If you ask people what’s their favorite day of the year, they’ll certainly answer “my birthday,” without any hesitation. A birthday commemorates the day a person came to the earth, and is always a special and unforgettable day. It becomes more exciting when it’s celebrated with a fun party.

Birthday parties are among the most common types of party thrown by people today, but that doesn’t make it any easier to plan. There’s still a lot of things to cover when having this kind of celebration. If you’re holding your birthday or you’re throwing one for someone special, here are several helpful reminders to help you out.

Before You Start

Most people simply send typical invitations, put up decorations and cook some food on their birthday parties. This is simple, but it can turn out to be a complete disaster. There are some basic considerations to think about first before getting started on the party preparations. Here are some queries you should answer.

• 

  Budget
  How much is your budget? The budget determines everything, including the different aspects of the event, from the invites up to the party favors. You need to stick to a realistic budget you can work with and that can cover all your party needs, without going bankrupt. (Tips on how to create a budget)
• For an adult or a kid? How old is the birthday celebrant? Remember, parties for grownups don’t have the same components as those thrown for kids. Think of the celebrant’s age first before settling on any theme or celebration.
• Formal or casual? Adults usually throw sophisticated formal events for their birthdays, especially if they’re expecting important and professional guests to come. Kids usually have fun and childish events. Even so, some adults throw fun and casual birthday parties for a more comfortable party atmosphere.
• 

  16th birthday
  Intimate or extravagant? How many people are you planning to invite? Is it just an intimate celebration, with just a few family members and close friends? Or is it very extravagant with all your colleagues, past classmates, friends, relatives and neighbors to celebrate it with you?
• Is it a milestone year? Some birthdays are considered more special compared to others, like the 1st, the 16th (for girls), the 21st (for boys) and the 50th. These are known as milestone years and are more exceptional than other kinds of birthdays. Their celebrations are usually more extravagant than the usual years.

One last tip: involve the birthday celebrant. Unless it’s a surprise, he or she should know all about the party details. Base many of the aspects on his or her preferences. After all, it’s that person’s special day.

Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll have an easier time planning a fun birthday party.

The Theme

It’s common nowadays for people to throw birthdays with a general theme. They just buy a cake, purchase colorful décor and serve yummy food. This is fun, but wouldn’t it be nicer if you can have a set theme for the event? A theme makes the celebration more special. It also unifies all the different party aspects. Many people like having themes because they already know what things to get, what food to serve and what the venue will look like.

Here are a few birthday party theme ideas you can try.

For Kids

• My Little Pony Birthday
• Little Princess Birthday
• Disney Movie Party
• Dinosaur Party

For Adults

• Greek Party/Toga Birthday Party
• Western Party
• Retro Birthday
• Casino Theme Party
• James Bond Theme Party

The Invited

As soon as you decide on a celebration, and even before you send out the invitations, you should take care of one important aspect: the guest list. You need to know how many people you’re going to have over, so you can decide on a venue and know how much food and party favors you need to buy. Here are some important tips when taking care of this aspect.

• Decide on a manageable headcount. Don’t hold a large party if you think you can’t manage it. You don’t always have to have a grand celebration.
• Make sure your venue can hold all your guests. Holding a party at home is great, but if you’ve invited too many people, then having it in a function room, a restaurant or hotel is a better idea.
• Separate special guests from typical ones. Make a special list that contains all the people who should never be left out of the party, so in case you need to lessen the guests, you won’t accidentally take them out.
• Recount before finalizing. Do one last count before finalizing the list, to make sure you don’t leave anyone out.

Party Invitations

To let everyone know about your party, you should send invitations at least a few weeks in advance. The guests should know about the party as soon as possible so they can clear their schedules, buy gifts or prepare their outfits.

Invitations can be very formal, or casual and humorous. It depends on the type of celebration you have and the theme.

There are three ways to get invitations:

• Buy Them – Store-bought invitations come in different kinds and designs, and if you don’t have too much time on your hands, getting these is a good idea. You’ll definitely find one that suits your taste and theme.
• Make Your Own – Homemade invitation are preferred by many people because of their uniqueness and their heartwarming touch. These can also be less costly, because they can be made from items found around the house. Sometimes, actual items that can also serve as party favors are sent as invitations.
• Send Them Through The Internet – Using the Internet is a good idea when sending invitations. Who doesn’t have an e-mail address today? Electronic invitations are fast, easy and less costly.

When you send invitations, make sure you put in the complete details, including your address, contact numbers for RSVP, the date and time, and the required attire. If you’ve got a birthday party registry you should also include those details.

Decorating

You have to set a fun and festive mood for your birthday celebration, no matter how simple or grand your party is. While some people just put up streamers and buy balloons, here are a few ways to make this aspect more special.

