Surprise Party

Has someone close to you just received a big promotion at work?  Maybe someone you know would never expect a party in their honor, but a big anniversary is imminent for them, and you know that they deserve to be the guest of honor.  Or maybe you are tired of your friend saying "Oh, no! No birthday party for me!  Thanks!" but you suspect that deep down she is just too shy to plan one on her own.  What better to show them you care than by surprising them when they least expect it?

What exactly is a surprise party?
A Surprise Party is a fun way to celebrate an event for someone else - it can be a birthday, a shower, an anniversary, or even a promotion.   It will show the guest of honor how much they mean to all who are gathered, and can be a lot of fun for you to host as you get to be sneaky!

Step-by-Step Guide to Planning a Surprise Party
The key to a good surprise party is keeping it a secret!  The more simple, organized and clear you are with your guests, the better chance you have of surprising the guest of honor. Everyone loves a good surprise party, so The Simple Feast has laid out easy to follow steps below:

• Pick out a Theme and Date - Picking a date and theme will get you started.  That will inform what style invitations you choose to send. Now is a good time to work out how you are going to keep the secret from the guest of honor.  It's good to enlist a friend or spouse of the guest of honor to be in on the surprise.  You should both decide now what you are going to tell the guest of honor in order to get them to the party! Remember to let your guests know on the invitation that it's a surprise and that you are relying on them to keep it quiet!
• Food - Not only will the party be a surprise, but so will your food!  By combining a mix of pre-bought dishes with ones you will make yourself, even those who were in on the surprise will be surprised!  Depending upon how many guests you are having, you will need to choose between a sit down, family style meal or a buffet.  You can also just do cocktails and hors d'oeuvres.  Who would turn down a surprise champagne party, after all?
• Decorations - Depending upon the reason for the surprise, you may want to decorate your home to signal that it's a special event.  Simple flower arrangements in a single color would be perfect.  Soft light and some candles on the buffet will do just as well.  If it's a surprise birthday party, you can go as far as streamers and balloons but they aren't necessary.  You will be putting a lot of work into the surprise itself, so don't stress yourself out over decorations for this event!

Pulling off a surprise party is a lot of fun, and takes some careful planning.  It will be so much easier since you have decided to make it A Simple Feast!