Adult Birthday Party Ideas & Theme Suggestions
When we reach the age of 18, we think oh no we are getting old, then we go out and do everything we weren’t allowed to do before.
I know when I hit 30 I didn’t take to it very well, booking a week off work ordering 12 bottles of wine & staying in a dark room for a week watching Jeremy Kyle. Once I got over the fact I was getting old, I went and bought a convertible. Going back to work after that week the last thing I wanted was a big presentation with 30th balloons everywhere! And now I have the 40th approaching with a few grey hairs that get pulled out very promptly. So my thoughts this time is to have a party and not a dark room.
But when you're getting old, parties aren't all jelly and clowns. How do you organise a grown up party to keep everyone interested and entertained?
Adult Themes and Party Games
It's the go-to idea – you're having an adult party? It needs a theme. Some might find it a chore, others love it and some secretly love the excuse to dress up. There are plenty of theme ideas to choose from just take a look at our fancy dress costume section for some inspiration!There are all sorts of outfits and accessories from cops and robbers to something a bit more racy like the burlesque outfits or you could go for something seasonally relevant like a Halloween themed party or Christmas fancy dress. Of course uniforms always go down a treat, but giving your guests the choice and allowing a little freedom can result in no end of hilarity as they come dressed up in their own home-made costumes or celebrity inspired attire. Of course, the outfits are just the beginning.
Keeping the Party Theme Going
Once you've settled on a theme for you party, then you'll need to try and keep that theme running throughout. It's no good telling everyone you're having a 70's disco fever party and then they turn up to an undecorated house with no disco music! So there are a few things to keep in mind when planning the perfect themed party:- Decoration – you've chosen the theme; try to pick decoration to match. This could be as little as balloons and bunting or carry on right down to the cutlery, crockery and cakes. Imagine an 80's themed party with cans of Tizer and packets of Space Invaders!
- The Music – pick a playlist to suit your party. You'll never please everyone, but if you've already picked a theme, it only makes sense to have relevant music. If you're stuck for songs, but have a good internet connection you could always create a relevant song selection with Spotify or another internet radio station (though you might want to try a free subscription or sign up so your party doesn't get interrupted with adverts!)
- Party Games – they might not be everyone's cup of tea, so try not to overdo it, but party games are a great way to get guests interacting, mingling and keep them having fun. Depending on your age group, you can pick games that are relevant. You'd be surprised how many adults still enjoy playing daft games they loved as kids – picking cereal cartons off the floor with their teeth, bobbing for apples, playing pass the parcel and musical chairs. Some of these ideas might make you cringe, but once you've all got a few drinks in you they'll soon be giggling. Just don't try pin the tail on the donkey once you've had a few!
- Food – if you're really clever, the theme of your party can go right through to the decoration of your cake, the style of your finger food and the type of drinks. Of course you can get themed tableware and decorations for your cake, but there's no reason you can't take it a step further. If your party has a colour theme – the food can easily match. Having a 'pink' party – pink butterfly cakes and muffins, smoked salmon, prawns and pink blancmange and more will really make your food stand out. Going green? How about kiwis, green jelly, salad, apples and a nice big green cake? If your party has a theme from a particular era or style then you could find the food to match that too. 'Communal' food works well as a talking and interaction point as well – a cheese fondue pot or a chocolate fountain work well as a food focal point.
- Drinks – plenty of alcohol will keep the party flowing. Of course we aren't saying you can't have a good party without it, but it'll help keep people chatting and interacting.
- Ice Breakers – one of the problems with parties is not everyone knows each other and you might find friends breaking off into groups. Why not come up with some games to break the ice and get everyone chatting and having a good time? This will add more life to your party and keep it going long into the night.
- Fireworks – if it's a really big celebration – whether you've got a lot of attendees or a it's to celebrate a big birthday (a 60th birthday for example) then fireworks really help parties go off with a bang. You don't need a big budget to have a good selection of fireworks and you can even buy indoor ones for entertainment that's not likely to wake the neighbours or set fire to any low-hanging trees.
