Planning a surprise party for a loved one? Think you’re doing a good job at it? Think again. A large number of surprises turn out not to be surprises at all because of several things: the organizer is too obvious, someone had a slip of the tongue, and the celebrant found out through credit card bills and “secret” organizers. When a surprise party gets ruined, it’s really annoying both for the organizer and the celebrant. The organizer, of course, spent a lot of time planning the party while the celebrant, even after finding out about the surprise, would have wanted to be surprised in the first place.
If you want to make sure that your surprise party is successful, you need to be extra careful in terms of planning the party, inviting the guests, paying the bills, reserving the place, and even dropping hints to get an idea of what the celebrant wants. Here are four things we should avoid when planning a surprise party for a loved one:
1. Telling Everyone About Your Plans
Be careful who you tell your plans to. Even if you think that a person is ultra-secretive and can keep this away from the guest of honor, try not to tell him anything unless it is absolutely necessary. The more people know about the plans, the bigger the possibility of the surprise getting ruined. If you need help from friends, make sure to keep the group small and intimate. Don’t get into the habit of telling everyone what you’re planning and expecting them to keep that a secret.
2. Asking the Celebrant a Lot of Questions
You may be wondering what the celebrant wants for the party. In turn, you may be asking the person questions that could give hints about what you are planning. Some obvious examples are: “What are your plans for your birthday?,” “Do you like surprises?,” and “Which do you prefer: to celebrate at home or in a restaurant?” These questions are too obvious and will lead the celebrant to think you have something up your sleeve. This will easily ruin the surprise both for you and the celebrant.
3. Leaving Your Bills Where the Celebrant Can See Them
If you are living with the celebrant, the intended recipient of the surprise, chances are your things will mix in with that person. Don’t go leaving your receipts and your bills in the common areas of the house. Leave the receipts in your work desk or make sure that they are kept where the celebrant doesn’t usually go poking around. Once the celebrant finds it, he/she would instantly get an idea of what you’re keeping from him/her. Or worse, he/she will jump to the wrong conclusions and you would be forced to explain what’s up thus, ruining the entire plan.
4. Posting Hints on Social Media
You may be getting too excited and decide to post on social media that something is up. Even if you try to camouflage it with “it’s work-related,” a smart celebrant will think twice about what’s keeping you busy and excited the past days. If you truly can’t keep the secret to yourself anymore, choose someone you can trust who you can share this excitement with but never post it on social media.