50th Birthday Party Ideas

What's the theme?

An obvious theme to use for the 50th is the "Over the Hill" gag. However, if you have a sensitive guest of honor that won't find that to be amusing or if you just want to do something different, then you might want to consider choosing a creative theme for the party. To choose a theme, consider the birthday person's interests, hobbies, favorite movies, celebrities, colors, flowers, etc. Will it be a classy sophisticated dinner or luncheon? A fun costume party? A beach party? Or perhaps a 50s or 60s theme party? Make the party into a casino night or turn it into a murder mystery event! There are endless possibilities, and once you've settled on the general idea behind the party, putting the rest of the pieces together will be easier because you'll have direction.

Entertainment is Key!

As with any party, entertainment is very important for a 50th birthday celebration. Your theme can help you choose the right entertainment. If you've chosen a private dinner then perhaps background music would be the perfect choice. You can go with a classical guitarist, pianist or an ensemble. If your theme requires more of the "party" vibe, then perhaps the best choice would a cover band, jazz band, party band or just bring in a DJ. Other great options for crowd-pleasing entertainment at 50th birthday parties are comedians, magicians and hypnotists. Everyone loves to laugh and be amazed, so any of these ideas could make the birthday party a hit!

If your budget allows, a very popular idea would be to bring in a tribute band or celebrity impersonator. You can find some to fit a variety of tastes from Frank Sinatra Impersonators to Beatles Tribute Bands to Elvis Impersonators. Along these lines, you can also consider hiring a Marilyn Monroe impersonator to sing her breathy rendition of "Happy Birthday Mr. President" to your male birthday honoree! If the birthday star has a favorite celebrity, you may be able to track down an impersonator of that particular person. A surprise from their favorite celebrity would make for a sure-fire unforgettable birthday. Look here for more impersonators.

Eat, drink and decorate!

Food is of course a very important piece of the party that you will not want to forget. When it comes to the food and beverages, you can choose to handle the menu yourself or hire a caterer. Base the menu off the birthday person's favorite foods or snacks. If you hire a caterer, tell them your ideas and theme and they can help you create the best menu possible. Before talking with the caterer, decide if you'd rather sit down to dinner, have a buffet or just provide a waitstaff to walk around with hors d'oeuvres and beverages. Since we're among adults and all, if you wish to provide alcoholic beverages for your birthday party guests, you may consider hiring a professional bartender. Or to spice things up a little, hire a flair bartender! Your guests can be entertained by juggling, flipping and magic tricks while also enjoying professionally mixed drinks!

Regarding decor, if you did not choose to have a specific theme, then consider classy generic decor such as balloons and/or floral arrangements.

What else is entailed in 50th birthday party planning?

There are a few other important things to remember for 50th birthday parties. While the party is really for just that one special person, you want all your invited guest to show up and to have a good time too. Draw them in with creative birthday party invitations. Also, if you feel it’s appropriate and have some room left in the budget, it might be nice to provide party favors, whether collectible glasses your guests can take home with them or another party favor of some sort that matches the theme.

Another essential is pictures! Because it is the fiftieth, consider hiring a professional photographer to capture all the special moments of this milestone birthday party. If you cannot afford a professional, make sure either you have a camera handy or designate a friend or family member to be in charge of photographs. If your event is as great as we know it is going to be, you'll definitely want to make sure everyone will remember it forever. Plus, you can always make a scrapbook of it later.

If all of this still sounds like a lot to take on, hiring an event planner is always an option. However, with the right resources you can do it yourself and have fun doing it! GigSalad is here to help you every step of the way as your one stop shop for all your 50th birthday party planning needs.