A 90th birthday is a very important milestone. If you’re planning a party to celebrate this event, you’ll want to make sure all the details are correct. Find the answers to these six simple questions and you’ll be well on your way to making it a truly happy occasion.
Questions to ask the guest of honor
1. Who should be invited? The most important part of a 90th birthday party is the friends, family, neighbors, former classmates, and coworkers who will be sharing this special celebration with him. This should be a gathering of the people who have hurt your life. Let him make the guest list. That way you won’t miss anyone significant to him.
2. What is your favorite music? Whether the party is a big party or a small gathering, you’ll need background music to help set the festive mood. But before you assume that his choice would be the big band sounds of his youth, ask him. He may surprise you and tell you that he prefers soft rock, ballads, or country. Let the celebratory sounds reflect your style.
3. What should be on the menu? Almond salmon may sound good to you, but he may not like it. Also, you have to take into account their dietary restrictions. If you are supposed to stay away from sugar or anything high in fat, you should make sure you avoid those items. Although everyone at the party will be part of the food, your main focus should be on what she likes and can eat. Go through a list of possible items with him and let him select his favorites. You can design the food using that information.
4. What kind of party would you enjoy? Some ninety-year-olds may prefer a quiet, intimate event. Others may like a big celebration with dancing, games and entertainment. The quiet person would be overwhelmed by the loud party. The jolly celebrant might get bored in the subdued gathering. Let him give you guidelines for what he thinks would be fun and what would be too much. Also find out if he would prefer a casual or formal affair. This way, you can plan festivities to suit the preferences of the guest of honor.
Questions to ask your guests
5. What are your favorite memories of the guest of honor? Ask each person to write them down and send them to you to include in a scrapbook you are putting together. Or you could encourage them to take turns sharing them at the party. They could do this as a tribute in front of the celebrant and other guests. Another option would be to take videos of people telling their stories. A DVD of those comments could be presented at the end of the party.
You can also ask your future guests to name a few things they admire and love about the birthday boy or girl. Try to build a list of 90 things from all the responses (credit each person for their response). You can present this in book form as a gift from everyone at the party.
6. Do you have photos of the birthday boy or girl? Photographs are such an important part of a 90 year celebration. You can use them for invitations, centerpieces, decorations, party favors, thank you cards, and in a keepsake scrapbook. Vintage snapshots evoke wonderful memories and focus attention on the celebrant. So ask everyone on your guest list to send you copies of the photos by post, email, post them on Facebook, or in any other way imaginable. Use them generously in all aspects of this occasion.
Listen to your guest of honor’s responses for the most important information when planning your 90th birthday party. He’ll give you an idea of who to invite, what music to play, what food to serve, and what type of celebration he prefers. Then ask your guests to provide the memories in words and photos. All you have to do is add a few of your own personal touches, and all the pieces will come together to make this an event to remember.
