Q&A for How to Throw a Surprise Party

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  • Question
    How do you throw a surprise party on a budget?
    Natasha Miller
    Event Planner & CEO, Entire Productions
    Natasha Miller is an Event Planner, Chief Experience Designer, and President of Entire Productions, an event and entertainment production company based in San Francisco, California. Notable clients Natasha has collaborated with include Apple, Google, Gap, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., and Salesforce. Natasha and Entire Productions has been awarded Inc. 5,000's "Fastest Growing Companies in America", Entrepreneur Magazine's 360 List of "Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America." Entire Productions is also a Certified Women Business Enterprise. Natasha is a member of Meeting Professionals International (MPI).
    Event Planner & CEO, Entire Productions
    Expert Answer
    You can always delegate a lot of the tasks to other people. This way, you aren't stuck doing and paying for everything yourself. Also, with a surprise party, you really don't need to do a ton of work. A lot of the joy will come from the surprise itself, so don't worry about blowing a huge budget on a surprise party.
  • Question
    How do you keep a surprise party a secret?
    Natasha Miller
    Event Planner & CEO, Entire Productions
    Natasha Miller is an Event Planner, Chief Experience Designer, and President of Entire Productions, an event and entertainment production company based in San Francisco, California. Notable clients Natasha has collaborated with include Apple, Google, Gap, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., and Salesforce. Natasha and Entire Productions has been awarded Inc. 5,000's "Fastest Growing Companies in America", Entrepreneur Magazine's 360 List of "Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America." Entire Productions is also a Certified Women Business Enterprise. Natasha is a member of Meeting Professionals International (MPI).
    Event Planner & CEO, Entire Productions
    Expert Answer
    You can always tell every guest individually that it's a surprise. The other thing you can do is put, "Shhh!" or, "Quiet! It's a surprise party!" on the front of the invite. That way, everyone knows it's a surprise party before they even open the invitation.
  • Question
    How do I plan a surprise party for my teacher?
    Community Answer
    Get another teacher you trust to help you; have the other teacher keep the party recipient out of the classroom until the time of the party.
  • Question
    How can I be sure they aren't doing anything that day?
    Community Answer
    You make fake plans with them. For example, invite them over to watch a movie. That way you know they will be available for the party.
  • Question
    How can I plan a surprise party for one day away?
    Community Answer
    Ask as many people as you can for help. Assign everyone jobs (e.g. someone get balloons, another person get drinks, someone else get cake, etc.) to help you out so your party can be ready in time.
  • Question
    How can a 12 year old throw a surprise party for a parent?
    Community Answer
    If you can, ask your other parent to get involved with the planning. They can help you pick out a theme/decorations/cake and even contribute some money. If not, ask your grandparents or some of your parent's friends to help you. Find out what your parent likes, what interests them, and what they think is fun. Use those things to come up with the main idea for your party.
  • Question
    How should I decorate for a surprise party for my father?
    Community Answer
    That depends on what your father likes.If he is a sports fan, for exampe, you could make his favorite team or sport the theme. Invite his family, and maybe a couple of his friends, and assign everyone a job. There are also many decorations with 'Happy Birthday' and other birthday-themed ones if you want to go simple with your party.
  • Question
    I am a little girl and I want to plan my father's surprise party, but I don't have any money, and I'm afraid my family wouldn't keep it a secret. What do I do?
    Community Answer
    You don't need to have a big budget to plan a party. You can hold it in your backyard or in your house. You could always make your own party decorations, but chances are you won't need them. If you're old enough to prepare food, go ahead and do so, but you can asks guests to bring food, too. Just tell your family the party is a secret, and you'd appreciate it if they didn't mention it to your dad. On the day of the party, play some of your father's favorite music, wait for the guests to trickle in, and just enjoy. Your father will appreciate the thought, even if it didn't cost very much.
  • Question
    How do I keep the guest of honor from knowing when she lives with me?
    Community Answer
    If possible, have the party outside of your home. If you have to throw it at home, then make sure the guest of honor is out of the house until the party. Have another friend take her out for lunch or manicures and make sure she doesn't get home until all the guests have arrived.
  • Question
    I plan to throw a surprise party outside. What if it starts raining at the party?
    Pearlbelle
    Top Answerer
    Check the weather in advance before throwing an outdoor party to avoid rain if possible. If the worst does happen, usher everyone into a nearby building and try to salvage as much of the food and decorations as possible.
  • Question
    What kind of theme should I choose for my teacher?
    Community Answer
    If you know the teacher personally, then choose a theme in keeping with his or her subject or personal interests. Otherwise, it depends on the occasion for the party.
