Shh...It's a Surprise

Throwing a surprise party can be challenging. I've done it a few times now so I think I've got it down. Here are some helpful tips:

Find a partner in crime. You'll need someone to help you with some of the tasks, like picking up the cake or driving the guest of honor to the event. You can't always do everything, especially when surprises are involved. 

Devise a convincing story. How do you plan to get the guest of honor to the party? One of the most important pieces is to get your story straight, including all accomplices. Keeping a good surprise gets down to the details. We almost ruined my mother's surprise party because she recognized some of the cars in the parking lot. Good thing she didn't put two and two together!

Make sure no one tells. If there's someone on your guest list that can't be counted on to keep a secret, you may need to keep them out of the loop for as long as possible. Maybe make them part of the excuse to get the guest of honor to the party. Tell both of them the same thing. You don't want your efforts foiled by someone with a big mouth. 

Communicate with guests online. Once you've sent your birthday invitations (I like the one below), communicate with guests over the message boards. This will eliminate mysterious phone calls, sneaking around, and the chance that an email will accidentally end up in the guest of honor's inbox. 

Enjoy Planning.
Punchbowl