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
OPEN BIO
CONTENTS

ON THIS PAGE

01 MAKE IT SPECIAL

Thoughtful ideas that celebrate the person, focus on the feel-good, and make an occasion feel special

45 years of memories personalized photo book for any age birthday
Reasons We Love You photo poster for a surprise party
Custom 'Reasons We Love You' photo book with friends and family holding signs
'65 Memories for 65 Years' Share a Memory postcards for a surprise birthday party
jump to

02 MAKE IT personal

How to add creative twists and personal touches to create talking points and memorable moments

custom face photo garland banner for a surprise party
Welcome Home custom photo collage party backdrop
man standing next to a custom pinata of his head
custom photo personalized Happy Birthday m&m's for a surprise party
jump to

03 surprise party decorations

How to maximize your budget by concentrating your surprise party decorations in a few key areas

'Welcome Home' surprise party custom photo banner showing photos of the guest of honor
surprise party photo collage in the shape of the numbers 65 on a party dessert table
thai is 40 #oldman spelled out in a yard card in front of house
balloon mosaic letters spelling Mom for party decorations
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04 surprise party activities

How to break the ice, provide conversation-starters, encourage mingling, and create atmosphere

DIY vodka bar with mixers and fruit set up at a surprise party
surprise party guestbook alternative signing poster with photos of the guest of honor 'then and now'
printable icebreaker party games bundle
yellow retro telephone audio guest book set up next to an instructions sign inviting party guests to record a message
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05 surprise party food

Why food stations geared towards small bites, tasting plates, and DIY options are better than buffets

Hors d'oeuvres and appetizers arranged in rows on a modern surprise party buffet table / food station
surprise party food presentation ideas: fish salad served in margarita glasses with forks
surprise party hors d'oeuvres: cheese bites served on forks standing vertically
surprise party food ideas: individual portion charcuterie cups
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06 dessert tables

How a dessert table can lend visual spectacle, save time, and maximize budget for a surprise party

personalized custom caricature cookie of a man for a surprise party
peach and gold balloon garland party backdrop for an surprise party dessert table
individual layered party desserts served in disposable shooter glasses with wooden spoons
blue sequin shimmer party backdrop behind an surprise party dessert table
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07 surprise party drinks

Get that professionally-catered look and give traditional drinks a creative twist

custom photo personalized beer bottle labels for surprise party drinks
surprise party drinks ideas: boxwood hedge party drinks bar wall with shelves of self-service drinks for guests to help themselves to
custom photo 'Fun Facts about the guest of hour' surprise party napkins
custom photo edible wafer drinks topper with a photo of the birthday girl floating on a cocktail
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08 surprise party invitations

Why invitations needs to excite, inspire, and give guests something to look forward to

animated digital video surprise party invitations displayed on mobile phone screen
balloon custom printed with surprise party invitation details
custom vinyl record party invitation for a surprise party
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09 surprise party gifts

Avoid uninspiring and clichéd gifts in favor of something that’s unique, meaningful, or a treat

custom bobblehead of a man alongside his photo for a surprise birthday gift
custom personalized comic book for a surprise gift
man standing next to a custom muppet-style puppet of himself
personalized viewmaster reel viewer for a surprise gift
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10 surprise party ideas for men

Surprise party themes, decorations, and ideas aimed at men

'the man, the myth, the legend' custom name surprise party backdrop decorations behind a dessert table
surprise party beer tasting party supplies with bottles of beer in ice buckets
the silver fox custom birthday napkins with grey hair icon
surprise party beer tasting party supplies with a cheese board
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ADVICE FROM A PRO

