing a birthday party can be a drag. You never know if the person for whom you are planning the party will appreciate all that you are doing. They might dislike their party and their gifts. As people get older, it can be difficult to determine if someone wants a party and if they do what do they want? Some people don’t like celebrating getting another year older. That said, throwing a birthday party can be a real hassle. It becomes your job to invite everyone and try to make sure that they bring the right gifts and have a good time. Additionally, you have to pick out the right decorations, food and music. It can be difficult to get the right combination of all of these elements to make the perfect party.
If you find yourself struggling to put together the perfect birthday party, read the following ten tips for a hassle free birthday party:
1. Keep the party casual. Most people dislike birthday parties that are formal affairs. While you need to send invitations, a birthday party should be a social opportunity rather than a social obligation so it’s better to have a flexible agenda, rather than a rigid one. Assemble a group of your friends and acquaintances with whom you want or the birthday person would want to share their special day. If you are planning any specific activities, make sure that you leave plenty of time for casual conversation amongst friends.
2. Ask the birthday person for their input and ideas for the party. Make sure that they know that it is their party and that you want them to be involved in the planning. This is really important so that they don’t feel like they are being ordered around but rather they feel they are being honored.
3. Good cake. It is very important to have high quality goodies and cake. You don’t need anything too fancy, just something that tastes good. Don’t over decorate the cake unless it is for a child.
4. Send invitations via the internet. There are many services online where you can create a unique invitation and send it free of charge. Many e-mail services also allow you to choose a background for your e-mail then either write text into or cut and paste. Either way you do it, using the internet as a vehicle to invite people to your party saves time and money as you eliminate having to write out invitations, address envelopes and buy stamps. This also allows you to spend more time on other aspects of the party or other tasks in general.
5. Keep decorations to a minimum. The key is to start with a the house clean. You can hang some simple paper decorations for a children’s party, but most adults do not expect much in terms of décor.
6. Play occasion appropriate background music. The key is to create a pleasant atmosphere so choose music that the group of people will like. Try to stay away from music that just one person enjoys or music you think is fun and choose music that complements the theme of the party. Classical, jazz or something from the fifties for the adults and maybe cartoon themed music for the younger kids.
7. Write something nice about the birthday person and read it at the party. Although it might make them blush, a nicely composed compliment to the birthday person is easy to write and will make a big difference.
8. Don’t open the presents in front of everyone unless you know that the birthday person will enjoy it. Otherwise you might just embarrass them.
9. Ask for help in organizing the party. A party can be a hassle to organize but if you have a little help from a friend or relative you will find it much easier. You can get good ideas regarding what to serve, who to invite and what kind of activities to do or not do from other people who know the birthday person well.
10. Have fun with the planning process and the party. Just because you are organizing the party does not mean that you should not have a good time. If you enjoy yourself and the process, planning a birthday party becomes more of a joy and an honor and less of a burden.
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