  • Question
    How can I plan a surprise party in one night?
    Community Answer
    If you're under that kind of time crunch, you should probably just plan a small get-together. Call a few good friends over who are close to the guest of honor, or make a reservation for the group at a restaurant.
  • Question
    What do I do if a thunderstorm strikes during a party at the beach?
    Pearlbelle
    Top Answerer
    Immediately find suitable shelter (not under a tree) for everybody at the party.
  • Question
    What should I do if the person the party is being thrown for dies?
    Community Answer
    If in a tragic twist, the person passes on at their party, remain and call your country's emergency number, and explain what has happened and let them come, investigate the death, and remove the corpse. Contact the deceased's family and let them know what happened.
  • Question
    Does a party count as a gift?
    Community Answer
    Yes, since you are investing time and effort/money into planning it.
  • Question
    Do I need to have a specific reason to throw a surprise party for someone?
    Community Answer
    It would be kind of weird to throw one for no reason. Generally, you throw a party for someone to celebrate something specific - like their birthday, a graduation, a promotion at work, etc.
  • Question
    What are some activities to do at the party?
    Community Answer
    It depends on who the party is for. If it is for a child, play games like pin the tail on the donkey or have a pinata. If it is for a young adult, find what they like to do. It is all up to the person's likes and dislikes.
  • Question
    How do I throw a surprise party for a friend at school if I can't get her mother into the school to prepare with me in a short period of time?
    Community Answer
    If you know exactly what you need help with, ask a teacher, principal, counselor, or even your other friends to help you.
  • Question
    How can I throw a surprise party with no money on hand?
    Community Answer
    Make him/her a gift yourself, and make the decorations. If you have supplies on hand, you can make the food too. Otherwise, you could have the party be a pot luck where all the invitees prepare a dish and bring it. This should cut down on the cost significantly.
  • Question
    I'm twelve years old, how do I plan a party for my best friend without it getting too complicated?
    Community Answer
    See if you can get a ride to a party supply store and buy some cheap supplies. You shouldn't need much more than some plates, silverware, napkins, and a few decorations. Go to the grocery store and get some snacks, soda, and a cake or some cupcakes. You could have the party at your house, or at a local park. Call up some other friends and let them know when/where the party will be. That's all you need to do!
  • Question
    How long should the party be if it's not a sleepover?
    Community Answer
    It's up to you, but most parties are a couple of hours.
  • Question
    I want to put on an anniversary party for my parents at home, but they are always at home. What should I do to surprise them?
    Community Answer
    Have a sibling or one of their friends take them out for lunch or something and, when they return, they will have a surprise anniversary party.
  • Question
    How do I pick where to throw the party?
    Community Answer
    Just go somewhere you like to go. It doesn't have to be something big or all-out.
  • Question
    How can I throw a surprise party for my cat?
    Community Answer
    Make a cat cake with eggs, flour, tuna, and cheese for your kitty. Make sure you look up a recipe, though. You can also buy the cat a new toy and wrap it in tissue paper so the cat can open it. Don't worry about the surprise part, your cat will have no idea what you're doing. For decor, you can add streamers to your cat tree or post, cats love it! Balloons would be fun to, just make sure that any popped ones are quickly picked up so your cat doesn't eat them. Also, when you surprise your cat, don't be too loud or you will scare him/her.
  • Question
    How do I keep my mother out of the room while I am setting up?
    Community Answer
    Have your dad, a sibling or a friend of hers take her out to lunch or shopping and make sure she doesn't return until everything is ready.
  • Question
    Is it a good idea to throw a surprise party on a holiday if I know the guest of honor is available?
    Community Answer
    Sure! A holiday can be a great time for a surprise party as long as you know it's not going to interfere with any plans.
  • Question
    What if the person I am throwing the party for doesn't seem to be having fun?
    Community Answer
    Pull that person aside, if you can, and ask if anything is wrong or if there's anything you can help with.
  • Question
    How do I plan a party for my mum if she isn't well?
    Community Answer
    A party might not be a good idea if she's not well, but if you want to have one, keep it to just a few people. Maybe bring her breakfast in bed with some flowers and a "Get Well Soon" card. Do whatever you can around the house to make things easier for her so she doesn't have to worry while she's not feeling well.
  • Question
    How long do I need to plan the party?
    Community Answer
    Try to have at least 1-2 weeks to prepare. That should be enough time to gather all the needed supplies, send out invitations, etc.
  • Question
    What do I do to keep people entertained at a surprise party?
    Community Answer
    Play music, have plenty of food, and organize a few party games. People will mostly entertain themselves and each other by socializing, but it's good to have a few activities planned.
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