surprise party tips

  • Surprise parties are a special occasion, so you need to make an effort!
  • Avoid the obvious: generic store-bought decorations emblazoned with ‘Surprise!’.
  • Instead, make everything as personal as possible
  • Celebrate the person, not just the occasion.
  • Avoid lame jokes, gag gifts, and clichés.
  • Instead, concentrate on making them feel loved and appreciated.
  • Celebrate their life; their background, accomplishments, and all the things that have made them who they are today,
  • Celebrate who they are; admirable qualities, characteristics everyone loves, and even their weird habits and obsessions that drive people crazy!
  • Celebrate your relationship with them; take a walk down memory lane, share memories, funny stories, embarrassing photos, amusing anecdotes, fun facts guests may not know, and indulge in a little sentimentality.
  • Focus on things that are meaningful, because that’s what they’ll remember
  • I’ll teach you how to design your surprise party like a pro; creating ‘beats’ or ‘moments’ that run throughout the event so guests continue to discover new things as the party unfolds
  • Think of the guest’s journey in terms of different touch points; arrivals, bar, room décor, food, entertainment etc.
  • Then, add a creative twist, person touch, or talking point to each
  • Don’t forget to include activities; things for guests to do that will break the ice, encourage mingling, provide conversation-starters, and create a fun atmosphere that includes everyone.
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MATT’S TIP

Matt James professional event planner
in this section

01 Make it special

celebrate the person, not their age

  • Limit the gag gifts and decorations and focus on thoughtful, feel-good ideas.
  • Make them feel loved, appreciated, and good about themselves.

AVOID CLICHÉS

  • Don’t make the common mistake of theming everything around ‘Surprise!’ decorations.
  • It just makes for an impersonal and unoriginal surprise celebration.
  • Read my full post with ideas for how to make a surprise special or preview some below
open full post
OR PREVIEW BELOW
ideas in this section

share a memory postcards

reasons we love you

photo slideshow

a gift every hour

years of memories letters

‘open when’ letters

through the years 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 surprise 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

30 memories for 30 years

Invite friends and family to send a postcard sharing a favorite memory of the guest of honor

read more
30th birthday memory postcards for a surprise birthday party
the idea

a gift every hour

Spread the love over an entire day with 12 smaller gifts; one to be opened every hour!

read more
a collection of gift wrapped boxes
the idea

reasons we love you photo book

Invite friends and family to take photos expressing all the things they love about the guest of honor to collect together in a keepsake photo book to celebrate the occasion

read more
reasons we love you photo book
the idea

surprise slideshow

Invite friends and family to contribute photos and videos of the guest of honor to surprise them with an animated slideshow

read more
group of friends watching a backyard slideshow
VIEW MORE

ideas to make it special

45 years of memories personalized photo book for any age adult birthday
a stack of numbered '30 years of memory' letters in air mail envelopes for a surprise party
stack of illustrated brown 'Open When...' letter envelopes for different occasions
Reasons We Love You photo poster for a surprise party
OPEN FULL POST
in this section

02 Make it personal

add creative twists & personal touches

  • A surprise party is a special occasion, so you need to make an effort.
  • Generic decorations from Party City or Amazon won’t cut it.
  • Cheap, shiny, and mass-produced in China doesn’t exactly say special does it?
  • It’s the creative twists, clever details, personal touches, talking points, and memorable moments that make a surprise party feel special.
  • So, focus on customizable party supplies that use cute, funny, or embarrassing old photos of the guest of honor to make them unique.
  • Read my full post about the party supplies I recommend and learn how to use them to surprise and entertain guests, create photo ops, and make your party memorable.
open full post
OR PREVIEW BELOW
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 surprise 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 guest of honor

read more
blue and yellow custom photo m&m's with a woman's face
the idea

photo party hats

Create custom party hats printed with old photos of the guest of honor from different stages of their life

read more
color and black & white photo party hats showing the guest of honor now and as a younger man
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

read more
group of people holding custom fan faces of the guest of honor in front of their own faces at a surprise party
the idea

custom face banners

Personalize your party decorations with custom face banners of the guest of honor at different ages

read more
surprise party custom face photo banners showing different photos of a man hung above party dessert table
VIEW MORE

ideas to make it personal

custom photo personalized wine bottle labels
This Kid is Turning 45 and Welcome Home custom photo surprise party balloon decorations
Tri-fold custom photo collage display board personalized with the name Cecilia
large styrofoam letters spelling IZZY used as a dessert table base for a birthday party
OPEN FULL POST
in this section

