Planning the perfect birthday party is one thing, but trying to plan the perfect surprise party that the one celebrating won’t find out about beforehand is another. Trying to plan a birthday bash and keep it secret at the same time can be a lot of pressure, but planning any birthday party is a fun and exciting experience.

Below is a how-to guide to make sure your surprise birthday bash planning goes as smoothly as possible.

Get Help from Family and Friends

Planning a big surprise party without anyone finding out can be a lot of pressure on one person. Getting the help of others is a must if you’re planning to throw a big bash. You can speak with family and friends about what you’re planning and any ideas they might have, as well as ensuring they’re sworn to secrecy so that the one celebrating their birthday doesn’t find out.

Find Out Their Schedule

You’ll need to find out which day you’re able to throw the birthday party, which can be difficult when you want it to be a surprise. It needs to be a day that everyone is free and available. It’s more important to find a day which suits the one celebrating their birthday, and then accommodate everyone else after that.

Think about their general routine and what would work for them — they may have a certain day off, but think about things such as whether they’re up early the next day, whether it works best for them, and what kind of week they will likely have had before then! A surprise party is a lovely idea, but it also needs to be at a day and time they can actually enjoy it.

You may need to casually ask them about their schedule, check their diary, or check with others.

Choose a Theme

Surprise birthday parties are much more fun to organise with a theme. This theme could be based on the birthday itself, such as a special milestone birthday theme. You could include personalised decorations or a table of milestone gifts, like the best personalised 21st birthday gifts.

Or, you could choose a theme based on their likes, such as their favourite movie or genre. This makes it much easier to pick out a venue and decorations which fit the theme and allows you to have more fun with it.

Think Carefully About Venue

If you want the party to remain a surprise right until they walk through the door and see all their guests gathered, then you’ll need to choose a venue which they won’t become suspicious about. House parties are a great idea if you can casually invite them around or drive them there without them thinking it’s anything more than a few catch-up drinks.

If you want to book a public venue, you could choose something which isn’t focused on events or parties, like a restaurant, gallery, outdoor garden space; anything that you can disguise as a nice day or evening out which doesn’t necessarily scream ‘party’ is perfect!

In Summary

Planning a surprise birthday bash should be as fun for you as it will be for the guest of honour to attend. It’s the opportunity to plan something amazing and see all your hard work pay off. Always think about the right theme, venue, and guest list to make it truly special.