If your parents have birthdays near each other, they may enjoy a joint birthday party. Even if your parents have varying interests, a joint party will help them come together and celebrate a monumental year, such as their 50th birthdays. Do some research before the birthday party, to determine some of their first memories together and their shared sentiment.
Research
Before you can plan your party, you need to do some research. Talk with your mom and dad casually about some of their first dates and get a feel for some of their nostalgia. Discover in which decade they met and fell in love. Look into the restaurant, ice cream shop, roller skate rink or other place where they shared a date. You can plan the party based on this place and decade.
Invitations
Grab a few siblings and work with them to plan this party. You can make invitations, shaped like vinyl records, encouraging guests to come dressed as though they are from the decade of your party. Invite local family and friends, including children. You may wish to ask some of the kids to help with the event, being waitresses or attendants. They may be bored by the theme of the party, but they will be more involved if they have an integral job.
Transportation
If you plan to surprise your parents, you can have them picked up in a rented vintage vehicle, such as a Ford Thunderbird. This is a great job for a teen nephew or son who can drive safely and will love the opportunity to drive an old classic. Let them know you will be picking them up for dinner and surprise them with the special transportation.
Location
Your own creativity is the only limit to the location of your party. If your town has an old drive-in theater, a classic drive-thru or a 1950s style diner, see if you can rent it out for the evening, or at least rent a set-apart section for your family. Among the posters and pictures on the wall, post a large picture of your parents during the decade.
Activities
When your parents arrive, many guests should be there to surprise them. If you have flown in a special guest, such as a childhood friend or sibling, have him come out a bit later to serve burgers or other special foods. It may give your parents a double take, but it will delight them when they realize their waiter is an old friend.
Photo Credit
- birthday celebration image by Liz Van Steenburgh from Fotolia.com
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