Best "finishing touches" at parties/weddings you've been - need inspiration please MNers

[SurpriseParty]

I'm organising a surprise dinner party for my dad.
It's not a massive one - only 20 guests
In a not OVERLY posh restaurant but we have a private room and we're going to with black Tie dress code to give it more of a sense of occasion.

Am trying to think of other ways to add thoughtful finishing touches.
I have bought some wedding favour type bags and am going to fill them with his favourite sweets for a gift at every place.
Placecards and a table plan.
Possibly one of those photo cakes (if I can find somewhere that still does them)

Just looking for a few more ideas for "wow" factor.

TIA

Think about the music (can you do an ipod playlist and ask the restaurant to stick it on) and the lighting (candles on tables?)

I tend to think those have more of an impact than decorative things IYSWIM

That said I have always loved the idea of a confetti cannon - maybe when the cake is brought out - obviously need to check with restaurant first as they make a big mess!

Asda do photo cakes and will do it whilst you shop. It was about £10 last time I got one.
My dh and bil put togther a montage of slides/photos onto a dvd and it was playing on a screen as we had dinner for pil wedding anniversary. I've seen guests given menus with photos printed on other side.

Personised menu's e.g "SurpriseParty's Dad ??th birthday etc"

Maybe some photos of your dad blown up and hung around the room

Shiny helium balloons tied to chair backs.
Glass of champagne on arrival.
Background music.

Deffo champagne on arrival and pretty much make sure there is always wine on the table

Ooh these are all GREAT, thank you

Any more for any more?

I'm with Chippy.
Have a Pavlovian 'paaaaartyyyyyyy!!!' response to all three of those.

Was a bit worried that helium balloons would be thought naff. I love 'em, the bigger, the shinier the better. Getting the oldies to suck the helium and talk like Donald Duck is also fun!

Fun to have a book of old photos of the party boy and guests to pass around too, if it is a birthday.

Pictures of the guests on the place cards (pref old, embarassing pictures.)

A scrapbook for your dad, with lots of old pictures, messages from all the guests and anyone that couldn't come.

Pass around a mike and get everyone to do a little speech, read a poem etc.

Chippy, nooooo not at all.Yes, and geting oldies to talk funny is hilarious!

MOntage of photos of your Dad through his life on the wall/a display board - pref group ones with his old mates/family, if they are the ones coming to the dinner.

What is the occasion - a big birthday?

All brilliant
I'm looking into photobooks now
Yes, it's a big birthday.
We're toying with buying 65 little presents (he's gonna be 65!) between me and 2 sibs. But I'm struggling to list 20 things! He's VERY tricky to buy for!

What I meant to say was all brilliant thank you

no stupid cameras
NO stupid book to write in

please no party favours
utter waste ot money

blimey who let the grinch in?

You could mock up a newspaper front page with your Dad's birth being the Headline.

Or you could do some kind of mock This Is Your Life thingy. That would be fun if you could persuade the guests to arrive at different times (I mean get there early but be elsewhere until you text them to say "come in NOW") and even better if he hasn't seen some of them for a while.