If you are hosting a 50th birthday party, you have a choice. You can decide to focus on the age of the person or not. He may want to focus on being over the hill and enjoy all the humor that the celebration could bring. She may also want to focus on the years ahead. Choose the perspective that is right for your guest of honor.
Invitations
Your invitation should set the tone for the party. If you want to shy away from the age of your guest of honor, put together invitations with bright colors and wording that discusses the celebration you will host. If you are ready to dive head on into the “over the hill” theme, send black invitations with white or gold writing. Use stickers of tombstones and write an invitation that encourages guests to poke fun of the birthday person.
Guests
Invite family and friends who will enjoy celebrating the life of the guest of honor. Consider what kind of party you wish to host. Barbecues or other casual affairs are ideal for families and guests of all ages. More formal dinners should be restricted to adult, or at least teen, guests. Let children or grandchildren enjoy a smaller separate cake and ice cream party with the guest of honor.
Food
The food that you serve can range from playful childhood favorites that celebrate youth or a sophisticated, gourmet meal. You might want to ask the birthday boy’s spouse or other close family members if he had any childhood favorites. Mom’s pie or grandma’s casserole will bring back pleasant memories. For a sophisticated meal, you can dot the meal with black foods, such as forbidden rice or caviar, to highlight the cryptic atmosphere of the night.
Games
Murder mysteries are great for the doom and gloom evenings that come with over the hill nights. There is nothing like a dead body in the corner of the room to highlight mortality. If such as dreary theme is not in your taste, set out card games or board games for guests to play. Set up a DVD or other trivia game from the decade of your birthday girl’s youth.
Gifts
Ask guests to join together to purchase a significant gift for the birthday boy or girl. A day out on the golf course or afternoon at the spa may be just what your guest of honor needs. If midlife crises are setting in, look for fighter jet flying or race car driving experiences.
Photo Credit
- 50 in silber image by manu from Fotolia.com
