Will this be OK d'you think?

[Cadelaide]

I'm organising a surprise 70th birthday party for my Mum. It's next Saturday and I'm starting to panic.

We're doing afternoon tea in our lovely village hall, around 70 guests. So, we have champagne and tea, a variety of lovely cakes and sandwiches all presented on cake stands and stuff - it's kind of english-country-fete-meets-palm-court-ritz type of thing.

I have some background music but no live entertainment, I'm imagining bunches of (almost) elderly folk milling about chatting. We have my niece to propose a toast but do we need more? Do we need more of a focal point, iyswim?

And is there anything else I may have forgotten?

sounds lovely - very good idea
not sure about focal point / entertainment...will think

how about a nice game of musical bumps?

Pass the parcel, with idigestion tablets and steradent in between the layers?

Now be serious, like I said, I'm panicking.

I don't think you need entertainment, but it would be nice to have something. What about some sort of slide show of pictures of your mum through her life? Or a 'this is your life' kind of thing where you bring in some of the surprise guests?

It sounds lovely, by the way.

Photos of your Mum throughout her life - slideshow if you have the know-how/equipment, or if not just printed out and on walls round the hall. Makes a nice extra/talking point.

How about a Guestbook for guests to write a short message for your mother? Makes a nice keepsake. My family have a completely OTT nice tradition of buying a big plate for the guests to sign with porcelain pens.

It sounds lovely. Small flower arrangements in the middle of the tables. Balloons, banners, streamers et?

Guestbook, yes, I'd forgotten that.

Small flower arrangements good.

Should we sing happy birthday even though we're not having a birthday cake? Would that work?

I'm worried about everyone just sitting themselves down and looking around and not moving for the entire duration.

I think a focal point would be good - it would polish off what looks to be a wonderful afternoon.

A photo board would be good, as well as little speeches from people who have known her throughout the years.

We had a family reunion last year which coincided with an 80th and 75th birthday, and we had the 'birthday cake' followed by some impromptu speeches. The whole day (and the days leading up to it) was fab, but this 10 minutes really topped everything - especially since it was on video and I can watch it again and again.

You have to sing 'happy birthday' - you will regret it if you don't, and everyone will be up for it.

If they are mainly old friends and family, how about getting them to bring a photo of themselves with your mum, or as a child, and install a teen with a laptop and scanner in a corner so that you can get copies of them. Take lots of photos during the party, and then make a photobook with then and now pics.
If you ask people for their favourite thing/memory of your mum, you could put them in with the photos, and it would be a lovely memory.

It sounds like a great party

Thanks for all the positive comments. I'm looking forward to it but it's a bit daunting.

Get a polroide camera and an old picture frame, get guests to hold frame with their faces in it (ie couple or family together) stick photo in guest book and get them to write a message for your mum.

We've done this at all kinds of friends and family gatherings and it sounds weird but is great - am doing it again for friends wedding its a bit time consuming but a lovely keepsake.

Failing that I like idea about everyone bringing a picture of them and your mum to stick on board, great talking point.

for my mums 50th last year, my dad went round filming all her closest friends and family with a video camera and played it at the party - dont think its too difficult- most phones have a video camera on them now x