Turning 50… How do I throw a party people will talk about for years?

[Donewiththisshit]

What’s the most memorable thing you have seen at a party big or small? I’ve got the venue, I’ve got the people and a theme but I want to make it legendary.
So far all I’m coming up with is a Photo Booth…..help! I would love to hear about the parties that stick in your mind for being brilliant so I can copy!
(AIBU for asking for your best party experiences)

The food. Try to do something unique… think chocolate fountain, doughnut wall, sweet stand, cake of cheese, etc. before they all became overdone! Difficult to suggest things without knowing the theme.

Get caught shagging someone you're not married to?

What is the theme? Friend had a dress up 50th, which I realise isn't everyone's ideal, but its one of the most memorable for me. Her name is Sarah, so an S party. Come as a sailor, surgeon, surfer, starfish, Simpson etc.

I also agree that good food/drink is also memorable. Bad, undercooked or too little food is memorable for all the wrong reasons.

I had a house party for my 50th, 20 of my dearest family and friends, no extras. We played shot roulette which was a great success . The party was catered, far too much food but it looked and tasted fab.

I think if the party has a DJ then you have to get a the volume right. I hate parties where you can’t hear people and nobody dances until the last 45 minutes.

A masked ball

A murder mystery?

Chocolate fountain always a winner.

Treat the guests. Give them great food and drinks. Maybe a cocktail bar. Give your guests gifts. They will love it and remember it fondly.

Loads of free booze, great music and good friends. Can’t be doing with fancy dress. It’s funny for five minutes. Parties I remember are ones with loads of dancing and laughter. Nobody is really bothered about the buffet. Karaoke is often fun too.

An open bar, in that you pay for it all. I've held parties where I've paid the bar bill and people have remembered them for many years to come! Seems to be what people like for parties.

I am mixed race anf
d had a huge 1970’s English children’s birthday tea plus a giant Chinese take away to celebrate both parts my background. We then went out to a casino.

How many people are we talking? What are your friends like -if there was a theme would they commit enthusiastically or be awkward and embarrassed?

Same with dancing? There's no point in planning for a murder mystery if your friends hate that sort of thing, or a debauched coke strewn orgy if you were planning on inviting your boss and friends from church.

The main thing I'd suggest is to over invite -people are so flaky these days that many will drop out last minute. Even if they don't, by the time the "early morning tomorrow" and "got to get back for the kids"-ers have left the "last one standings" will just be arriving, mixed with people going outside for a smoke etc and it won't get too busy -whereas nothing ruins the mood more quickly than people sitting on the edges of a half empty room and a disappointed host pressing full plates of the vastly overcatered buffet into your hands as you leave.

Second most important thing is the venue - make sure people can get there easily and, ideally on public transport. Otherwise if half your guests aren't drinking it might damper the mood.

Send out invites EARLY so people can get babysitters booked in and then reminders 1 month and the weekend before.

Ride in on a camel

A good ska covers band will get the party going

I also had a house party for my 50th. Karaoke and more food than was possible to eat. Friends still laugh about the crazy amounts of food I put on, people were going home with tupperware doggy bags!

Pretty much this. Or not as outlandish. Organised fun never is.

The things I remember most from parties or holidays are the things that wère completely impromptu, that you couldn't plan.

Exactly.

Silent disco. Did it for my 40th. My pals still bring it up as they found it such a laugh.

Naked karaoke followed by keys in a bowl.

I went to a wedding with a wall of crisps. Literally one wall of the venue was covered with all different bags of crisps and you could just grab whatever you fancied. Same wedding also had a tray of shots of random alcohol on every table and you had to guess what was what for a prize bottle of bubble for your table. Brilliant icebreaker.

we still talk about that wedding !

Sad to say, the guaranteed way for people to always remember it and keep talking about it for many years afterwards is for something truly terrible to happen - whether planned or not.

As long as you remember it (hopefully fondly!) - and your immediate family - isn't that enough?

We had a massive balloon wall, after the food we handed out flashing glasses flowery necklaces and light up wands, glow sticks and everyone was up dancing it was amazing - we had blow up musical instruments (guitars / saxophones) for the kids on the dance floor invite a mix of ages get the dj to play proper middle of the road party music it will be fab

Ok
so for my 50th
fire dancers
stilt walkers
photo booth
£500 sweet buffet
celebrity masks on tables
80s disco
blow up air guitars
a professional cameraman
exclusive country house venue
WAS AMAZING!!!!

I know a woman who has great parties. Bar set up in her house with bar staff, plenty of great food, mariachi band.

No gimmicks, but everyone shows up to her bash, every time! She does have a great house, but it’s the vibe more so.

Pay for everyone’s booze. An amazing DJ.

Doesn’t help you, but for my 50th I took the 0 of and had a 5th birthday party. It was brilliant, thank goodness the day was lovely as it was on the beach. A huge picnic of sandwiches crisps fruit cakes nothing special just what I had when I was 5 ! We had a sandcastle competition we went on the donkeys. There was about 60 of us there so not huge mostly family and a few friends, but it was such fun. My DH arranged for an icecream van to deliver to us good old fashioned 99’s with strawberry sauce my favourite. At the end of the day some people drifted off but the rest of us had fish and chips and hit the funfair . We got lots of people stop and stare but no body seemed to mind that we sort of took over a large part of the beach I had so many strangers wish me happy birthday. Best party ever.

so that’s my advice, don’t be 50 be 5