03 surprise party DeCORations

COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID

  • Don’t try to dress the entire room/venue, this will spread decorations too thinly.
  • Instead, keep everything tight and compact, focusing on a few larger displays or ‘clusters’ of decorations in 4 key areas:
  • Entrance Decor
  • Welcome Area
  • Dessert / Buffet Table or Bar Décor
  • Room Decorations
  • Open full post to see all decor tips on my surprise party decorations page or preview some of the ideas below
open full post
OR PREVIEW BELOW
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 cutouts

paper circle garland backdrops

FUN FACTS BALLOONS

‘THROUGH THE YEARS’ PHOTO GARLANDS

THEN & NOW PHOTO BANNERS

AND MORE
preview

entrance decorations

  • Entrance decorations need to be welcoming and functional.
  • Use them to identify the location of the party, direct guests to the entrance, create a warm welcome, and put guests at ease.
  • The initial moments of a party set the tone and reassure guests, so first impressions matter.
the idea

custom yard heads

Bring a smile to guests’ faces as they arrive with custom yard heads showing the guest of honor at different stages of their life

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

‘through the years’ banners

Ensure your entrance stands out while making guests smile with vertical banners showing the guest of honor ‘through the years’

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

paper luminaries

For evening events, give guests a warm welcome by lining the route to your entrance with glowing paper luminaries

read more
guests arriving at a surprise party at home with a pathway to the front door lined with paper luminaries
VIEW MORE

entrance decorations

pink and white balloon garland framing house door entrance
custom birthday yard card spelling out Happy Birthday Eloise outside a house
red fabric aisle runner leading up to venue entrance for an surprise party
pink balloon lined pathway through a park leading to a party entrance
VIEW ENTRANCE DECORATIONS
VIEW ALL DECORATIONS
preview

welcome area

  • You can’t always greet every guest personally, so create a welcome area to:
  • greet guests; with signage, decor, and self-service drinks,
  • entertain; with activities, photo ops, and party favors, and…
  • manage flow; with directional signage for cloakrooms, bathrooms, table plans, and a gift/card table
  • This ensures guests feel acknowledged upon arrival and know what to do and where to go.
the idea

life-size talking cutout

Have the guest of honor greet guests at the entrance with a life-size cutout paired with a motion-activated voice recorder

read more
man in a suit standing next to a life-size cutout standee of himself
the idea

‘through the years’ welcome sign

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

read more
celebrating 65 years surprise birthday party photo collage sign set up on a party drinks table bar
the idea

self-service drinks table

Set up a self-service bar at the entrance with pre-mixed or ready-to-pour drinks that guests can all help themselves to on arrival

read more
DIY self-service party drinks bar
VIEW MORE

welcome area dEcor

illustrated custom surprise party welcome sign on an easel
Polaroid instant photo guest book and cameras set up on a party table
woman's hand placing a card into a custom wood card box with the name Wilson on it
printable custom hashtag sign
VIEW WELCOME AREA DECOR
VIEW ALL DECORATIONS
preview

dessert table decor

  • Maximize your budget by concentrating decorations around a dessert / buffet table or bar to create a focal point.
  • You’ll get more bang for your buck if you invest your budget in one well-dressed feature wall or large display.
  • This is better than trying to dress an entire room and spreading decorations too thinly.
the idea

‘through the years’ backdrop

Create a custom backdrop for a dessert/buffet table featuring pictures of the guest of honor ‘through the years’

read more
Welcome Home custom photo surprise party backdrop behind a party dessert table
the idea

photo collage cutouts

Create a tabletop dessert table display with a photo collage cutout showing the guest of honor at different ages

read more
number 65 'through the years' photo collage cutout standing on a surprise party dessert table showing photos of the guest of honor
the idea

paper circle garland backdrops

For a soft and delicate surprise party backdrop, these ombré paper circle garlands lend a whimsical touch

read more
blue ombré paper circle garland backdrop for a party buffet table
VIEW MORE

dessert table dEcor

pink sequin shimmer party backdrop behind a dessert table
boxwood hedge party backdrop behind a dessert table for a kid's birthday party
orange fringe party backdrop behind a dessert table at a bridal shower
pink and white paper flower wall surprise party backdrop
VIEW DESSERT TABLE DECOR
VIEW ALL DECORATIONS
preview

room decorations

  • Consider how a room will look when it’s full of people.
  • Concentrate on decorating perimeter walls, space above head height, and table décor that adds height.