Birthday celebrations should be joyous occasions, not merely for the celebrant and guests, but also for the one who is putting heart and soul into the planning to ensure uplifting, cherished memories that can last a lifetime. Those for the very young and the very old require particular care, considering they are often not in a position to intervene for themselves. Some useful suggestions concerning ones for children, adults and oldies, are worth considering.
The tiny tots
- Do make the decorations as flamboyantly festive as possible for your little VIP. To inflate the sense of occasion and of their importance, get your child involved in the choice and use of materials such as inexpensive glitter, tinsel and ribbons, decorated cardboard treat containers and colourful paper plates.
- Do not feel you have to dig deep into your purse. You do not need the jumping castle or the hired clown. Rather opt for creative ploys with which you yourself can inject the element of surprise into the proceedings. Simple, low-cost ideas like making balloons into animal shapes or a treasure hunt for treats will prevent squabbling and restlessness.
- Do get your little one involved in some part of the invitation design. This gives your child a sense of the ceremony of the occasion and adds a lovely personal touch.
- Don’t feel you have to invite the parents of your child’s friends. If you have formed friendships with some of the other parents, it is no breach of etiquette just to invite those.
- If your child already attends school, it might be wise to ask what particular invitation policy they recommend, so that you don’t unwittingly cause offense or hurt by excluding some children.
- Do feel entitled to send out reminders about the RSVP. You have every right to have clarity as to the size of the group for whom you have to cater.
- Do allow the opening of presents, but if it goes on too long and the wee guests get restless, suggest a break and put an end to it.
- Do be firm about fetching time. Some parents can be inconsiderate and late collections can be very embarrassing for the child involved.
The adults
These birthday parties will be as varied as the personalities or preferences of the celebrants, but some general planning rules nevertheless apply.
- If you are dealing with a small group of invitees, consider a dinner party. If you plan to invite many friends of the celebrant, don’t. Being stuck at the end of an endlessly long table next to some strangers is not pleasant for any guest.
- Whether for a house party or a dinner, keep your food focus on a wide variety of offerings rather than a vast quantity. This way there is something to everybody’s taste.
- If your home venue is in an out of the way spot, select a central location that suits the majority.
- Regarding your toast, there are three definite don’ts:
- Do not embarrass the person whose birthday it is for the sake of appearing witty!
- Do not make it about you!
- Do not make it long!
- Keep a constant eye on your guests’ food and drink supply to ensure nobody is neglected.
Decorations
For easy and inexpensive tips that apply to ALL ages, consider the following ideas:
1. Choose a theme to which you know the birthday person will relate.
2. Select the favourite colour of the celebrant and allow it to dominate in all the decorations, for example:
- the colour of the balloons and personalized decorations on these
- the icing on the cake and personalized letter balloons on sticks – these can replace the conventional candles
- amusing, festive signs on the walls, OR
- a wall-sized piece of paper where the guests write loving birthday messages
- the above can also serve as a perfect, personalized backdrop for photos
- food colorant in the snacks
- light bulbs in the favourite colour
3. Order customized napkins on which you have created a special message to match the theme of the birthday person.
The oldies
When it comes to planning a birthday celebration for the elderly, your approach should almost be opposite to the one employed when dealing with children. Don’t catch them by surprise. Place yourself in their shoes. People over seventy, eighty or ninety are not quite as flexible as they used to be and have earned the right to be selective about all engagements in their lives, and especially about an event such as their birthday. Accredit them with the gathered wisdom of knowing what they want and respect their judgement. Take direction from them. By all means place many suggestions on offer, but abide strictly by their individual preferences.
Some general tips which could be useful in ensuring the event is not stressful, tiring or even plain boring for your treasured Elder, are the following.
- Ensure the event takes place in surroundings that offer an uplifting atmosphere and ease of movement for the celebrant and guests of a similar, elderly nature.
- Let the celebrant decide who the guests should be. This guest list will indicate how much space is required for easy mobility and comfort.
- Let him or her decide on the nature of the event, whether casual or formal, large or small, family or friends, or both.
- If it is to be a luncheon or dinner, leave the choice of menu up to him or her. After all, only they can presume to know the preferences of their elderly companions.
- Make sure the celebration is planned for a reasonable hour. Some oldies have more energy than the younger members of their family, but it’s prudent to presume many of the older guests would not choose to opt for a late night.
- And now for the element of surprise that is allowed: as the elderly are not about to rock and roll in wild abandon, it is essential to provide alternative forms of entertainment to avoid a dull and dragging affair. This is where a dance down memory lane will qualify as an apt celebration of all the gathered highlights of this celebrant’s life. Involve his or her companions in the choice of entertainment, and ask anybody else who might be informed as to his or her likes and dislikes. A wonderfully apt theme might evolve from such investigation, involving his/her favourite hobbies, animals, holidays, memories, music, and so on. In short, provide games, quizzes, personal videos or just the right collection of “golden oldies” music to conjure up nostalgia and make a life feel thoroughly worth having lived.
No matter our age, a successful birthday party should leave each and every one of us with this inspired conviction …
For information on Udumo Designs, visit: www.udumodesigns.org