How to Plan a Memorable 80th Birthday Party + Free Party Planner
An 80th birthday is a momentous event in anyone’s life, so you’ll want to take extra care when planning a party that is sure to be enjoyed and remembered by the guests and the birthday celebrant.
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3 Super-Easy Hacks for an Unforgettable 80th Birthday Party
If you’re stressed about planning a memorable party, just pay attention to these 3 tricks that will make your party extra-special.
1. Use the Number 80
Remind everyone that this is to celebrate 8 decades! Choose decorations and party supplies that feature the number 80. Start by choosing invitations that highlight the number 80.
Colorful decorations such as the ones pictured above are an easy and affordable way to remind everyone of how special this occasion is.
2. Show How Much Life Has Changed Over the 80 Years
It’s hard to believe how much life has changed during the course of a lifetime! Look for posters, banners or signs that show what life was like when the honoree was born.
The banner pictured above would look marvelous over the cake table – and it also makes a wonderful backdrop for photos. An affordable decoration that is sure to impress!
3. Display Photos of the Birthday Celebrant from All Stages of Life
You’ll want to make sure to display plenty of pictures at the party! Consider showing off old photographs in picture frames or in posters around the room.
The adorable photo banner pictured above is an easy way to display 14 of your favorite pictures. It would look great displayed in front of the cake table, or makes a wonderful photo opportunity if you hang it on the wall.
You can also make an impressive photo collage by hanging photos in the shape of the number 100. Read this post for unique ways to display photos at a milestone birthday party.
7 Fun 80th Birthday Party Games and Activities
1. Photo Booth with Fun Props
One of the best ways to get everyone talking and laughing is with a photo booth. It only takes a few minutes to set up and you’ll have everyone smiling in no time!
Basic photo booth tips:
Use a themed backdrop, such as the one pictured above. Have fun 80th birthday props for guests to hold or wear.
Use your smartphone or iPad to take pictures of the guests. You can either print the pictures at the party or send digital copies to the guests.
If you don’t mind spending a bit extra, order one of the fun mini instant cameras that will print Polaroid-style pictures immediately.
2. 80th Birthday Games
Who doesn’t love a good game? For this special occasion, offer trivia games such as the ones pictured above. Guests will have a ball figuring out the correct answers!
You might also offer games from the guest of honor’s childhood, such as checkers, dominoes, and marbles.
3. Make a Slide Show
Create a slide show of pictures from throughout their life. Set up a digital photo frame (which can double as a wonderful gift) or use a projector or laptop to showcase favorite memories.
You could also incorporate videos of family members and other loved ones who weren’t able to attend the party.
Use free photo editing software and templates such as these on Canva to easily create a memorable slideshow.
4. Serve Food and Drinks from Childhood Days
Most elderly people enjoy reminiscing about days long ago. Why not serve food and drinks that remind them of their younger days?
Consider setting up a dessert bar with their childhood favorite candies.
Bubble gum cigarettes were very popular back in the day. Some other classic candies that kids loved in the 40s and 50s were:
Ask the guest of honor what were some of their favorites when they were young. Do they remember creamed chipped beef, or layered gelatin? This article features 17 recipes that were popular back in the 1950s.
As far as beverages, soda shops were very popular in the 40s and 50s. . This post tells you how to make 11 classic soda shop drinks that the honoree probably enjoyed as a child.
5. Play Music from the 1940s or 1950s
Music is a festive way to set the tone for your party. Make your guests feel like they’ve traveled back in time by playing tunes from different eras.
Think about all the early years of the guest of honor’s life and create a playlist that includes songs from those decades. Playback.fm has lists of all the top songs from each year.
6. Include Loved Ones Who Live Far Away
You can have your guest of honor’s loved ones join the party via video chat, but be sure to choose an area with great wifi or cell reception.
You could also ask them if they would send you a recording about their favorite memory of the guest of honor so that person will still feel included in everything even though they may not physically attend!
7. Use a Creative Guest Book
Look for a guest book that allows guests to write a favorite memory or loving message to the birthday man or woman. He or she will love reviewing the guest book after the party is over.
An impressive – and super-fun – guest book idea is this hand-made photo guest book. Just use an Instax camera to take photos of your guests. Each guest can then write a message to the honoree and add their picture to the book.
How to Plan an Amazing 80th Birthday Party
Start Planning Early
Many times the entire family and friends from far away want to attend an 80th birthday party. Even if you’re planning a low-key event, you’ll want to pick the day for the party well in advance so that any out-of-town guests can book flights and make reservations without getting dinged with last minute fees.
You can send out save-the-date announcements if you’d like, or you can informally pass the word via email or phone. Just be sure to let everyone know as soon as you can so no one is left out or misses the big day!
Set a Budget
How much are you willing to spend? If you’re coordinating with someone else, will you share costs equally?
There are so many amazing party ideas that it’s easy to get carried away and go over budget. It’s a good idea to keep an extra $50 or $100 in reserve for those “just can’t do without” items that you’re sure to run across.
The price of the party can vary from practically nothing if you’re planning a potluck or to do everything yourself. It can run into the thousands if you’re having an extravagant dinner or dance party.
