planning a surprise 50th birthday party for friends and family.

50th Surprise Birthday Party Ideas

Ideas, Please

My friend wants to plan a surprise 50th birthday party for her husband and wanted some original, fun, family appropriate ideas. She'll be inviting family and friends and will be looking for a place to rent to hold the "surprise" 50th birthday party. She wants to do a sort of a theme but the "over the hill" has been used so much that it's boring.

She'll be saving to pay for this so although she won't mind paying for the party - originality without a huge price tag will be greatly appreciated! Thanks for the help!
Lois

Back to the Teen Years

A few years ago, I threw a surprise party for my mother's 50th birthday. Since she "came of age" in the 1950s, I had a 50s theme. The invitation read "[her name] is going back to the 50s!" I encouraged guests to come dressed in 50s style. I even bought a few cheap accessories so she could dress 50s-style (like bright red lipstick, cheap white canvas shoes and funky shades). I bought her a book on the 50s. She loved it. To cut back on expenses, I made some nice pasta and bean salads, served punch (no booze). Try making up a 50s trivia quiz. If he was a younger kid in the 50s, try themes like Howdy Doody, Davy Crockett, Roy Rogers, Mousketters, etc. Since he's a guy, buy him a 1950s car as a gag gift (Matchbox or Hotwheels, of course).
SS

A "Genuine Antique Person"

Have a "Genuine Antique Person" party. Although it is still more of a jest at 50, it is original and has many possibilities for decorating. If you try for an aged country theme you can simulate the air of antiquity fairly cheaply. Fill small metal pails with flowers for centerpieces. You can buy small wooden wheelbarrows in craft stores to paint and scatter in the function room for decoration. Use candles generously. Scour yard sales and flea markets for "antiques" - wooden wheels, hurricane lamps, weather vanes, let your imagination go. Renaissance Foil has an antiquing product that you can apply to many surfaces, creating aged-looking pails, bowls and candlesticks, which you can find at craft stores. Place squares of dusty blue, green, and red (the shades that are common in "country" decorating) fabric and permanent markers at each table for people to sign and make an "antique person" wishes quilt. Make chocolates for favors using country molds.
Melissa F

Choose His Favorite

I am also saving and planning a surprise 50th for my husband. He loves to go fishing, so I have decided to use fishing for the theme and use his fishing stuff for the decorations. This not only saves a lot of money, but I know he will enjoy it.Pick something that your husband enjoys and go with it, the possibilities are endless. You will save money, time, and he will use what you choose.
CH

Imitation is the Highest Form...

How about a come dressed as "Eddie party" if that is what your husband's name is. We did that here. My friend dresses in tan pants, plaid shirts, and tennis shoes.... all the time. All the guests came dressed as Eddie... and it was fun and funny. People wrote on a banner I had printed: 50 funny stories about Eddie. They wrote on the banner and later we read them to Eddie roast style.
Maryjo

Big Parties Need Room

Make sure your friend chooses an inexpensive, yet accommodating, hall for the party. If her house isn't large enough, or if her friends/family do not own (or are willing to volunteer) a larger home to host the party, check out municipal or civic buildings such as fire houses, ambulance corps, Knights of Columbus, Rotary, Elks Club, UNICO, churches, libraries, rec centers, etc. I had a Sweet 16 party at our local volunteer ambulance corps which featured a 2nd floor "ballroom" for meetings and functions. Both my father and I were members of the corps, so we got the room for free and paid a nominal fee for insurance (especially if alcohol is served, it may be required). If your friend's husband or other relatives/friends belong to an organization/club nearby, their membership or volunteerism will help to earn a discounted rate on the hall. If you don't know anyone with membership, these halls still present the least expensive option for hosting a large party in lieu of using someone's residence.
Jill J. in Fairfax, VA

'In Memory Of'

How about a 'In memory of' party? Kind of a memorial service to the youth that's dead & gone'. You can even write 'eulogies' for people to read. You can probably come up with a lot of fun ideas for the 'wake'.
Lynn

This Is Your Life

Instead of having an "over the hill" party, I suggest having a "this is your life party." Along with the invitation ask your guests to return a questionaire in which you have asked some variation of the following:

My favorite thing about Fred (use guest of honors name) is ______________.
The funniest thing I ever saw Fred do was when he _________________.
The happiest I ever saw Fred was when he____________________.
The dumbest thing I ever saw Fred do was____________________.
Fred drives me crazy when he _______________.
My most memorable moment with Fred was ____________________.
List five words that describe Fred.

