Looking to throw a surprise birthday party for the ages? It’s easier than you might think. In fact, the toughest part is often keeping the guest of honour in the dark until it’s time for the celebrations to kick off.
From coming up with a brilliant theme to finding the perfect venue, here’s the complete guide to planning an unforgettable surprise party.
How to plan a surprise party in 8 simple steps
1. Confirm it’s a good idea
Before you even start planning the party itself, you need to make sure that a surprise birthday is the right choice. After all, they’re not everyone’s cup of tea.
You could ask people who are closest to the guest of honour, such as their partner or family members, whether it’s a good shout. Or you could subtly tell them a story about a time you surprised someone else, and clock their reaction to it: does it look like it’s something they’d like for themselves?
2. Decide on your idea or theme
Once you’ve got the green light, it’s time to decide on your theme: what sort of party do you want to throw? Here, you should think about what your guest of honour likes and how they like to socialise. Are they more into late-night revelry or would they prefer a lovely private dinner?
We’ve listed some ideas below to help get you inspired.
3. Lock in your date and venue
Now, it’s time to get planning. The most important thing to lock in is your date and venue. You’ll need to ensure that the guest of honour is free on that day, too. One approach is to tell them that you’re hosting a special event and then inviting them along, so you know you’ve booked out that slot in their calendar.
You’ve also got to nail down your venue (if you aren’t throwing the party at home). The venue that’s right for you will depend on the type of party you’re throwing, but broadly, you’ll want a space that can comfortably accommodate your guests and handle your food, drink and entertainment needs.
At Kindred, we have spaces across all floors of our building to suit all sorts of celebrations: from intimate dinners to larger dance parties. We’ve got an in-house kitchen and top-of-the-range AV capabilities, whether you want to blast out a playlist or hire a brilliant band. Did we mention that we have a private bar on every floor of our building?
4. Send out your invites
It won’t be a party without guests! Send out your invites, giving people plenty of time to RSVP so you can get a good idea on numbers. Be super clear about what time the guest of honour is due to arrive, letting the other guests know that they should be there before. And if they are going to be late, they should arrive after the planned reveal.
5. Food and drink
Is the party going to be a drinks-and-canapés affair, or are you planning to serve up some heartier plates? Venues that offer in-house catering may offer various packages or let you choose options from different menus.
For example, for private dining we offer three-course plated and feasting menus, where food is served family style. But for parties and receptions, you can choose from our canapés and bowls menus, with the option to throw in some grazing boards and late-night comfort food.
6. Activities and entertainment
Are you going to have activities at your party? You might want to have some games or something like a photobooth, for instance. We’ve seen parties where people have created a photo station next to a guest book, where guests take polaroid pictures of themselves and then stick the photos in the book with a message.
There’s also the option to hire live entertainment. Bands and DJs are the most popular choices here—hiring a great act can truly get a party started. Our friendly events team would be delighted to help you find the right performer for your event.
7. Organise the surprise
Okay, now that all of the event logistics are sorted, your last task is to make sure the guest of honour stays none the wiser about your plans—and that they’ll turn up at the venue at the right time.
You will most likely need to enlist the help of others here. Perhaps their partner or a close friend can commit to bringing them to the party. Lock in these plans and make sure everyone knows what they’re doing.
8. The big reveal
It’s time for the fun part! Put your plan into action and have everyone get ready for the big surprise. Ideally, the person travelling with the guest of honour will be communicating with you and give you a heads up when they’re close by.
13 surprise birthday party ideas
Now that you’ve got a handle on what you need to do, let’s dive into some surprise birthday party ideas to help you decide what sort of shindig you’re throwing.
1. Hollywood glam
Gowns, glitter, feather boas, and vintage suits? Say no more. Hollywood glam is one of the most popular party themes because it’s simply so stylish—we dare your guests to feel anything less than fabulous while wrapped up in their gladrags. Plus, this usually makes for stunning photos.
