Birthdays are all special, but milestone birthdays are often even more exciting. Milestone birthdays are marked throughout childhood and into young adulthood when somebody turns 1, 10, 13, 16, 18 and 21. For adults, milestone birthdays usually start at 30 and are celebrated each decade, although if you want to choose your own milestones to celebrate, that’s perfectly fine too. If you are planning to put together a milestone birthday celebration for a partner, friend, or relative, then here are some things to keep in mind. 

Pick a Hobby or Interest

Planning a milestone birthday party can be tough, especially when it comes to choosing a party theme that they are going to enjoy. One of the best ideas is to throw a party that is planned around one of their favorite hobbies or interests. For example, if you are throwing a party for somebody who loves sports, then you can get decorations that are in the team colors of their favorite team and ask guests to come wearing something in the colors or with the team logo. Likewise, if your birthday guest loves to garden, then you could choose this as the party theme and ask guests to bring seed packets or put together a floral theme. 

Celebrate Their Timeline

The guest of honor’s life so far can be a great theme for a milestone birthday party. You can come up with great décor ideas by creating a timeline in pictures of the guest of honor’s milestone moments so far including things that they have done in their life like graduating, getting married, having their first child, going on vacations, buying a car, buying a house and more. Ask your other guests to toast with their best memories of your special guest. You can also get into this theme even further by coming up with a historical theme, using décor and activities from every decade that your guest of honor has been alive. 

Start Early

When you are planning a milestone birthday, it can often feel a lot more special compared to other birthdays so you will want to take your time to make sure that you get things right. Start your planning as early as possible so that you are not rushing around at the last minute to get things done. You can get some great ideas from Greenvelope’s guide to things to do on your birthday. Greenvelope has tons of great birthday celebration ideas for adults that you can use or incorporate into your party planning. You can also get personalized invitations, thank you cards, and more to add the finishing touches. Ideally, send out invitations a few weeks in advance so that you get an accurate idea of numbers in good time to plan for it. 

Consider Working with an Event Planner

If you are planning a milestone birthday for somebody who has a lot of friends and a big family, then it might be worth considering working with an event planner. Although you don’t have to work with an event planner to put together a great birthday celebration, it is a good idea to as they can help you with attending to every detail of the event so that you can sit back and enjoy it. They will also know a lot of tricks of the trade and might also be able to get discounts on things like decorations and catering to help you get the most from the big day. Event planners also tend to have good connections with other professionals who can help such as event photographers or entertainers that you might be looking to hire for the day. 

Find a Good Venue

Choosing the right venue is going to be one of the biggest decisions that you will make when it comes to planning a milestone birthday party. Of course, if you’re having a low-key affair then it might be fine to host it at your home, but if you’re expecting a lot of guests and quite a big party, then hiring an outside venue is usually a better idea. When selecting the right venue, there are usually three key factors to think about. Firstly, consider any amenities that you might need such as Wi-Fi or in-house catering. Secondly, consider the space available and what might work for the birthday party. Rooftops, restaurants, gardens, or warehouse and loft space that can be hired out will all often work well. Finally, make sure that the venue you are thinking about hiring has the capacity to accommodate your guest list and the type of event you want to host. 

Finding Entertainment

Hiring engaging entertainment for the party is the best way to make sure that it is a fun and memorable event. Consider the theme of the party and the type of vibes that you want when choosing the right entertainment. A live band playing favorite tunes from the decade that the guest of honor was born might be a great idea for somebody celebrating a milestone birthday later in life, while a younger person celebrating their 30th or 40th birthday might prefer an energetic DJ that makes sure every guest is up and dancing throughout. Bear in mind that entertainment isn’t limited to music – you can find all kinds of professionals who will provide entertainment throughout the day or night including magicians, dancers, and more. Don’t forget to hire a photographer who can capture all the exciting moments and make sure that your guest of honor has amazing memories of their party for years to come. 

Choosing Catering

When it comes to planning a milestone birthday party, one of the most anticipated parts of the event is going to be the food. Whether you are planning a buffet, a dinner party, or hors d’oeuvres to pass around, the food is definitely going to be a highlight of the event that your guests will look forward to. While you can do this yourself, it might be a better idea to find a caterer, especially if you are hosting a party for a large number of guests. Creative catering is an increasingly popular milestone birthday trend, so there’s no need to play it safe. 

Birthday Cake

Of course, the birthday cake is the highlight of the show so there are lots of things to consider when it comes to picking out the right birthday cake for your special guest. There are tons of fantastic birthday cake ideas to choose from when it comes to getting one for a milestone birthday. From tiered cakes that are personalized and decorated with things that the guest of honor loves to cakes that are made in big numbers to signify their age, you can hire a professional baker to come up with a unique cake that can be the star of the show. Photo cakes are also a popular choice, and this might be a good idea if you are planning to use a timeline theme for the party, since you can have the cake made with photos of your guest of honor from over the years to celebrate them. 

Milestone birthdays often call for more celebrations than most. If you’re planning a party for somebody who is celebrating a special birthday, there are lots of factors to consider.