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In case you didn’t already know, my birthday is on Halloween! This year I’m having an epic house party, complete with Halloween fancy dress and themed cocktails. Today’s guest post is perfectly timed, because it’s all about planning the ultimate birthday dinner in London.
How to Plan the Ultimate Birthday Dinner in London
Taking charge of a friend or family member’s birthday plans means all the decisions making, planning, and responsibility falls in your lap. Obviously, you want to put together a fabulous gathering for the guest of honour just to show how much they mean to you.
If you’ve decided a birthday dinner is the way to go and you want to be sure it goes off without a hitch, here are some tips you can use to help ensure it’s a memorable event.
Choose a Venue
The first step in planning the ultimate birthday dinner is to choose a venue well in advance of the party. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with hosting the dinner in your own home, it will add a lot of work, effort, and stress to your plate. Depending on how many people you are inviting, you may not even have the space to seat everyone.
Typically, the best option is to choose a local restaurant that can accommodate the amount of people you will have, the date you’ve picked, and offers the cuisine and atmosphere that the guest of honour enjoys. Many restaurants will even set up a separate space for the party to make it more of a VIP or intimate experience.
Take for example the Bunga Bunga Covent Garden Restaurant in London. The restaurant specialises in Italian cuisine, but it doesn’t just stop there. This is a full Bunga Bunga experience where the delicious, weird, off-the-wall, and wonderful all meet in one location. This is the perfect example of a venue that can accommodate groups and will deliver a memorable experience.
Give Plenty of Notice to Guests
It’s also important that you plan well in advance so you can give your guests plenty of notice. If you wait until the last minute to invite everyone, the odds of people being able to show up will be slim to none.
While some party planning experts would say it’s wise to send out invitations eight weeks in advance, typically this just isn’t practical. As long as the invitations have been sent out two to four weeks in advance, you should be good. If it’s a milestone birthday such as a 50th or 65th, then you may want to at least send out a save-the-date eight weeks in advance.
Be Sure to Include Décor
If you’re heading out to a restaurant obviously it will have its own décor and atmosphere, but that certainly shouldn’t stop you from bringing along a few birthday-themed items.
It’s a good idea to check with the restaurant in advance to ask if there are any décor restrictions. Typical items you could bring include balloons, a birthday banner, a birthday hat/crown, confetti for the table, and birthday-themed centrepieces.
A Party to Remember
By taking some extra time to plan out the venue, ensuring your guests have plenty of notice, and taking the extra step to include decorations, you’re sure to create a birthday party that will be memorable and fun.
… and don’t forget the cake!
What are your tips for the ultimate birthday dinner?
Thanks for reading, Emily. x
Belated happy birthday dear. I hope you had an amazing time. these are some great tips. i always plan my parties around early evening time. It gives plenty of time for people to come and enjoy themselves and then lave on time to reach their destinations safe and secure. I personally don’t like very late night parties and generally avoid them for the same reason.
I hope you had a wonderful day! Ah, enjoy being only 22. Wish I was that young again!
Great ideas, the venue would be the number one priority for me, then plenty of planning time 🙂
Venue and decor would probably the most important thing for me! You can be creative on your decorations. I would love to visit London.
I hope you had a wonderful party. I think making sure your camera is ready to take lots of photos of the memories would be my top tip.
Make sure you have a DD or call Uber if you plan on having a few pints and don’t want the worry of driving.
Yes of course, although living in London means we’re blessed with public transport. The night tube at weekends is great!
Great tips, we love organising birthday parties and attention to detail is what makes it memorable for guests x
So lucky that your birthday is on Halloween! I always struggle arranging my birthday in London, will definitely take these into account for my next one!
Lucy // lucyburger.co.uk
It’s always so fun!
Ah that must be so cool to have your birthday on Halloween – plenty of excuse to party! I love going out for dinner on my birthday so these are great tips too!
It’s always so fun! An excuse to dress up every year ????