5 Tips for Planning a Surprise Party
No one forgets the moment they enter a room to be greeted by friends and family yelling "surprise!" Throwing a surprise party can feel a little daunting, but the results are well worth it. Here are a few of our favorite tips to make sure your next surprise goes off without a hitch.
Tips for Planning a Surprise Party
Keep it Clear: In order to keep your party a surprise, everyone but the guest needs to be in on it. Make sure everyone on your invite list is very, very clear on the fact that the party is a surprise. If you're inviting children, try to wait as long as possible to tell them about the event. It can be hard for little ones to keep a secret.
Cover Your Tracks: Do you live or work with the party's guest of honor? Then a stray piece of party planning evidence could be all it takes to ruin the surprise. Make sure to cover your tracks. Put away any receipts, invitations, shopping lists, or other pieces of party related paper. Step into another room (or your car) to make party related phone calls. It may even make sense to clear your browser history if you share a computer. Leave no trace!
Assign a Partner in Crime: Team up with someone you trust to distract your guest of honor before the party begins. Have them go out for lunch or a movie while you get the festivities ready. This will make sure your surprisee won't wander in early… or forget to show up altogether!
Time it Right: Nothing can ruin a surprise party like a guest showing up at the wrong time. Make sure all of your guests are very, very clear on what time they're supposed to show up. If you're worried about late guests, you may even want to tell them a time fifteen minutes earlier than you'd like them to show up. No one will mind waiting around a little if there are plenty of food and drinks, and the extra time is worth it for the look on your guest of honor's face.
Keep it Simple: You've got enough on your plate trying to keep news of the party from reaching the person you're throwing it for. Make life easy in other areas. Consider catering instead of making the food yourself. Look into venues other than your home if the party is big enough to warrant it. Invest in shatterproof glasses to keep a dropped drink from ruining everything seconds before your guest of honor is expected to arrive. Any little thing you can do to make your life easier will be worth it.