When you were a child, your parents would probably plan a whole birthday celebration around a fun theme that you chose. Whether it was “Sesame Street”, “Barbie”, or “Mermaids,” you always had a blast with your friends. But who said themed birthdays had to go away as an adult? At Fierce Productions, we are full supporters of celebrating you, what makes you shine, and embracing your inner sparkle. And speaking of sparkle, who doesn’t love a little bit of elegance? As popular party planners in Chicago, we have planned a variety of celebrations and birthdays. From a surprise Bollywood 21st, to a 50th Silver Soiree Celebration, birthdays can feel both personal and as luxurious as you desire. Here are some simple steps you can follow to make your birthday feel fun, and we will even throw in a few tips on how to take it to the extra level and make it feel luxurious.

Step 1: Pick a theme

Having a theme is the best place to start. Who doesn’t love a themed event? When you have a theme for your birthday, it naturally adds an element of elegance because it means you put in some extra effort. Having a theme will help narrow down your vendors, solidify any design elements you want to incorporate, and can even spark some ideas for unique activities or games. You can be fun and nostalgic and choose a theme that you loved as a child with themed snacks, memorabilia, and costumes. Your theme could even be based on a phrase like, “somewhere beyond the sea,’ and have guests come ready to ‘splash’ at the pool. We’ve even had a client create a whole birthday theme around a starry dress they never really had the opportunity to wear, so the theme was “among the stars.” The world is your oyster when it comes to themes, but know this is the most important element in making your party stand out, and feel cohesive—especially for the next steps!

Make it EXTRA luxurious: Pick a theme that includes elegance, sparkle, or fancy attire. Maybe your theme could be “putting on the ritz” and you require everyone to wear vintage attire. (We recommend Richard’s Fabulous Finds for any vintage suit needs). Maybe your theme is “diamonds are a girl’s best friend” and everyone must wear some of their grandest jewelry. If you don’t often have an opportunity to dress up, make your party the moment!

Step 2: Pick your venue/guest count

Think about how many people you want to invite to your celebration. If you want to host it at your personal residence then you will need to think about how many people can comfortably fit in your space and limit it to that amount. If you want to invite more than your place allows, consider booking a restaurant or venue that can fit your desired guest count. Knowing your guest count is also super important because it allows you to know how many seats, rentals, invites, and even amount of food/drink you’ll need, so don’t skip this step when planning.

Make it EXTRA luxurious: Find a venue that has a velvet lounge making guests feel elegant, or find a rooftop that has modern charm, or a historic building with vintage flair in its decor. If a space has personality, then your party will have an elevated touch of pizazz. You can also find a restaurant with a private room and bar that keeps your party away from other patrons, so your event can feel like an intimate occasion away from home.

Step 3: Send out invites

You want to make sure your guests know when to celebrate with you, so you’ll need to send out some sort of invitation. In the digital world, having a physical invitation sent to you through the mail makes the event feel so much more important and special, but there is nothing wrong with sending a digital invite through a system like Partiful or Paperless Post. You can have fun and decorate it yourself on Canva, or sites like Zola, or you can get a graphic designer to create one for you. You’ll want to make sure your invitations showcase and support your chosen theme to tie everything together, hint at what guests are to expect, and get them excited. You will want to put any important details like dress code, an rsvp deadline, location, any requirements, etc. so your guests know everything in one place. Now you can track the RSVPs and get your guests excited for your party!

Make it EXTRA luxurious: Hire a calligrapher to create custom invites for each of your guests and send them in the mail. Maybe even have a wax stamp seal the letter away.

Step 4: Get some decor

You have the theme, now decorate! You can be simple and use streamers and balloons, but you can also be grand with your decor and have flowers, ceiling installations, rented linens, a photo booth, and more. Depending on your budget you can reach out to a decor rental company to get some flowers, and rental pieces to enhance your space, or you can find some flowers at a local farmers market, or some cute decor from some small businesses. If you still want balloons, but want something a bit more than just a helium balloon or two, you can order a cascading balloon installation to frame a space. Remember, the more supportive the decorations are to your theme the more luxurious it will feel. Don’t forget to also think about lighting! If you want to set some atmosphere maybe get some color changing LED lights, a disco ball, or tinted light bulbs to create the moody atmosphere.

Make it EXTRA luxurious: Book a florist and tell them your theme/vision, they will create gorgeous centerpieces for your party that match your theme. You also hire a rental company to come to the space early and transform the venue with patterned linens and napkins, wall pieces, and custom signs.

Step 5: Custom cocktails, snacks, and desserts

A party isn’t complete with out some tasty treats and drinks. Offering your guests something to indulge makes your party feel much more elevated. Maybe some sliders? Maybe some espresso martinis? The simplest way to plan the menu is to have snacks and drinks based around the theme. These can be based on the physical theme of the party (like black sparkling martinis because the theme is “black magic”) , or they can be treats that YOU the birthday person love to have (you really love mac and cheese bites). If you serve something more than just a bag of chips, and it makes everyone think of you, then it’s already that extra level of fun!

Make it EXTRA luxurious: You hire staff to serve passed cocktails and hors d'oeuvres to guests through out the night. Maybe champagne is served at the start and then it shifts to espresso martinis for the late night desires. Maybe you even plan a celebration all around a full course meal with sensory elements, and paired drinks.

Step 6: Pick an activity or surprise

If you want your party to be memorable, then you need to plan some sort of activity. A house party where guests just mingle and sit have their place, but not when you want to really plan a birthday party! Games are a great way to get folks engaged. You can have board games, party games, yard games, role playing games, or even video game. If you are planning an 80’s themed birthday, maybe offer some pinball, or Atari, or have a game cube Mario kart competition with a prize. If you aren’t into games, but are maybe a bit more on the dramatic/artsy side—hire some performers. You can have dancers, musicians, impersonators, karaoke, a DJ, etc. We once planned a beautiful rooftop birthday with a flashmob, drag queens, a burlesque performer, salsa lessons, and songs. Guests were applauding and laughing the whole night long. Maybe you want something that’s just a bit more unique? We love Newmoon Chicago and their array of performers, and servers. No matter what you choose, having a schedule or a moment of some sort of activity makes your party feel so much more prepared and elegant.

Make it luxurious: you treat yourself to a night of entertainment. You hire a live string quartet to play while guests sip on cocktails. Suddenly you have a drag queen interrupt with stylish songs and jokes as we transition guests to sit and enjoy an almost variety show of performances; burlesque, fire dancers, aerialists, Shakespearean actors, and dancers. Your guests are tickled and tantalized with their private show!

Step 7: Have fun!

You have fun cause you decided to invest in yourself. It can feel hard to celebrate yourself as an adult, but don’t forget to have fun, treat yourself, and celebrate yourself. Have that birthday party!

Make it luxurious: having a party already makes it luxurious.

If you need support planning, brainstorming, or searching for some amazing vendors/performers—don’t hesitate to reach out!

How To Plan A Birthday Party That Feels Luxurious