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

ON THIS PAGE

01 personalized surprise birthday decorations

Unexpected, personalized, and unique surprise birthday ideas and decorations for adults

a unique surprise birthday idea: 'through the years' custom photo collage birthday party backdrop
a unique surprise birthday idea: a man next to a life size custom cutout standee of himself
This Kid is Turning 70 and Look Who's 70 personalized unique surprise birthday decoration ideas
personalized surprise birthday decorations: custom face photo garland banner showing a man 'through the years'
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02 unique surprise birthday gift ideas

Creative, unforgettable, and unique surprise birthday gift ideas

man standing next to a custom muppet-style puppet of himself; a unique surprise birthday gift idea
a unique surprise birthday gift idea: a personalized comic book
custom bobblehead of a woman alongside her photo for a unique surprise birthday gift idea
personalized viewmaster reel viewer unique surprise birthday idea
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03 unique surprise birthday activities

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

a unique surprise birthday idea: woman standing next to a custom pinata of herself with a guitar
retro telephone audio guest book set up next to an instructions sign inviting party guests to record personalized voice messages
a unique surprise birthday idea: a young man standing with a group of friends at a party holding up fan faces of his face in front of theirs
65 Reasons We Love You signing poster guest book alternative for a unique surprise birthday idea
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in this section

01 personalized surprise birthday decorations

avoid the obvious

  • A special occasion needs to look and feel special.
  • This won’t happen if you just type ‘surprise birthday 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 surprise birthday ideas; decorations, gifts, and party supplies that are personalized.

make a surprise birthday fun & 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 birthday boy / girl at different stages of their life.
  • 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 surprise 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 a day they might be feeling a little sensitive about getting older.
  • Remember that phrase, ‘it’s the thought that counts’?
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the idea

custom face banners

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

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surprise party custom face photo banners showing different photos of a man 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

read more
This Kid is Turning 45 and Welcome Home custom photo balloons
the idea

life-size talking cutout

Have the birthday boy / girl 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’ banners

Ensure your entrance stands out while making guests smile with vertical banners showing the birthday boy / girl ‘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

fun facts balloons

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

read more
Photos and 'Fun Facts' about the guest of honor 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 birthday boy / girl 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’ backdrop

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

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

custom printed balloons

Personalize your surprise birthday 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 of a man 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 big day with this range of custom ‘The Man, The Myth, The Legend’ surprise birthday supplies

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Custom The Man, The Myth, The Legend surprise party backdrop behind a dessert table
the idea

photo collage cutouts

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

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

‘through the years’ photo garlands

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

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

‘then & now’ photo banners

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

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Welcome Home custom 'Then & Now' photo banner decorations hung above party food table
the idea

FUN FACTS FILLED BALLOONS

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

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Fun facts filled 'Pop Me' balloons for a surprise party
the idea

‘through the years’ welcome sign

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

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celebrating 65 years surprise birthday party 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 birthday boy / girl at different stages of their life

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Look who's 60 freestanding surprise 65th birthday photo collage board decoration showing photos of the birthday boy through the years
the idea

balloon decals

Personalize your surprise birthday 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 surprise party
the idea

‘through the years’ photo banners

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

read more
surprise birthday party 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 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 birthday boy / girl

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

02 unique surprise birthday gift ideas

Personal v Personalized surprise birthday gifts

  • Don’t be fooled into thinking that a gift with someone’s name on it makes it personal.
  • No man really wants monogrammed golf balls or engraved grilling tongs as a surprise birthday gift.
  • In the same way no woman needs another vase, scented candle, or ‘World’s Best Mum’ mug.
  • The truth is, most people—men and women—would far prefer a meaningful surprise 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 surprise 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 surprise birthday gift ideas below.
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the idea

reasons we love you

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

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framed reasons we love you poster with photo of the 70 year old birthday boy
the idea

custom puppet

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

read more
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 birthday boy / girl to collect together in a custom reel viewer

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

custom comic book

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

read more
'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 graduation

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reasons we love you photo book
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more unique surprise birthday ideas

a woman surprised with a unique surprise birthday idea; a custom pinata of herself
custom photo cone hats showing a man now and as a baby
custom bobblehead of a man alongside his photo for a unique surprise birthday gift idea
a stack of numbered '30 years of memory' letters in air mail envelopes for a unique surprise birthday gift
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