2. Dressed as you
This idea perhaps won’t suit everyone, but it can be done very well: have your guests dress up as the guest of honour. We’ve seen some people have masks made of the birthday person’s face, but you could also simply opt to copy their style. You could attempt to recreate any particularly memorable outfits they’ve donned over the years, or adopt any quirks of their look: do they always wear bright red lipstick, for instance?
3. Memory lane
Take your guests—including the guest of honour—on a trip down memory lane. You could decorate the venue with photos sharing lovely memories from over the years, or even have everyone dress in the style of a decade that was formative in their life. For instance, if they’re a nineties child at heart.
4. Glow-in-the-dark
For a bit of fun, you could have glow-in-the-dark party props (glow sticks, lights or even UV face paint if you’re feeling adventurous) to really bring your celebration to life. It’s whimsical and joyfully silly—which are the perfect ingredients for a party, if you ask us.
5. Movie night
Not everyone is into big parties or dancing the night away. Instead, you could rent out a small movie theatre (yes, this is possible!) and have everyone settle in for a night of cinema, snacks and celebration. And to add an extra element of comfort, you might decide to have everyone come in their pyjamas.
6. Karaoke
It’s the ultimate icebreaker: having your guests belt their hearts out to songs everyone knows and loves. Karaoke is good, clean fun—even if everyone is singing off-key. It’s a great way to bring everyone together and lean into a sense of silliness, as they raise a glass to celebrate the guest of honour.
7. Scavenger hunt (that ends at the party)
This idea is a little more involved, but if you can pull it off then it could be truly unforgettable. A scavenger hunt is basically a game where people follow instructions and collect clues, with each clue eventually leading them to the final destination—which, in this case, would probably be the surprise party. To add a personal touch, you could have each of the clues be inspired by the guest of honour.
8. Gentle roast
Again, this may not be for everyone. But if your guest of honour is feeling brave, why not have their favourite people (gently) roast them? Remember that roasts are supposed to be fun and lighthearted, not mean-spirited.
9. Silent disco
A silent disco is always a good idea. Your guests will all be given a set of headphones that usually have a few channels they can switch between. In our experience, the songs chosen are crowd-pleasers that everyone knows, so you can all sing along (without having to actually hear each other singing).
10. Cocktails and canapés
For more casual affairs, you might choose to host a cocktails and canapés party. Our upstairs Salon is perfect for soirées of this sort: it’s got a quietly glamorous speakeasy vibe, with plenty of plush sofas for sipping, grazing and chatting.
11. Surprise dinner
If your guest of honour is more into intimate parties, why not throw a brilliant surprise dinner? You can host it at your house (with the option to hire a chef), a restaurant or dedicated venue with private dining rooms. We have several of the latter here at Kindred: our sophisticated and atmospheric Library can host slightly larger groups, while our grand Butterwick room seats up to 16. Get in touch with our team for more information.
12. Live music
There’s nothing like live music. Whether you’re looking for pop covers, smooth soul and RnB or dance floor anthems that everyone loves, there’s a fantastic act out there ready to turn up your celebration. We can host live acts on every floor of our building.
13. Festival theme
Missed out on Glastonbury tickets? No bother—throw your guest of honour a festival-themed party, complete with all of the glitter and sequins your heart desires. People love festivals because they offer a magical escape from the day-to-day. Your party can tap into that same sense of escapism.
Your surprise birthday party venue
The venue for a surprise birthday party is more than a backdrop. It sets the tone and mood, and should make your guests feel welcome and cared for.
That’s our specialty here at Kindred. We’ve got multiple spaces across all three floors of our building to suit all manner of celebrations. You’ll have full use of Cellar, our Hammersmith restaurant and bar, AV capabilities, and a private bar on every floor.
But what sets us apart is our personal touch. From private dining to cocktail evenings, to a late-night knees up, we have options to suit all sorts of parties. And our friendly events team would be delighted to bring your dream party to life.
Nestled right in the heart of West London, Kindred is a much-loved birthday party venue. To learn more about us, take a virtual tour of our building, browse our private hire brochure, or get in touch with our team.