• 

  Superman logo
  Follow Your Theme. Decorate according to the theme you chose. The aura of your venue must fit the theme you’ve chosen. For example, if you’re having a Superman kiddie birthday party, put up Superman banners, toys and posters around the place. If it’s a retro party for adults, use colorful hues, lava lamps and hang a disco ball from the ceiling.
• Find A Color Motif. If you don’t have a theme in mind, then just settle on colors instead. Find a color combination that will fit your celebration.
• Opt For Cost-Friendly Basics. Ordinary as they may seem, decorations like streamers, confetti and balloons are wonderful and inexpensive additions to any party. If you don’t have much budget, just get these in the color motif you chose.
• 

  Birthday banner
  Get A Birthday Banner. It’s wonderful to announce the name of the celebrant. Get a banner that suits the party theme.
• Table Settings Matter. You should also consider how your tables look for the party. Cover them with tablecloths that match your theme or motif, and place lovely table centerpieces on top.
• Have A Guest Book. Put it at the party entrance, so the guests can sign their greeting and warm messages as they arrive. You can this keep as a wonderful keepsake afterward.

Your “Birthday Suit”

Everyone loves to dress up for parties, especially birthday celebrations. The dress code you choose depends on the theme of your party. For black-tie adult parties, guests wear cocktail dresses and suits. For a casual birthday bash, jeans, dresses and polo shirts will do. If it’s a kiddie beach birthday, the kiddie guests can wear swimsuits. There are also some people who like to make their birthday celebrations costume events, like Mardi Gras, Hat Parties and Toga Parties.

Whatever the dress code for your party, make sure your guests are well-reminded of it. Include the detail in the invitations, so they’ll know as soon as possible.

Fun Birthday Activities

Birthdays are wonderful and happy, so it’s only reasonable that you prepare activities that everyone will enjoy. Here are a few examples of wonderful activities you can have at the event.

Check out this video for fun party games.

• Party Games

Adults and children alike find parlor games irresistible and enjoyable. These will work as great icebreakers or if you need to vamp up the celebration and keep everyone from getting bored. Here are examples of common games adults and kids have during parties.

Kiddie Games

1. Pin The Tail On The Donkey
2. Balloon Relay
3. Musical Chairs
4. Musical Statues

Adult Games

1. Board Games
2. Truth or Dare
3. Trivia Games

Take note: your guests must be able to relate with the games you’ve prepared. For example, you can’t have relay games if your guests are elderly people. Or you can’t have Truth or Dare if the celebrant’s just turned five.

• 

  Candle blowing
  Candle-Blowing – No party will be complete without the traditional candle-blowing ceremony. Everyone gathers around the celebrant’s and the cake, and sings “Happy Birthday To You”. After the song, the celebrant makes a wish and then blows out all the lighted candles.
• Craft Activities – These are more popularly seen during kiddie celebrations. They distract the guests and keep them preoccupied. Craft activities can include painting, drawing, plastic jewelry-making and soap-carving.

Birthday Food

Eating is a must at any party, especially birthdays. Even if it’s as delicate as posh finger foods or as filling as a barbecue, what you serve to your guests is very important. You should be able to impress them and satiate their appetite at the same time. Here are a few simple, but effective tips to follow.

• Consider your guests’ preferences. Although kids love them, adults might not appreciate Sloppy Joes, especially if they’re wearing gowns and coats. Think about what your guests prefer and their age group. Kids will easily appreciate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, animal crackers and Jell-o dessert, but adults at a sophisticated party will want appetizers like shrimp, stuffed mushrooms and cheese and dip.
• Match it to your theme. Let your theme shine through, even in your palate. For example, if you’ve got a beach theme, serve seafood or fish-shaped tuna sandwiches. If it’s a toga party, have some grapes and Greek delicacies. For a princess celebration, whip up frosted pink cupcakes and pink macaroni and cheese.

Sandwich

Stuffed mushrooms

Cake

• Catered or home-cooked? One of the many questions party planners ask is, will they do the cooking themselves or will they ask a caterer to help? If you’re a whiz in the kitchen, and you’re only serving a few people, then home-cooked dishes are great. They help you save money. Just make sure you’ve got enough time, though. Catered food is practical if you’re serving a lot of people, you’re not good at cooking and if you’re pressed for time. Just remember that this can be very costly.
• Presentation matters. Whatever food you’re serving, make sure it looks good when you put it out, so the guests will be enticed to try it.
• Don’t forget the birthday cake. It can be very simple or very extravagant, depending on the birthday. Don’t forget to get candles!

Party Favors

Your party favors show your warm appreciation for everyone who came to the party. The most popular ones are the useful kinds, like paperweights, key chains, notebooks or even beauty products. There are also people who give out edible party favors. For example, kiddie goody bags often contain chocolate, cookies and candies.

Unless there’s only a few people, don’t spend too much on party favors. Just opt for simple items. Your guests will appreciate them all the same.

Birthdays happen everyday, but they become more exciting, enjoyable and unforgettable when they’re celebrated with a fun event. Whether it’s for yourself, or for someone special, planning one is a wonderful idea. Remember these ideas as you prepare for this special day. They’ll surely make your celebration more delightful and memorable! If you enjoy reading this article, you’ll surely be interested in learning how to make a glamorous theme birthday party.