When budgeting, consider the cost of:
- Invitations
- Food
- Beverages
- Decorations
- Entertainment
- Venue Rental
- Paper goods (plates, napkins, etc)
- Party favors
- Salary and tips if you’re hiring servers or entertainers
You may not have all of these at your party; this list is just a guideline of costs you might incur.
Choose a Date
It’s best to have the party near the actual birth date, but if guests are coming from far away that might not be practical. Many times you’ll find it best to work around school holidays so that families with school-age kids can attend.
Type of Party
Personalized 80 & Fabulous Party Collection
80 Years In the Making Collection – Choice of Colors
Cheers to 80 Years Party – Choice of colors
rose gold 80th birthday party collection
What kind of party do you want to plan? Your options are endless (and you can find more ideas in our Party Themes section).
Would the guest of honor prefer a just-family event? A surprise party? An extravagant dress-up sort of affair?
You’ll need to consider the birthday celebrant’s physical condition. Hopefully he or she is one of those hale and hearty 80 year olds who show no sign of slowing down! But if he or she has some physical ailments you’ll need to keep that in mind when organizing the party.
Who to Invite
If it’s not a surprise party, you’ll want to discuss this with the birthday guest of honor. He or she may prefer to have just family, a smaller party with family and close friends, or an all-out bash that everyone he or she has ever known is invited to.
For a milestone event like this, you may want to consider inviting a wider group of people than you would for most birthday parties. Many people are thrilled to attend an 80th birthday party and are willing to travel quite some ways to do so.
You may want to consider inviting friends from long ago – an 80th is a wonderful time to reminisce and remember those golden years!
Choose the Location
Where is the best place to have the party? Some popular low-cost options include someone’s house, a church meeting room, recreation center, or a picnic at the park. If the birthday celebrant is confined to a nursing home, the facility will surely have a gathering room that you can use.
More expensive locations include restaurants, golf or tennis clubhouse, bar, tea room, or a hotel conference room.
Book the location as soon as possible; you’ll probably want to have the location set let everyone know the date of the party.
Food and Drinks
The type of party will frequently determine the food and drink options. Obviously, if you’re hosting it at a bar or restaurant you’ll need to use their menu.
You may wish to have the party catered, or you may decide to provide everything yourself. Many times family members and friends want to pitch in and bring their special dish
Either way, you’ll want to have a list of what you’re serving and who is responsible for providing it.
Invitations
elegant gold foil birthday party invitation
80th Birthday Floral Photo Invitation
surprise party invitation – choice of colors
The Man The Myth The Legend Invitations
Order your invitations early, so that you have a chance to proof them well before they need to go out. You’ll also avoid last-minute rush charges that way!
Try to choose invitations that reflect the theme or colors of the party. For an 80th birthday, I think photo invitations are a great choice. Look for invitations that will allow you to add 3 or 4 photos so that you can show how the birthday man or woman has changed through the years!
Invitations should usually be sent out three or four weeks in advance.
Decorations
Navy & Gold Balloons Party Decorations
80th birthday tea party decorations
80th birthday elegant floral party decorations
Cheers to 80 years decorations – choice of colors
You can choose whatever color you’d like for decorations (there is not an “official” 80th birthday color). You can choose a theme that reflects the guest of honor’s interests, or you can just choose colors that he or she likes if you’re not having a themed party.
Whatever type of party you choose, think about displaying lots of photos of the guest of honor at different points in their life. This is a perfect time to reflect upon and appreciate a life well-lived, and both the celebrant and the guests will enjoy a stroll down memory lane!
Entertainment
Are you planning any entertainment for the party? You might want to hire a musician, band, or DJ for the party.
You could plan a few low-key party games, especially if the guests don’t know each other well. Games that center around trivia about the birthday guest of honor are always popular!
You might want to make a short video or slideshow of the celebrant’s life to show at the party. If you do, be sure to make copies or provide a download link for the guests to keep and enjoy after the party is over.
Birthday Cake
Come on, it’s not a birthday without cake! And an 80th birthday deserves a steal-the-spotlight sort of cake.
You may want to spring for a one-of-a-kind cake that reflects the party theme. Or add a festive cake topper like the one pictured above to your own home-made cake.
You can also find some really amazing cake ideas in our Cake Ideas section – even if you’re not a super-skilled cake decorator!
Party Favors
Party favors are completely optional; however, they’re a nice little extra touch to any party. Look for ones that make a nice souvenir of the party. I especially like ones that incorporate a picture of the birthday celebrant.
Don’t Forget Pictures!
Be sure to take loads of pictures at the party! If you can afford a professional photographer, then you should go that route. You might be able to find a high school or college student who would be a little lower cost.
Otherwise, you might ask a guest or two who enjoys taking pictures to be the designated photographers.
You’ll get more creative pictures if you use photo props (like the ones pictured above from Amazon) or set up a photo booth.
Make a Scrapbook
Now that the party’s all over with, why not make a scrapbook of the party. I’m sure the guest of honor would love to have a permanent souvenir of this fabulous event!
Free 80th Birthday Party Planning Checklist
I’ve created an 80th birthday party planning checklist so that you don’t miss out on any details. Just click on the image above and the checklists will open in new tab, ready for you to print!
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