DH is 40 in 8 weeks time - how should we celebrate?

[GrumpyOldHorsewoman]

DH will be 40 on March 3rd (a Saturday, incidentally).

I would like to have a party for him, but budget is not too generous. Also, his family live in Ireland, and we have only moved to our current area 6 months ago, so local friends are not numerous, although friends elsewhere are. To add to this, he has recently set up in a fairly high-profile career, and a bit of schmoozing probably wouldn't go amiss. What can I do to mark the occasion? Is it worth trying to orchestrate a big thing, or just go low-key, just me and him - maybe a few friends (as we don't really have much to say to each other when we're out!) I would like to have a proper party, but will it be very hard to manage? Advice please - especially from those who have managed to pull off something fabulous in limited time with limited money.

Bumping for the night shift. PLEASE, PLEASE HELP ME! (As the Beatles once sang...)

No advice, but bumping cos my DH is 40 on 18th Feb, and I have the same dilemma - what sort of "do" to organise. I'm tending towards a party in the house, but with caterers. Probably for about 40 people - his friends and colleagues. I'd do a family meal for his family the next weekend. I've not looked at costs, so I don't know how feasible this is. Here's hoping someone more knowledgable comes on to advise us both soon.

I organised a party for dh's 40th 15 months ago, but I did start planning it earlier than either of you, and budget wasn't really an issue (though didn't want to go completely mad).

We had it at home in a marquee in the garden - you can hire these, but we discovered that it's cheaper to buy than to hire twice, so as we'll want one for dd's christening I went ahead and bought it.

We hired flooring for it, chairs and tables and patio heaters, all from the same company.

For catering we had a hog roast - very nice. You pay for the hog and someone to cook and serve it - they tend to serve around 100 people, although we only had about 60 so had some leftover (they advised it can be frozen).

I considered hiring a bucking pig (like a bucking bronco but apparently smaller), but decided against it in the end.

We made the timing flexible, as there were people travelling different distances, so said to come any time from 3pm (or might have been 4), and catered for the hog to be ready to serve around 6 or 7 IIRC, so that most people would be there to have some at some point.

There were lots of kids coming too, so we got a new dvd for them, and put it on in the living room (had just had huge plasma installed) for them, as well as getting some of those giant garden games (jenga etc).

Don't know if this is any help to you or not, but there it is!

Not sure it's any help - but I will be 40 in April and what I have suggested dh organise for me is this - all my best friends, from school, uni, work and more recent ones - about 24 people including partners, I want to hire a big country house, and spend a catered weekend with them all - and their children.

The deal is that there should be a pool and the Dads (or Mums if they are the other halfs) take the kids off to swim every day - and we - the friends - get to spend hours cahtting anfd drinking together - because we just haven't had time lately !!!

Quality time - combined with family stuff !!!

Lovely - I just hope my dh pulls it off !! (unlikely!)

I currently trying to think of something to do for my 30th as it is only 4 weeks away. I think I'm going to go for a meal with close friends and family.

I was 40 in December & wanted a 'bash'. However, I suffer from SAD & don't know many people (so wasn't very sociable to those I DID know!) So, being the weirdo I am, I'm having a 40th-&-a-Half party in June (which no-one is surprised about!! THAT'S how odd I am!)
Anyway, I've booked a hall, disco &, to top it all, a Chocolate Fountain!! All in all, with food, should cost about £500 (no idea yet how I'm paying for it!)

But this doesn't help you ... My suggestions;
How about a 'surprise' weekend to Ireland to catch up with family, arrange with someone in his family to try & organise a bit of a get-together.
And/Or the "friends elsewhere", are they all pretty close? Maybe you could organise something nearer to them - easier for you to travel than ALL of them?
As for the "fairly high-profile career", go for some schmoozing & combine it with the few local friends you have to celebrate his birthday as well - great ice-breaker to his fellow work-mates. It doesn't have to be 'BIG' or 'low-key' .. combine them both. Either formal dinner party if you can handle it! Or social drinks & nibbles to whaever scale you want.
Recruit friends' ideas & you'll find an abundance of helpers along the way - trust me!
Hope this helps?
Keep us informed

Cantsleepwell, I really like the marquee and hog roast idea, and I do have quite a large garden, but we're quite likely to have snow in Glasgow in February, and those people that weren't directly below a patio heater might be in danger of hypothermia! However, dizzyangel's idea of a 40.5 party would mean I could wait till the summer... Hm. Scatterbrain, I hope your DH manages to fulfil your wishes! That sounds like a bit too much organising for me. Thanks for all your suggestions.

Could you go back to Ireland for the weekend?

I do like the marquee idea, but the problem is we have a large number of racehorses and mares and foals here, and I wouldn't want to upset them with a noisy party. There is a nice hotel fairly locally that I had considered. I just hope I can rally people together to attend! Although I suppose everyone organising a party worries that noone will come..

I also really like the idea of taking him to Ireland and organising a meal or something with his family. It's looking likely that I will do Ireland on the weekend of his actual birthday, and party the following weekend. Thanks for some fab suggestions! Now, band or DJ? buffet or not? Aaaarrrgh!

Yes buffet, its soooo much easier.

DH is 50 in September, and the kids and I have just started thinking about a party for him. We thought a marquee would be good, and funnily enough, dh suggested a pig roast yesterday.

I love the 'bucking bronco' idea, although I can understand why you decided against it in the end. I wonder if there are other activities which we could bring in for the early part of the evening?

I'm sort of thinking drinks, fun games etc., pig roast around 9 following by music/dancing.

Big scary - but he's only 50 once!

It's great to see other people's ideas, and hopefully steal a few!

you should really do a bungee jump for charity. hire the thing. ivite everyone to come along and smooze them and voila

Excellent idea - wouldn't dare!

My dh is 40 in 8 weeks too!!

For my 40th I had a party for about 100 family and friends in a local function room. My mum and auntie are caterers so food was no probs and I had a lovely evening.
Dh however can't make his mind up what to do. His family including us totals 10, so if he had a party it would be mostly friends and most of his friends are from work (he moved here to be with me and therefore doesn't know that many people outside of work) so feels like it would be more of a 'works do' than a 40th party.

I have suggested weekend away, adventure day (go karting, paintballing) for him and his closest few friends, big party, small party at home, dinner party, few friends together at his fav restaurant etc but he just will not make is mind up.

I'm 30 in february and was going to have a party at home as I thought it would work out cheaper, but I'm now having it in our local pub, they are only charging for the food, they are paying for the DJ and are not charging to hire the room.

My mum is 60 in August and sister and I are going to be organising a party for her, so will need to start thinking about that soon.

Can'tsleepwellsometimes where did you get your Marquee from I have 4 "big" parties to organise over the next 2 years and was thinking along the same lines