50th Birthday Party Planning
It’s a momentous occasion when your husband or wife—or family member—is about to turn fifty, and the half-century milestone is an appropriate time to honor them and let you know that you love and appreciate them. A 50th birthday party planning is essential to make it a memorable one. It’s also a very good reason to gather all their friends and relatives and have a party. You can opt to have the celebration in your own home or back yard, but that usually only creates a lot of extra work for you—and can cost you even more than if you’d gone to a restaurant.
Guests at a birthday gathering typically pay their own fare, so why not make the Fabulous Fifty Festivity a little more special and memorable by eating out? Restaurants often have private banquet rooms where you can hold such gatherings. You can also have the birthday bash in a fancy lodge or a hotel and use their catering services. When reserving the facility, make sure to ask how long you will have the dining area for, and enquire whether there is a charge if you exceed the time limit. Also, find out when you need to turn in the total number of expected guests. One good reason to have your birthday celebration at a hotel and use their catering service is that this may qualify your out-of-town guests for a discounted room rate—so make certain you ask about that. Narrowing down the guest list can be a challenge, because as much as you may not wish to leave anyone out, not even their most recent co-worker, even the largest tables or sets of tables can seat only so many people. Those closest to the guest of honor will be able to give you a list of the most vital friends and family members, and don’t hesitate to ask the birthday boy or girl. This isn’t a surprise party, after all—except for perhaps a guest or two from out of town who “no one” ever expected would actually be able to show up. If the guest of honor is renowned for his sense of humor, you can turn the entire party into one huge joke by having the tables draped with black tablecloths, mourning his lost youth.
For most people, however, a celebration seriously honoring their life and remembering their achievements would be much more appreciated. Have photos of them at various stages in their life hanging on the walls and brief photo albums of them on the tables themselves. Let the photos tell the story of their life—from childhood to schools to workplaces to time with family, hobbies and special accomplishments. You can also create a game where all the guests have to answer questions about the guest of honor’s life. Questions can include the following: where was he born? Where did she go to school? What was his best/worst subject? Who were her three best friends in high school? What was his first job? What is her favorite hobby? Who is his favorite musician? When everyone has written their answers and turned them in, have the guest of honor answer all the questions. Mark the answers, read out the funniest wrong answers, and give a prize to the guest who got the most questions right. It’s easy to make this a memorable night for the birthday boy or girl. It just takes a little planning to create a whole lot of fun and celebrate a memorable life.
