celebrating 70 years birthday photo collage sign set up on a party drinks table bar
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Photo Collage Sign

the idea

Entertain guests by placing a photo collage showing the guest of honor at different stages of their life on welcome desks, bars, or dessert/buffet tables

Celebrating 65 Years photo sign showing an old photo of the birthday boy as a child
Celebrating Graduation photo collage sign showing a man 'through the years' on an easel on a party bar top

the how

  • Ask friends and family to contribute old photos of the guest of honor to create a photo collage sign celebrating their life (so far)
  • Choose from printable or ‘print and ship’ templates and add custom text
  • Use to decorate the entrance, welcome area, bar tops, dessert / buffet, or occasional tables
  • You can also frame it so it doubles as a gift / keepsake
  • Alternatively, use the large 3 panel option pictured below as a bar, dessert, or buffet table backdrop
'Celebrating the Life Of James Matthews' 3 panel photo collage sign mounted on wall showing a man 'through the years'
Celebrating 65 Years anniversary photo sign on an easel showing old photo of bride & groom on their wedding day

the why

welcome area dรฉcor & activities

  • Welcoming; you canโ€™t always greet everyone on arrival, but you can still give them a warm welcome
  • Efficient; freeโ€™s up the host to mingle and enjoy the party rather than monitor the door
  • Acknowledgement; ensures guests still get a proper reception and feel acknowledged on arrival
  • Orientation; helps guests know what to do and where to go next (useful in venues)
  • Informative; time saving way to communicates practical information regarding cloakrooms, bathrooms, table plan, guest book, gift/card table, and the event’s social media hashtag
  • Flow; diffuses crowds, prevents bottlenecks, and helps manage flow when multiple guests arrive at once by giving them multiple things to engage with
  • Service; gets a first drink into guestsโ€™ hands without them having to wade through to the bar
  • Ice breaker; allow guests to ease in with a few activities before walking into a room full of people
  • Introductions; allows guests who donโ€™t know many people or are arriving alone to connect with others before entering
  • Conversation-starters; funny, creative, or quirky welcome activities give guests things to discuss
  • Atmosphere; a few initial activities, party favors, or photo ops immediately creates atmosphere

tabletop dรฉcor

  • Enhances; adds height and fullness to bars, food stations, and occasional tables to create larger displays
  • Focal points; decorating bars, food stations, or occasional tables encourages mingling by creating destinations for guests to explore
  • Visibility; tall / tabletop decorations are easier to see when the room is full of people
  • Interactive; tabletop dรฉcor can be used to entertain guests with โ€˜Fun Factsโ€™ or โ€˜Through the Yearsโ€™ photo collages of the guest of honor
Happy 60th birthday photo collage sign showing a woman 'through the years' on an easel
Celebrating 50 Years birthday photo collage sign showing a man 'through the years' on an easel on a party bar top

the why

this idea

  • Special occasions should feel special; generic โ€˜off the shelfโ€™ decorations are lazy and unimaginative
  • Personalized; customized decorations are more special and show you made an effort
  • Custom photo; opportunity to show the guest of honor at different ages โ€˜through the yearsโ€™
  • Funny; quirky, lighthearted, or self-deprecating decorations will make guests smile
  • Entertaining; guests may not have seen funny or embarrassing old photos of the guest of honor
  • Memorable; guests remember creative, unusual, or unexpected decorations
  • Keepsake; creates tangible memories for the guest of honor to revisit in future
  • Professional; attention to detail lends an air of professionalism
  • Inexpensive; a cost-effective party idea that wonโ€™t blow your budget
'Our Favorite Memories' framed photo collage sign
Celebrating Retirement 'The Legend has Retired' photo sign on an easel

ADVICE FROM A PRO

Matt’s tip

Matt James professional event planner

“Rather than only draw upon your own collection, considering asking friends and family members to lend you some of their photos of the guest of honor from significant periods of their life.

That way you might discover some less familiar photosโ€”perhaps even some the guest of honor might have forgotten or never even seen before.

Old printed photos can be transferred to a digital format very inexpensively nowadays ($20-$30 for 100 photos, link below) so it’s a great opportunity to preserve them for years to come.

Similarly, old photos that are fading, discolored, or damaged can often be restored at the same time (see link below).

If you choose a printable template, print off multiple copies and use to decorate the entrance, welcome area, bar tops, dessert / buffet / occasional tables, or bathrooms.

Guests sometimes miss little details at parties, so it’s fine to give them more than one opportunity to catch something.

I like to position fun decorations like this in the bathrooms; by the wash basins, on the backs of cubicle doors, or above urinals.

People often forget to decorate the bathrooms so inexpensive printables like these are a fun way to surprise guests with your attention to detail.”

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where to buy

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  • Browse full range or click any image below for info and prices.
  • If you can’t find a particular design, contact the seller as they might just need to re-list it.

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