You may to make up your own questions or add to these. You may also want to ask the party guests to share a favorite photo of or story about the guest of honor. The hardest part is deciding how to share this information with guests. You may want to have them put these answers on video, have a slide show, have the party guests read the stories or quips out loud, or invite several special people to tell their stories. If you feel awkward acting as an MC, then ask a good friend or minister to do it for you. Make sure you allow yourself plenty of time for planning .

The best part of a party like this is that everyone can participate - children, grandchildren, parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, old friends, new friends and spouses. You can also put the answers, stories, and photos in a scrapbook for the guest of honor to keep.

You will have some laughs and you may even shed a tear or two, because memories are a truly special gift which make getting older worth it.
RJ

Memory Lane

Awhile back my aunt had a 50th party for my uncle. It was great. Her theme was " A Ride Down Memory Lane". She collected photos from friends and relatives and put them all over the house. She even invited his best friend from where he grew up. She had a baby picture and a picture of him in the service, and a picture of them in their dating years blown up and made into posters. The cake was decorated to look like the house he grew up in. But best of all, and this might sound alittle corny, but she had all these old games. Like marbles, spin the bottle, checkers ect..You should have seen all of us grown up kids, nieces and nephews playing marbles. I never knew that was supposed to be a game. And spin the bottle with your favorite uncle was OK too. He said he never had so many pretty girls kiss him in front of his wife and her not get mad.

But to top the evening off another uncle had just restored an old car that was from the time frame of his teens. So they drove around town in it. And even though we all told them to come straight back to cut the cake, they were gone for along time...We still pick on them about going out an necking..Anyway he still talks about that birthday as the best one yet, and all of us really enjoyed the real ride down memory lane. It was just wonderful to see all those pictures of the early years and to hear his stories that went along with them.
DS

Ice Cream Party

I had an old-fashioned ice cream party for my husband when he turned 50. Everyone was asked to bring their favorite topping & ideas to build sundaes, banana splits, etc. We, 40 of us, managed to surprise him with the biggest, craziest, very creative, bowl of ice cream. Everyone had a blast! The theme was ICE CREAM - ALL YOU CAN EAT! Those watching their sugar & fat intake brought peanuts & fruit, yogurt, all kinds of substitutions.
B.

A Mock Funeral

Have you thought of throwing a funeral? I'm serious. For my friend's 30th birthday I threw a surprise funeral for her childhood. Complete with black crepe paper, a eulogy and obituary. Everything was done tongue-in-cheek. For the obituary, list "pallbearers" as the guests, list accomplishments at the end, just like a regular obit. The person who gave the eulogy was listed as the minister presiding over the funeral and at the end my name, as in Schoolcraft Funeral Home, was listed in charge of arrangements. Everyone had a blast and it is still the best party I ever threw.
Lisa

A 'Timeline'

I just threw a surprise 50th birthday party for my mom, so I've got a few suggestions for Lois' friend.

If she has started planning far enough in advance, she could consider:

Creating a timeline of local, US and world events that correspond with major events in the birthday person's life (ex. JFK's assassination, moon landing, etc.). Also consider including special songs, pictures of famous TV and movie stars, etc.
Sending a "memory book" page to each of the guests. Have them write down a special story about themselves and the birthday person (and include a picture if they have one). Assemble this and have it on a special table at the party. (This fits in well with a "This is Your Life" type party)
Have a short (10 question or so) quiz as a party game. Ask questions about the birthday person, and be sure to include some that very few people would know the answers to. Award door prizes to the top winners.

Jennifer

I Remember

My husband recently celebrated his 40th birthday. One of the gifts I gave him was an "I remember" book. As I sent invitations to the party, I included a note asking each person to write a memory that they had of my husband and mail it to me. I also did some detective work and found addresses of "long lost friends" and friends who lived far away and asked them for the same. I put all the replies together in a binder and presented it to him at the party. He said it was the most meaningful present he'd ever gotten.
Barbara

Black and White

For the person looking for a good 50th birthday party idea..... Have all of the guests dress in black and then be sure that the guest of honor dresses in white (or vice versa - guests in white and guest of honor in black) - either way it makes for a fun evening - the guest of honor is immediately recognizable and the pictures look great!
Amy H.

Take the Next Step:

Try one of these 50th birthday party songs
Plan a special birthday party that won't break the bank.
Discuss "Birthday parties for adults" in The Dollar Stretcher Community
Related Links: everydaybirthday.com - for great greeting cards!

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