Planning a successful birthday party is something of an art form, with an entire industry surrounding it. Even if you’re not a professional party planner, there are still a lot of ways you can organize the perfect surprise party without breaking the bank. We’ve put together some fun ways to ensure that every guest has a great time at your next party, but most of all, the guest of honor. Check out the five tips below:

Set a Unique Theme

You might think you’ve grown out of theme parties at this stage in your life, but truth be told, everybody likes a well-executed theme party. The trick here is just to pick something that’s unique, while still being accessible. Sure, your esoteric Dune themed party might seem like a good idea in theory, but it’s going to be pretty tough for your guests to come up with good costumes. Pick something lighthearted with a broad range of options for dressing up and decorating, and then run with it.



The second key to mastering the theme party is make sure you’re following through with it. Nobody wants to spend an hour on their costume and show up to discover that he or she’s the only one that put in effort. If there’s something that your guest of honor really loves, try to incorporate that into the theme. Game of Thrones fanatic? Give him a Game of Thrones party. Art lover? Tell guests to dress as their favorite piece of art.

There are a ton of directions you can take it, you just have to pick something you can follow through with. If you’re struggling for ideas, The Vivant has a list of 101 party ideas to help you get started.

Order Personalized T Shirts

Placing an order for personalized T shirts is a great way to commemorate the surprise party. If you’re not a graphic artist, worry not, sites like RushOrderTees have T shirt design template features to help you create the perfect shirts for the occasion. Go for a design that’s a little more personal than just the generic name and date. The site has plenty of options from which to choose for something unique and memorable. And really, guests do love getting a gift of their own to take home at the end of the night.

Create a Facebook Event

While you might be tempted to tell your guests about the party one by one to keep everything a secret, it’s going to be a nightmare to keep track of. The best option for invitations is to create a Facebook event with the highest privacy settings so your guest of honor won’t see. You can edit the details with the address, date and time, any info about the theme, and of course, add a reminder that no one should tell the birthday guy or girl. You’ll be able to check the RSVP’s to get a good idea of a head count before the day of the party arrives.

Skip the DJ and Make Your Own Playlist

In the aim of creating a more personal, memorable party experience, you should really skip hiring a DJ and create a party playlist yourself. Adding music from your guest of honor’s favorite groups is a way of showing how well you know their tastes, and how much thought went into planning the party. You’ll save money, and you’ll avoid cringing through top 40 hits you can’t stand. If you’re not exactly a music master, enlist a more in-the-know friend to create the perfect party playlist for you.

Coordinate the Gifts

Another fun idea for a personalized party is to coordinate the gifts that everyone is going to bring. Have everyone bring in a different funny t-shirt or a note with their favorite anecdote about the birthday guest. The effect should make a stronger impression than a bunch of cheap bottles of wine and a couple re-gifted novels.

Follow these five easy tips and you should have the perfect surprise party in the works. All you need to figure out is the best excuse for getting them out of the house while you set up.