Are you planning an 80th birthday party for someone special? If so, you are probably looking for ideas to commemorate this happy occasion in a big way. Here are some helpful tips with the do’s and don’ts to celebrate this important milestone.
DO NOT make it a surprise party. One of the best places to get ideas for an 80th birthday party is from the guest of honor. Let him participate in the planning of this event. Of course, you don’t want the celebrant to do any of the work. But leave the important details of the festivities in the hands of the birthday boy or girl.
Find out what kind of celebration you’d like to have: formal or informal, large or small. Ask him to help you decide on the menu, the entertainment and the date of the big party. And most important of all, let him or her make the guest list. After all, he or she is the only one who knows which people need to be there to make this occasion especially meaningful.
INVOLVE your guests. Give people who are invited to the celebration the opportunity to help honor the birthday boy or girl. Ask everyone to email you their favorite memories of the guest of honor. Write each one on a small piece of colored paper, place them in a glass jar. Then, at the party, give the keepsake jar as a group gift to the celebrant. You can also ask your guests to donate photos for a scrapbook you’re putting together for this special man or woman.
DO NOT schedule the party to be too late at night. You may be planning an 80th birthday party for a night owl who has more energy than the average teenager. But chances are most of his friends aren’t as lively or vigorous. Instead, plan a celebration earlier, so everyone is at their best.
DO use lots of photos. An 80th birthday celebration is the perfect time to highlight all those years of memories with photographs. You can start with photo invitations that feature then-and-now snapshots. Another idea is to go with personalized photo birthday gifts, which are available on a variety of inexpensive items such as magnets, bookmarks, candy bars, notebooks, pocket mirrors, and key chains, to name just a few.
For party decorations, enlarge a few prints to poster size or combine multiple images into a large collage. You can make simple yet elegant centerpieces by simply grouping several small framed photos together. Create a slideshow or PowerPoint presentation of snapshots of the man’s or woman’s life.
DON’T forget your personality. What does this special 80 year old love? What makes it unique? Try to include that in the celebration. Still an avid golfer? You could have a whole golf themed party. Is the celebrant a true cat or dog lover? Maybe you can find a small ceramic figurine of his favorite breed to put on the cake. Whether they like gardening, old movies, computer games, mysteries, scrapbooking, fishing, or anything else, try to find a way to incorporate that into the festivities. It’s a great way to show that birthday man or woman that you appreciate the things that make them such an amazing person.
DO include nostalgia. Put on music CDs that he or she loved in their youth. Research and create a large poster that lists the events that happened in the year this person was born. You can also find personalized party favors that include this information. Make up a trivia quiz for your guests, using little-known facts or events from the life of the birthday man or woman. Everyone will enjoy trying to find the answers. You might even have a small prize for the person who guesses the most.
So if you’re looking for guidelines to create a memorable 80th birthday party, keep these tips in mind. Then use your imagination and you will be sure to give this very special person a wonderful celebration.
