i’m matt james

professional event planner

  • Over 25 years event-planning experience
  • Winner of 30 industry awards
  • Clients include:
  • Elton John,
  • Stella McCartney,
  • Sarah Jessica Parker,
  • Kevin Spacey……and more

welcome

Matt James professional event planner
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CONTENTS

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01 personalized 18th birthday decorations

Unusual, personalized, and unique 18th birthday party ideas to make your celebration more interesting

'celebrating 18 years' 18th birthday party dessert table tapestry backdrop with photos showing the guest of honor 'through the years'
18th birthday girl standing next to a life size custom unique cutout standee of herself
This Kid is Turning 18 and Look Who's 18 custom photo birthday party balloon decorations
unique custom face photo 18th birthday garland banner showing a man 'through the years'
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02 unique 18th birthday gift ideas

Creative, unforgettable, and unique 18th birthday gift ideas for men and women

woman with a custom muppet-style puppet of herself as a unique 18th birthday gift idea
a unique 18th birthday gift idea: a personalized comic book
custom bobblehead of a young woman alongside her photo for a unique 18th birthday gift
personalized viewmaster reel viewer unique 18th birthday idea
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03 unique 18th birthday activities

Personalized activities, entertainment, and games to engage party guests, create atmosphere, and make a 18th birthday memorable

two teenage boys standing next to custom pinatas of themselves; a unique 18th birthday idea
retro telephone audio guest book set up next to an instructions sign inviting party guests to record personalized voice messages
young woman standing with a group of friends at a party holding up fan faces of her face in front of theirs
18 Reasons We Love You signing poster guest book alternative for a 18th birthday party
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in this section

01 personalized 18th birthday decorations

avoid the obvious

  • 18th birthdays are a big deal, so you need to make an effort.
  • A special occasion needs to look and feel special.
  • This won’t happen if you just type ‘18th birthday party decorations’ into Amazon and buy a whole bunch of generic ‘off the self’ party supplies.
  • Cheap, shiny, and mass-produced in China doesn’t exactly say ‘special’ does it?
  • These types of decorations are just lazy and unimaginative—and I guarantee your guests will have seen them all before and know exactly where you got them.
  • Instead, ensure your party includes unique 18th birthday ideas; decorations, gifts, and party supplies that are personalized.

make a 18th birthday memorable

  • That’s not to say you need to spend a fortune on fancy decorations.
  • Instead, opt for everyday party supplies, such as backdrops, banners, and balloons, that can be personalized.
  • An easy way to create unique and memorable birthday decorations is to customize them with cute, funny, and embarrassing old photos showing the 18th birthday boy / girl at different ages.
  • You can tie all these together by adopting a ‘Through the Years’ theme for your party.
  • Alternatively, give it a festival theme customized with the guest of honor’s name e.g Gloria-palooza, Miranda-fest, Matt-stock.

why you need unique party decorations

  • Adding a personal touch makes them far more interesting and demonstrates that you took the time to create something unique; just for the birthday boy or girl.
  • Customization adds a point of difference. It grabs people’s attention and encourages them to ‘lean in’; to inspect, engage with, photograph, and discuss—rather than just passively glance at.
  • It’s these creative twists, clever little details, and personal touches that guests discuss, photograph, share, and remember.
  • All of which generates buzz and atmosphere that will make your 18th birthday party a success.
  • It also shows that a bit of love, thought, and care has gone into everything, which will make the guest of honor feel loved and appreciated on their big day.
  • Remember that phrase, ‘it’s the thought that counts’?
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the idea

custom face banners

Personalize your 18th birthday party decorations with custom face banners of the birthday boy / girl at different ages

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18th birthday custom face photo banners showing birthday boy at different ages hung above party dessert table
the idea

custom photo balloons

Personalize your decorations with photo balloons showing the guest of honor at different stages of their life

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This Kid is Turning 18 and Look Who's 18 custom photo balloons
the idea

life-size talking cutout

Have the 18th birthday boy / girl greet guests at the entrance with a life-size cutout paired with a motion-activated voice recorder

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18 year old girl standing next to a life-size cutout standee of herself
the idea

‘through the years’ banners

Ensure your entrance stands out while making guests smile with vertical banners showing the 18th birthday boy / girl ‘through the years’

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Look Who's Eighteen custom photo vertical banners showing the birthday boy 'through the years' hung either side of house door
the idea

fun facts balloons

Hang photos with ‘fun facts you may not know about the 18th birthday boy / girl’ from helium balloons to entertain guests

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Photos and 'Fun Facts' about the 18th birthday boy/girl hanging from helium balloon strings used as party room decorations
the idea

custom yard heads

Bring a smile to guests’ faces as they arrive with custom yard heads showing the 18th birthday boy or girl at different stages of their life

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custom photo yard heads of a mans face arranged on a front lawn outside a house
the idea

‘through the years’ backdrop

Create a custom backdrop for a dessert/buffet table featuring pictures of the 18th birthday boy / girl ‘through the years’

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Celebrating 18 Years custom photo birthday backdrop behind a party dessert table
the idea

custom printed balloons

Personalize your 18th birthday party decorations with custom printed latex balloons featuring images of the guest of honor

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couple standing next to a green custom printed balloon with their faces on
the idea

big head cutouts

Decorate large spaces by hanging or lining the walls with custom head cutouts of the birthday boy / girl at different stages of their life

