40th birthday party ideas
BY A PROFESSIONAL PARTY PLANNER
Ideas include:
Special 40th Birthday Party Ideas
Personalized / Unique 40th Birthday Party Ideas
40th Birthday Party Decorations
40th Birthday Party Activities
40th Birthday Party Food & Drink
40th Birthday Party Dessert Tables
40th Birthday Party Invitations
40th Birthday Gifts
40th Birthday Party Ideas for Men
i’m matt james
professional event producer
welcome
CONTENTS
ON THIS PAGE
01 MAKE IT SPECIAL
Thoughtful ideas that celebrate the person, not their age, focus on the feel-good, and make a 40th birthday special
02 MAKE IT personal
How to add creative twists and personal touches to create talking points and memorable moments
03 40th birthday party decorations
How to maximize your budget by concentrating your 40th birthday party decorations in a few key areas
04 40th birthday party activities
How to break the ice, provide conversation-starters, encourage mingling, and create atmosphere
05 40th birthday party food
Why food stations geared towards small bites, tasting plates, and DIY options are better than buffets
06 dessert tables
How a dessert table can lend visual spectacle, save time, and maximize budget for a 40th birthday party
07 40th birthday party drinks
Get that professionally-catered look and give traditional drinks a creative twist
08 40th birthday party invitations
Why invitations needs to excite, inspire, and give guests something to look forward to
09 40th birthday gifts
Avoid uninspiring and clichéd gifts in favor of something that’s unique, meaningful, or a treat
10 40th birthday party ideas for men
40th birthday party themes, decorations, and ideas aimed at men
ADVICE FROM A PRO
40TH BIRTHDAY party tips
MATT’S TIP
in this section
01 Make it special
celebrate the person, not their age
AVOID CLICHÉS
ideas in this section
40 memories for 40 years
40 reasons we love you
photo slideshow
a gift every hour
40 years of memories letters
‘open when’ letters
40 years of memories photo book
photo collage memory box
reasons we love you photo book
AND MORE
preview
ideas to make it special
Check out this preview of some 40th birthday party ideas to make it special, then hit the ‘Open Full Post’ button below to view all ideas in this section (opens in a new tab).
the idea
40 memories for 40 years
Invite friends and family to mail a postcard sharing a favorite memory of the birthday boy / girl in the days leading up to their 40th birthday
the idea
a gift every hour
Spread the love over an entire day with 12 smaller gifts; one to be opened every hour….at 40 minutes past the hour!
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 40th birthday
the idea
40th birthday slideshow
Invite friends and family to contribute photos and videos of the birthday boy / girl to surprise them with an animated slideshow
VIEW MORE
ideas to make it special
in this section
02 Make it personal
add creative twists & personal touches
ideas in this section
custom photo m&m’s
photo party hats
fan face custom cutouts
custom face banners
fun facts napkins
‘‘then & now photo banners‘
‘through the years’ photo banners
CUSTOM PHOTO WINE/BEER LABELS
life-size talking cutouts
CUSTOM PHOTO BALLOONS
CUSTOM PARTY CUPS
CUSTOM COOKIES
CUSTOM PINATAS
AND MORE
preview
ideas to make it personal
Check out this preview of some 40th birthday party ideas to make it personal, then hit the ‘Open Full Post’ button below to view all ideas in this section (opens in a new tab).
the idea
custom photo m&m’s
It’s the clever little details that create talking points, so swap regular candy for personalized M&M’s with photos of the 40th birthday boy / girl
the idea
photo party hats
Create custom party hats printed with old photos of the 40th birthday boy / girl from different stages of their life
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the idea
fan face custom cutouts
Create photo ops by providing guests with faces of the guest of honor at different stages of their life
the idea
custom face banners
Personalize your party decorations with custom face banners of the 40th birthday boy / girl at different ages
VIEW MORE
ideas to make it personal
ADVICE FROM A PRO
planning your own 40th?
MATT’S TIP
in this section
03 40TH BIRTHDAY DeCORations
COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID
ideas in this section
custom yard heads
‘through the years’ banners
paper luminaries
life-size talking cutout
‘through the years’ welcome sign
self-service welcome drinks
‘through the years’ party backdrop
photo collage 40 cutouts
paper circle garland backdrops
FUN FACTS BALLOONS
‘THROUGH THE YEARS’ PHOTO GARLANDS
THEN & NOW PHOTO BANNERS
AND MORE
preview
entrance decorations
the idea
custom yard heads
Bring a smile to guests’ faces as they arrive with custom yard heads showing the 40th birthday boy or girl at different stages of their life
the idea
‘through the years’ banners
Ensure your entrance stands out while making guests smile with vertical banners showing the 40th birthday boy / girl ‘through the years’
the idea
paper luminaries
For evening events, give guests a warm welcome by lining the route to your entrance with glowing paper luminaries