Our mom turned 60 in December and for someone like me who likes to celebrate every little moment, turning 60 is a big deal. That’s 60 years of laughter, wisdom, and moments with loved ones you’ll never forget. It’s also the start of a new decade where you can look forward to enjoying new hobbies, retirement, jet setting to foreign lands, and spending time with grandkids or furry friends. I felt mums 60th birthday party should be a reflection of how special her life story has been.
Starting at the beginning
Celebrating 60 years of life can be as simple as gathering a few close friends and family for or an over-the-top party with a mini wedding feel. When looking for 60th birthday party ideas, I would suggest you start by figuring out how you want to celebrate the special occasion. Take the personality of the person who you wish to celebrate into account. Is she someone who loves loud displays of affection or someone who likes to have a small quiet affair surrounded by just her closest few. In our case, mom falls in the later category.
Simple intimate affairs will require less effort upfront but more attention to detail, and if you plan to have a themed décor it will involve working with a professional party planner or venues. If you’re hosting an event that has a large décor requirement, make sure to start the planning process 6 months ahead of time to make sure everything is in order. While planning a party requires some effort, it’s an easy-to-handle task if you break down the process into smaller steps. Here’s a quick run-through of how to plan a 60th birthday party from choosing a theme to decorating the space.
deciding the theme & setting the mood
Once you choose a party theme, it’s time to think about décor that can set the stage for a wonderful celebration. In our case we decided to go classy-chic-floral-minimal. Since it was going to be a night time event we knew from the get go that we wanted to concentrate more on the lighting and less on the florals. I would suggest to start by narrowing down the event space first — whether that’s your terrace/backyard or a rented event space. Consider what guests will see when they arrive, where they’ll eat if you’re serving a meal, and where they’ll mingle with one another. An beautifully done venue for the celebration will make it a memorable one, so don’t skimp on this step. You can also create a more elaborate atmosphere with centerpieces, photo booths, party games, and personalized party favors.
Hosting a 60th birthday party with stunning décor can be as time and labor-intensive as you want. Create DIY décor to save a little money or buy party supplies from your local party store to save time. You can also find printable templates and décor as well as party supplies online from sites like LBB, Propshop24 & Amazon.
You are cordially invited
Invitations according to me are so very important in setting the stage for your big event. They are a mysterious sneak peek for the guests and help build a sense of intrigue in the days leading up to the event. Invites should typically be sent out a month prior to the event. Earlier than that and people might tend to forget, later than that there is a high chance that their calendars are full. So a Save the date should be sent out a month prior and a detailed itinerary about 10 days out so they know what to expect and what to carry with them. Also a thank you note at the end of the event is much appreciated. All the invites were custom made by @sincerestoryteller.
Making the day memorable
To entertain your guests on the day of the event, make sure you’ve planned some activities guests can partake in. Another fun idea includes trivia with questions focused around the year or decade the guest of honor was born. You can ask questions or offer fun facts about the most popular singers or movies from the era and offer prizes for those who get the most correct answers. In addition to games, you can also set up a special moment to recognize the guest of honor. You can play a slideshow of photos sharing some of the best moments over the years. You can also have the guest of honor or loved ones write personalized messages on photoprints of the individual with the birthday girl. No detail is too small when it comes to making the celebration one to remember. We had a live band perform all of our mums favorite songs and games like bingo with prizes handed out the winners.
Another very very important thing to remember is the birthday cake and the number 60 candles. No birthday can ever be complete without a cake and candles can it? We chose a rustic finish lemon meringue cake from @lepetitfourpune and added fresh flowers and birthday candles.
Birthdays come once a year but the memories last you a lifetime. The final event turned out even better than we had imagined. It was warm, intimate, beautiful, memorable and above all the just as mom wanted it. Here is a little sneak peek of the Event. Hope this helps you create your own beautiful events.
XOXO
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