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giant custom face cutouts showing the 18th birthday boy at different ages used as hanging decorations above a crowd of dancing party guests
the idea

The Man, The myth, the legend

Big up the big man on his birthday with this range of custom 18th birthday ‘The Man, The Myth, The Legend’ party supplies

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Custom The Man, The Myth, The Legend 18th birthday backdrop behind a party dessert table
the idea

photo collage 18 cutouts

Create a tabletop dessert table display with a photo collage 18 cutout showing the birthday boy / girl at different ages

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number 18 'through the years' photo collage cutout standing on a party dessert table showing photos of the 18th birthday boy
the idea

‘through the years’ photo garlands

Create interactive party decorations by asking guests to bring their favorite pictures of the 18th birthday boy / girl to add to photo garland decorations

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18th birthday photo garland party decorations showing the birthday boy 'Through the Years'
the idea

‘then & now’ photo banners

Give party guests a glimpse of the 18th birthday boy / girl back in the day by decorating walls with ‘Then & Now’ style photo banners

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Cheers to 18 Years custom 'Then & Now' photo birthday banner decorations hung above party food table
the idea

FUN FACTS FILLED BALLOONS

Fill balloons with ‘fun facts you may not know about the 18th birthday boy / girl’ and encourage guests to pop to reveal

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Fun facts filled 'Pop Me' balloons for an 18th birthday party
the idea

‘through the years’ welcome sign

Entertain guests by placing a photo collage showing the 18th birthday / girl at different stages of their life on welcome desks or bars

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celebrating 18 years birthday photo collage sign set up on a party drinks table bar
the idea

photo collage board

Entertain party guest with a photo collage board showing the 18th birthday boy / girl at different stages of their life

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Look who's 18 freestanding 18th birthday photo collage board decoration showing photos of the birthday boy through the years
the idea

balloon decals

Personalize your 18th birthday party decorations with custom balloon decals that allow you to choose the right words for the occasion

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'Congratulations George' custom name balloon decals applied to gold balloons for a 18th birthday party
the idea

‘through the years’ photo banners

Personalize your 18th birthday party decorations and entertain guests with photo banners showing the birthday boy / girl ‘through the years’

read more
18th birthday photo garland banners showing the birthday girl 'through the years'
the idea

half body / group cutouts

Create a big first impression by greeting guests with a half body or group cutout decorations of the 18th birthday boy / girl at different stages of their life

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half body and group cutouts of family members lining the pathway to the front door of a house

fantastic finds

great Ideas i wish i’d thought of…

Check out this great idea below from Marta Dansie of Marta Writes

the idea

fun facts garland banners

Personalize your party decorations and entertain guests with garland banners highlighting fun facts about the 18th birthday boy / girl

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18th birthday fun facts about the birthday boy/girl garland banner decorations hanging from tree at garden party
in this section

02 unique 18th birthday gift ideas

Personal v Personalized 18th birthday gifts

  • Don’t be fooled into thinking that a gift with someone’s name on it makes it personal.
  • No man really wants a monogrammed wallet or a personalized key chain as a 18th birthday gift.
  • In the same way no woman needs another vase, scented candle, or personalized mug.
  • The truth is, most people—men and women—would far prefer a meaningful 18th birthday gift over any store-bought alternative…
  • no matter how luxurious or expensive the store-bought gift might be!

it’s the thought that counts

  • A truly unique and personal gift is one where some real thought has gone into it…
  • something you know they’d love but would never treat themselves to,
  • something meaningful with sentimental value,
  • or something quirky, unusual, or unique tailored to the recipient.

Unique 18th birthday gift ideas

  • Some of the best gifts are often ones that cost the least; memories, photographs, and heartfelt thoughts shared by friends and family.
  • It’s the simplest things that are often the most priceless, like love, gratitude, and intimacy.
  • So, ditch the obvious and stereotypical gifts and check out some of the truly unique 18th birthday gift ideas below.
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the idea

18 reasons we love you

Invite friends and family to highlight the admirable qualities, notable traits, or amusing quirks that make the 18th birthday boy or girl so loved

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framed reasons we love you poster with photo of the 18 year old birthday boy
the idea

custom puppet

For a truly unique and personal gift have a custom Muppet-style puppet made of the 18th birthday boy / girl

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woman standing next to a custom muppet-style puppet of herself for a adult birthday gift
the idea

custom reel viewer

Ask friends an family for photos of their favorite memory of the 18th birthday boy / girl to collect together in a custom reel viewer

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custom reel viewer / viewfinder made with your own photos for a adult birthday gift
the idea

custom comic book

Tell the 18th birthday boy / girl’s life story (so far) by creating a custom comic book featuring photos of them ‘through the years’

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'Super Dad' custom comic book featuring cartoon versions of family photos for a adult birthday gift
the idea

reasons we love you photo book

Invite friends and family to take photos expressing all the things they love about the birthday boy / girl to collect together in a keepsake photo book to celebrate their 18th birthday

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18th birthday reasons we love you photo-book
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more unique 18th birthday ideas

two teenage boys standing next to custom pinatas of themselves on their 18th birthday
18th birthday party custom photo cone hats showing a man now and as a baby
custom bobblehead of a young woman alongside her photo for a unique 18th birthday gift
a stack of numbered '18 years of memory' letters in air mail envelopes
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