Throwing a surprise party for a special someone can be a great way to celebrate any occasion. But successfully executing one takes some serious, sneaky planning and preparation. Follow this guide to ensure that you host the ultimate surprise party that will leave your guest of honour beaming with delight!
Put Yourself in their Shoes
There is nothing worse than throwing a surprise party for someone who hates parties. And with 66% of people saying that they wouldn’t want a surprise party, it’s very important to consider your special someone and ask yourself the question: is this something they would enjoy?
A great way to figure this out is to reflect on their previous reactions to surprises and surprise parties in particular. Did they react in a positive way? Talking to their family and friends is another great way to gauge how they think the guest of honour would react, as is simply considering their personality. Are they extroverted and easy-going? Or introverted and shy? These considerations will help you to determine whether your special someone would appreciate you going to all this effort.
Plan, Plan, Plan!
Once you have committed to the idea of throwing a surprise party, it’s time to do some serious planning. Start off by choosing a date, time and location – consider your guest of honour here and ensure that they will be free on that date. Next, create the guest list, consider the catering options and pick a theme. Buy your party decorations and supplies in advance so that you are prepared for the big day.
Assemble Your Team and Delegate Tasks
To relieve the stress, assemble a team of close friends and delegate the tasks. Planning a party is stressful enough without having to keep it all a secret! Let other people help and take some of the pressure off yourself.
Send Out Sneaky Invites
To be discreet, send out your invitations via email or text – especially if you live with the guest of honour. This allows people to RSVP by replying and ensures that no paper responses are landing on your doorstep, where the person in question could see them. Make sure that you emphasise the fact it is a surprise party to reduce the chance of the guests letting it slip! Be clear when stating arrival time, parking, where to enter the building and where to hide for the big surprise.
Make a Decoy Plan
Next, plan an activity with your guest of honour for the same date and time as the party – this will be known as the decoy plan. Make sure that it requires the same attire that would be suitable for the party! The decoy plan will ensure that your guest of honour keeps the date of the party free.
Final Preparations and the Big Moment
Make your final preparations such as decorating the venue, hiding guests and getting the decoy plan well underway. Finally, deliver the surprise and enjoy the big moment. Make sure to take lots of pictures and film your guest of honour’s reaction to look back on in years to come!
