From My Heart to Yours

7 Things I Learned After Throwing My First Ever Surprise Birthday Party

That's me! Dressed in my Smiffy's Women's 1960's Groovy Lady Costume finally getting a chance to breathe and relax long enough to stop and take a photo.

It was my aunt's surprise 50th birthday party celebration, January 5, even though her actual birthday was 3 days prior. That's also my cousin Shelly walking towards me, whose genius helped to transform the room into a Golden Oldies 60s/Disco Hall!

I was the emcee for the night, which surprisingly came naturally to me, as I didn't have any butterflies like I usually do, because it was all friends and family and I knew exactly how I needed the night to go.

Even though about 30% of the guests did not show up, my aunt thoroughly enjoyed herself with the 70% who WERE there!

However, after running around like a chicken without a head since the end of November, I can look back at the night as a success, and offer a few party/event planning tips!

1. Drink. Water!
   I can't stress this enough! Whatever you do, make sure drinking water is #1! I made the mistake of going and going like the Energizer Bunny from 8am until 8pm solely on adrenaline, never realizing that I hadn't drank any water or eaten anything but one cup of yogurt the entire day. Unfortunately, my body reminded me through severe leg cramps, which also caused my toes on my left foot to curl up. I. Was. Afraid! I thought I was gonna be paralyzed or be rushed to the hospital, but luckily, one of my aunt's friends noticed and grabbed me a cup of water, which magically and instantly brought me relief. Four days later, today, my calf muscles have finally stopped hurting and returned to normal, but I cannot stress this enough! Please, always remember to stay hydrated, even if food is not an option!
2. Stay Organized
   The two things that kept me afloat throughout the planning process were a spreadsheet and a to-do list. There are a lot of things that need to be done and your brain can only remember so many details, so just write out a daily to-do list and check tasks off as they're completed. Also, keep all your digital expenses and donations in a spreadsheet, and keep the physical cash and donations in separate labeled envelopes, so that you can remain accountable of exactly where every dime and every dollar goes!
3. Ask. For. Help.
   I had to learn the hard way that I am only one person! As much as I knew exactly how I wanted certain things to look, or where I wanted certain things to go, I needed just as much help. Thank goodness I had help from my cousin Shelly, who made sure the room was decorated to the T, as well as my mum and another friend. It's sometimes difficult for people to explain how they may see something in their head versus how it will look in the world real, but that's why two heads are better than one! Do yourself a favour, and enlist those you trust to help you put the night together.
4. If You Can, Don't Purchase Any Items Until You Have A Confirmed Guest List (STRESS RSVP'ing)
   I live outside of the US and bought all of the party's decorations online from PartyCity. I ended up buying way ahead of time so that I could beat the holiday rush and so that my items would arrive all the way here to me in time. However, if you have reliable cornerstores or local party/decorating stores that you can use to purchase items in bulk, do so! There were stores here that had basically all of the decorations that I ordered online, but it was easier to purchase in bulk online than in-store. I had found another store that had the items cheap, but didn't have enough time to sit and write out a list to drive back and forth. Luckily, all my items DID arrive on time, but because I purchased before I got a firm amount of RSVP's, I bought more than I needed. Therefore, I would recommend having a set number of guests first!
5. Something WILL Go Wrong
   Murphy's Law: Whatever Can Go Wrong, Will! As human beings we should expect that something will always go wrong! The key is to just always have a Plan B, Plan C and maybe even a Plan D, and to start planning right away! This was my very first event that I planned on my own so naturally I wanted everything to be perfect. However, if I wasn't rushing around all morning, I would have thought to cross all my t's and dot all my i's and test the PowerPoints and Video Tribute before the party started. Meh! I'm still bummed that they didn't play properly at the party (even though I fixed it the day after), but, at the end of the night, people reassured me that sometimes you just have to expect that something will go wrong, so you just go with the flow and find an alternative.
   
6. People Are Unreliable
   Not only will things go wrong, but so will people! The number one thing I learned from this night is that people are super unrealiable! I don't know if this is a Black thing or a West Indian/Caribbean thing, but here in The Bahamas, we don't RSVP. For the party planner, this is a huge inconvenience because this can be the difference between saving money and overspending. I planned for a party of 80 guests, hoping that I could somehow get it down to 75 or less before the night of. Luckily, I did get it down to exactly 75, thanks to the considerate guests who told me ahead of time that they would not be able to make it. Thank goodness the plates, bowls and eating utensils that the caterer provided were complimentary. However, the dessert plates, cups and forks were not. So, the people who did not make it and didn't say beforehand, left about 3 empty tables of money well spent!
7. At the End of It All, Enjoy Yourself!
   Don't waste so much time stressing about everything that could or did go wrong that you don't sit back and look at everything you've accomplished! Be proud of yourself for putting a successful event together and enjoy it as if you were one of the guests! After all, you worked hard and spent money, so you of all people should be able to enjoy it the most!