Deciding to throw a surprise birthday party is a very brave responsibility to accept, because although it can be a lot of fun it can also be quite stressful and daunting.

This article will point you in the right direction to make sure your surprise party hits all the right notes!

Make a plan

This is probably the most important task: planning a party that the guest of honour will love. Some things to consider are:

• • The guest of honour’s personality – would they prefer an intimate dinner party with loved ones and friends or would they really love a party with dancing, a buffet and free bar?
• • The theme of the party – will it be a sophisticated black tie event, casual or will it have a specific theme?
• • The location – will you book a venue or have the party at home? If it’s warm, you could consider having the party outside.
• • The decorations – try to keep the decorations in line with the theme or choose colours that the guest of honour likes.
• • Enlist support – it’s often difficult to organise a surprise party alone, so don’t be afraid to draft in support from others and designate tasks so that everything is ready on time.
• • Make sure you keep it a secret!

Distracting the guest of honour

One of the biggest tasks you will have is finding a way to keep the guest of honour busy on the day of the party without raising suspicion and without ruining the surprise. You need a very crafty plan to keep them distracted while you are busy getting the venue ready or finalising any last minute preparations.

If you want to make sure the guest of honour is dressed for the occasion, then you may have to make up a decoy; pretend you’re taking them out to dinner or to a theme night at the local pub, for example, so that they're appropriately dressed. As a back-up, you may wish to take appropriate clothes with you for them to change in to once they arrive.

Inform the guests

Honestly, there won’t be a party at all if you forget the most important part – telling the guests. You can use the invitation to give specific instructions to your guests about arriving early, where to park their cars or other tips to make sure they don’t give away the surprise before the big day.

You don’t have to invite everyone the guest of honour knows to the party, but you should invite people they are fond of. Party invitations are still the best way to inform your guests about the party and at PuttyPrint we have a wide selection of surprise birthday party invitations that will not only fit in with your theme but that you can also personalise for the purpose of your party.

You can fully customise your design and all our cards come with free envelopes and free delivery.