Birthdays are special. They come once a year and serve as a great reminder of all of the challenges you survived, and accomplishments you've achieved to get here. That is most certainly something worth celebrating!
Party planning can be stressful, but don't you fret, I am here to help. Without further ado, here are 6 Quick Tips for Throwing the Perfect Party.
1. Decide a Vibe
Before you begin planning your party, ask yourself a few questions. A few examples are: What experience am I looking for? Is this party for me to celebrate with others or for others to celebrate me?
Would I like to go out and do something or stay in for the party? Should I have a theme? If so, what will it be based on?
Do I want a traditional party? Ask yourself helpful questions, but don't overthink it. You know what you find to be fun!
Once you have a general game plan, it's easier to organize the details. Physically list it out. When it comes to planning any event, lists can be your best friends. Know what you want, make a list, and soon enough, that list will become a plan.
2. Curate Your Invite List
This step is either the easiest or the hardest- figuring out who you want there. Once you know what you want to do, it's time to start thinking of who you want to do that with. Take some time and list out everyone you want to spend your birthday with.
And remember, you're not obligated to include everyone. If you're not comfortable inviting a person, no matter the reason, don't invite them.
This list may be small and intimate, or it may be extravagant. No matter the size of the guest list, surrounding yourself with people, or even just one person you love will make the party more meaningful.
3. Make Sure There's Something for Everybody
No one knows your guest better than you, so make sure you fill the party with things all of you love. Now, I'm not saying sacrifice something you really want to do because one guest doesn't like it. Just don't pressure someone into doing something you know they wouldn't enjoy. Include food, drinks, decorations, and games at your party, so everyone can have fun!
Being mindful of your guests and planning things everyone can enjoy will help the day go by smoother. Grumpy people don't make for great partygoers. A party can be anything you want it to be, so if you and your friends want to have a movie marathon, go camping for the night, or have a game day instead of doing traditional party things, go for it! And if all you want is a good ol' fashion B-day party, DO IT!!! They have so much fun to offer, I mean look at all those smiles above 💛
4. A Picture's Worth 1000 Words, but a Memory Lasts a Lifetime
Make the most out of every second you can. Try your best to have you and your guest be detached from your cameras so you can really enjoy the moment. This one can be hard, believe me. I am that person who needs to take a picture of everything, but I promise you, it's worth it to set the phone down every once in a while.
This can look like dedicating time for taking pictures or asking a person, such as a parent, or a random person passing by to take them for you. Staying away from cameras could really make a birthday worth remembering. It's easy to get caught up in your lens instead of being immersed in the moment... Unless you're having a photography party, in which case, this one's not for you.
5. Everybody Loves Food!
Food is a tasty and lovable way to bring people together and incorporate a theme into your party! Whether your theme is based on a color, book, animal, tv show, video game, etc, chances are you can find some cute ideas to play around with for your food.
Pinterest is a great place to look for themed food ideas. You can find image references or step-by-step guides- whatever you need, it's there for you on Pinterest and if it's not... check YouTube 😁 both have plenty of content to look through for inspiration!
6. Relax
Just breathe. Don't let yourself get too stressed out because this is meant to be fun. Don't feel like you have to do it all by yourself, and have the time of your life. Life is short, so enjoy the days you get to celebrate.
Final Thoughts
When it comes time for your birthday, just have fun with it! This day is meant to celebrate you, so have fun and enjoy. I would also like to give a special thanks to the birthday people who live in my dorm building who let me take their picture for this article!
Y'all are seriously the best. And to all you party planners out there, you put a lot of work into this party, so let yourself enjoy it. Happy birthday, and congratulations on making it another trip around the sun.
