Are Birthdays Over Rated? Are Birthday Celebrations Over Rated? – NO!!
There are individuals who do not believe in cutting the midnight cake or popping the evening champagne, they believe birthdays are over rated and is just another regular day on the calendar. But mostly everyone else thinks otherwise and do want to celebrate their birthdays, not necessarily a large scale celebration but could be something small and unique. I come from the third school of thought, where I believe, apart from your own, everyone else’s birthdays should be celebrated right! Not because I am philosophical or kind, but because celebrating someone else’s birthday is always more fun! It is a lot of fun to get each piece of the arrangement right. I do not say this because I am an event manager, but I say this because it genuinely is much more fun to kick the birthday ass rather than get yours kicked. (Apologies for the language)
Below are some pointers which I believe could help in organising the ‘Right’ Birthday Blast:
1. Guest List
Once decided that you would want to celebrate a birthday, ideally, the first thing to do is to finalise the guest list. This is critical because only once you know the number of people expected, you could plan your requirements, you could choose a theme which suits your guests and venue can be finalised depending on the space needed. A planned guest list also helps in reducing costs and fixing the budget for the event.
2. Theme
Before an invite is sent out with details, the theme for the event needs to be finalised. Themes could vary, could be cartoon characters, animals, birds, movies, actors, colours, etc, depending upon the birthday boy/girl’s preferences or age or the expected guests’ interests. There is a universe of options available in the markets today. Also, there are companies/individuals who can further customise the theme as per your choice and budgets. Once a theme is chosen, it becomes very easy for everything else to fall in place.
3. Venue
On finalising the guest list and the theme, you would be in a position where you could gauge the space needed for the event. The right venue which suits your economies and the theme for the number of guests is usually difficult to find, if you do find it, be flexible enough to change your dates in case you need to. Ensure that the venue is a place which would not discourage your guests’ attendance and is convenient to a majority of them.
4. Invite
Majority of the content for your invite is ready once you know the theme and the venue. Preferably choose colours which are more pleasant, font which does not need an effort to read, add directions to the place if difficult to find, bullet points for the details of the event, witty or humorous content is desirable, innovative invites are always welcome but do not compromise on the content for it, simple but elegant invites always attract appreciation. Invites design is vital since this is the first impression of your event you give to your guests.
5. Décor
One of the most critical aspect of your event is undoubtedly the Décor. My personal opinion is, for birthdays, décor should be loud and on your face. This opinion is because a loud décor would bring the right mood to the event and give it a larger-than-life image which would further add to the fun quotient. Minute detailing of the décor is also important, since every minute detail can connect to the theme of the day which further adds to the success of the event. There are loads of novel ideas available on décor today, do try something new than what you saw the last time.
6. Activities
Apart from food, activities organised is the only thing which would entertain your guest and will guarantee a longer stay at your event. Activities could be games, quizzes, fashion shows, dance programs, singers, circus, carnival, casino, anything, but it has to be something which can keep your guest occupied for the duration of your event at least till the cake is cut or the champagne popped or the meal served. The novelty and the fun at your event is usually measured with the activities organised. This also ensures that memories are created which are cherished for long.
7. Food & Beverage, also The Cake
Let us be frank about this, the maximum number of your guests do come to eat and hence getting this piece right is utmost important. Do have a trial meal much before an event to be assured of the quality served. During birthday events, choose a spread which is not a lavish three course meal, instead choose an offbeat spread which is minimal variety but filling. The birthday boy/girl could be of any age but cutting a cake is a tradition across the world. Ensure there is a cake slice for the last person as well. Exotic cakes of various shapes adds to the birthday excitement.
8. Re-work The Budget
By the time you have planned your event, it would most probably shoot above the budget you had in mind at the start. It is time to re-work on the entire plan and revise the requirement or the budget accordingly, the changes have to notified to the respective vendor for smooth functioning. Do not work on this aspect after the event, vendors do not like to negotiate after the event is completed.
9. Return Gifts
A birthday celebration’s tradition is also to give out Return Gifts to your guests at the end of the event. It does not have to be something expensive, it can be a merchandise which connects to your event (theme) and creates a remembrance of the good times at your event. It could also be a prize they won at an activity or a take away they received from an activity. Try choosing a gift which they could preserve for the future.
10. Memory for Birthday Boy/Girl
One of the most important piece of the birthday event which is usually ignored because of the focus laid on everything else, is the memories the event creates for the birthday boy/girl. As a host, maintain the focus on the birthday boy/girl as the centre of the event and not anything else. You could add in a couple of activities which are recorded and preserved by the birthday boy/girl which they could cherish on a later date. After all, it is their celebration.
The best way to Celebrate The Birth – ‘Right’, is to call upon a Professional !!