Birthdays are one of those rare moments to gather your friends and family in one place and celebrate! Whether you enjoy commemorating your birthday every year or dread the notion of seeing another year pass by, you should be doing something fun for each milestone you reach. What better excuse is there to gather all of your favorite people in one place and reminisce about the years you’ve spent together?
It was simple to choose a favorite theme or location to host your party when you were a youngster, but it can be more difficult as an adult. Themes dwindle as we grow older, and it becomes a casual meet me at that pub or “Let’s just all go out to dinner.” Have you run out of ideas for grown-up parties? With these grown-up party ideas, you can make every year a memorable one.
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#1 Host a Game Night: Bring your favorite jammies or sweats, as well as your favorite board game from the past. Popular favorites include Monopoly, Cards Against Humanity, and Pictionary. If you enjoy DIY crafts, you can make custom goody bags for the victors to add a dose of nostalgia.
#2 Make it a Spa Day: Arrange to have all your favorite relaxing activities, like a movie marathon, indulging in DIY facials, massages, and at-home mani/pedis. If you want to make it really chill, have the party at a spa, so you don’t have to worry about setting up anything or cleaning up after.
#3 Consider a Cake Swap: Is a year older without the icing and candles worth it? We don’t believe so. Instead of gifts, ask each of your party attendees to bring their favorite cake, homemade or store-bought. We can’t think of a better way to memorialize your special day than by treating yourself to a variety of sweets.
#4 Throw a Classic Dinner Party: Let’s be honest, everyone enjoys a good dinner party. If you don’t want to invite everyone to bring their favorite food, make a menu of your top dishes and cook them on your special day. Don’t forget the cake, no matter what you do!
#5 Bring in a Mix Master: Hire a mixologist (try a local caterer or contact your favorite restaurant) to create unique drinks for your pals all night long using their favorite components. Make a soundtrack of your favorite tunes and provide some happy hour appetizers alongside the drinks. It’s like throwing a party at a pub that you have all to yourself.
#6 Wine Tasting Event: We enjoy a glass of wine while learning something new. Wine tasting 101 kits are available from savvy wine clubs and are ideal for gatherings and delving further into the intricacies of your favorite bottle. You don’t want to sign up for a service? Ask your friends to bring their favorite bottles, and take it from there.
#7 Create Jewelry Art: Make bespoke pieces with your friends and take them home. Color Bar by Kendra Scott is one of our favorites (which has retail locations in some states). One-of-a-kind pieces can be customized using everything from the metal type to the stone hue.
# 8 Make it Fancy: Suits and stilettos will be worn, jazz will be played in the background, and plenty of hors d’oeuvres will be served. Optional champagne toast (though we think you should go for it). Host at home or your favorite speakeasy in the area.
#9 Wine & Cheese: Do some surfing online and learn about the best wine and cheese pairings, as well as other great partners for the wine. Instead of birthday presents, have everyone bring their favorite bottle. Serve a cheeseboard with a variety of flavors and textures, such as gruyere, brie, and bleu, then add cured meats, vegetables, nuts, seeds, crackers, and top it off with dips and fresh herbs.
#10 Perfect Pairing: Food is a significant element of most gatherings, and this one is no exception. Make margaritas and handmade Margherita pizzas together (alcoholic or not). The relaxed atmosphere will appeal to your visitors.
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#11 Make it a Movie Night: Rent out a theater at your local movie theater and request that your favorite film be shown there. Serve goodies as snacks, such as popcorn, slushies, and nachos. (PS: You can accomplish something similar at home for a lot less money.)
#12 Wine Tasting: Instead of staying at home, go to a wine tasting in the city. The urban winery movement makes it easier for city dwellers to experience the vineyard without traveling out of town. In addition, several vineyards have excellent cuisines. Remember to order a birthday cake and enough seats for your celebration.
#13 Seek it Out: Whether it’s mescal margaritas or cosmopolitans, pick your favorite cocktail or craft brew and go exploring. Then choose a nice neighborhood and plan a walking or ride-share path to various breweries or bars that provide the best of your preferred beverage.
#14 Make it Up: Tell your pals to dress up in their favorite party costumes and then book a hair and makeup appointment with an at-home beauty concierge service such as Dry Bar or Glam Squad. If you want to go out, go for it, but if you don’t, that’s OK too. Just remember to take some snapshots for the record as well as Instagram.
#15 High Tea Time: Find a high-end hotel or a local tea shop to feel like you’re in the United Kingdom. Cucumber sandwiches and bite-sized sweet snacks are part of the custom. Choose champagne with your tea to make it feel more like a celebration.
Live it Up on Your Day
Even if it’s not a particularly memorable year—aka one of the “big ones”—going all out for an adult birthday celebration is well worth the investment of time and money. To cut down on some of the expenses, try an amazon promo code when purchasing the items you’ll need to memorialize your special day!