Prepare for Your Awesome & Adventuresome Friend’s Birthday

You have an awesome and adventuresome friend who is always planning events that make everyone feel special.  You want to recognize your special friend with a surprise party, but you:

• Have already done the traditional one with guests hiding and shouting surprise when the honoree arrives.
• Think that it would be difficult to arrange a surprise when your friend has a busy and unpredictable schedule.
• Want to be sure that your friend looks forward to and enjoys the surprise.

The Creative Friend’s Birthday Surprise

Consider organizing a partial surprise party. You will:

• Ask your friend what kind of birthday surprises would delight them and who they most and least want to celebrate with.
• Plan the surprise.
• Make party invitations which feature a photo of your securely blindfolded friend holding a sign which describes the surprise.
• Have fun preparing and producing the event while your friend has fun anticipating and discovering the surprise.

Include your friend on initial event planning:

1. Arrange a date, starting and ending time for the surprise.
2. See if there are any themes your friend would really like or really dislike.
3. Find out who your friend would really like to have/not have at the surprise.
4. Ask your friend which of the following colors they like best: black, blue, pink, purple or red. Don’t tell them why you are asking.

Arrange the event details:

Based on the input from your friend arrange a:

1. Budget (where will money come from and how will you collect it?)
2. Committee members & assignments
3. Place for event
4. Theme
5. Guest list
6. Food
7. Decorations
8. Activities & entertainment
9. Transportation
10. Security
11. Agenda
12. Photos (who will make and what photos will be made)
13. Videos (who will make and what videos will be made)
14. Photo album (design and assign someone to make & distribute)
15. Gifts
16. Setup
17. Cleanup
18. Backup plans in case of bad weather, illness, etc.
19. Safety check – is everything planned safe and healthy?
20. Enjoyment check – will guests and honoree enjoy everything?

Initial invitation preparation:

1. Order a 3D blindfold² or make/buy an attractive looking bandana³ in your friend’s preferred color for the occasion.
2. Make a sign on 8.5 by 11 or A4 heavy paper announcing the event including theme, activities, date, time, place, who to RSVP to and RSVP date.
3. Invite your friend to get together to work on the event invitations.
4. Gather appropriate props for the party theme.
5. Bring the props and the sign carefully packed in a suitcase or sealed box along with a good camera and the 3D blindfold to the get together to work on the invitations.

Invitation preparations get together:

1. Carefully place the blindfold over your friend’s eyes being sure they cannot see anything from the bottom of the blindfold. Be sure the blindfold stays in place.
2. Open the suitcase and place the props as appropriate.
3. Have your friend hold the sign (while blindfolded)
4. Set friend up for great photos, be sure they are smiling, etc.
5. Make great photos.
6. Pack all of the props and the sign back in the suitcase.
7. Thank your friend for helping to make the invitations for their surprise event.
8. Remove friend’s blindfold.
9. Arrange a meeting place and time to pick up your friend to bring them to their surprise and either tell them how to dress or for a bigger surprise arrange for the appropriate clothing to be waiting for them at their event.

Distribute invitations reminding everyone not to discuss with the honoree.

Follow up with all guests to be sure you have an accurate list of attendees.

Follow your plans and have a great event.

3D Blindfolds For Awesome Birthday Surprise Invitations

We recommend 3D blindfolds because (unlike other inexpensive blindfolds) it is impossible to see through them.  If positioned properly the blindfolded person can’t see more than a few streams of light under the blindfold, the blindfolds are easy to apply, they look nice in photos, they are comfortable, and they may be purchased inexpensively from an online auction site.

It is possible to see through most, if not all, bandanas, so line your bandana with aluminum foil as you fold it.

I would like to thank Industrial Consultant Dr. Margarita Posada Cossuto for helpful comments.