Surprise Parties?

A few weeks back I went to a surprise birthday party for my SIL. She has lymphoma and I guess she's always said that if she made it to 60 she wanted a big party. She was SO surprised.



Have you ever had a surprise party thrown for you? Would you want one?


I do not like being the center of attention and would not enjoy a surprise party at all. :lol3: My husband and I have birthdays one day apart and we always make sure to go away for our birthdays. :lol3: The closest I've ever come to a surprise party is my bridal shower. My mother did tell me that morning though, so I would be dressed appropriately. :lol3:

My husband did that once for my birthday. He had my friend order a bakery cake and arrange some other food. They all brought it to my house. It was a nice gesture, but I don't like surprise at all. :nod:

I don't like them at all and would never want one for any reason. 

My mom gave me a surprise party for my 16th birthday and it was a lot of fun. 

And when I turned 40, Rick and the families threw a huge surprise birthday party for me. I had no idea, not even a clue that anything was going on. Nothing....and I usually have, at the very least, some kind of inkling that something is going on. I even talked to a co-worker that day and asked him what he was doing that night and he said he was going to dinner. Didn't think a thing of it, but the "dinner" was my birthday party! We all had a great time. My mom and Rick's mom made a ton of food. He rented our local Union Hall in town for the party and they decorated the room there. A huge birthday cake. Lots of gag gifts: a large package of prunes, black toilet paper, black balloons, etc. You know the kinds of gifts; they were crazy. It was truly great and I really appreciated that everybody showed up. 

I got home from work that day and Rick suggested that we go out to dinner for my birthday. Ok. Fine. It wasn't until we pulled up at the Hall that I realized something funky was coming down. And the look on my face....we have a picture of it. I was truly shocked and Rick and Graham were smiling from ear to ear. They finally got one on me. Finally.

It was wonderful.

I originally had Dear Richard's 60th birthday party as a surprise. But then I decided to go with the Tiki theme for the thing and then I decided that we needed a tiki bar for it. And I knew I could never build one, so I had to tell Rick. And we got it built, but it ruined the surprise. Not that it mattered because we all had a great time at that, too. It was outside, in the back yard by the pool. 

The only surprise party I had thrown for me was when I got my first apartment. Before I moved in, my sister and parents threw me a small surprise party and came bearing gifts of items I'd need. It was really sweet!

Your thread made me start thinking, and I did have a surprise 16th birthday party thrown for me! I had completely forgotten about it. Thankfully, one of my friends told me about it beforehand, though.

We had a little "guest house" next to the house I grew up in. It was a simple little one-bedroom house that my father bought solely because he felt it was too near to our house and he didn't want neighbors that close. Anyway, my siblings and I were creeped out by the little house and always felt there was something wrong with it. Nobody would sleep in it, even when my sisters came home from college they would sleep on the sofas in our living room.

We used the fridge in the little house as an extra for storing food, and the only times I went in there was if I was sent to get something, and then it was a quick in and out. The house had a regular door that we never locked, and a screen door with a latch on the outside, so we could keep the neighborhood animals out while still airing out the house since this was in Texas.

One time I went in and the screen door slammed behind me and the latch locked on the outside! There was nobody else around, just somehow the latch fell in the right place when the screen slammed against the doorframe. (OR, a ghost did it which is what I thought at the time.)

I freaked out and started screaming. Nobody heard me, though, so I tried to get out the window but the screen was screwed in. I beat on the screen until it broke and jumped out and ran. I knew I would get in a lot of trouble for breaking the screen but I felt my life was at stake!

So, on to the party… my friend Peggy in high school arranged to throw me a surprise party in the guest house since she could set everything up without my knowledge. Another friend clued me in since she thought I might have a heart attack or something if I innocently walked in there and people jumped out at me and screamed. She knew me well and I always appreciated that she told me!

I guess I haven't really had a surprise party. I'm with AbbysMom, though, I don't like being the center of attention.

I can't recall ever having one thrown for me; but I wouldn't mind.  I'm not sure who would be invited at this point though.  Most of our friends have moved away and we don't have much family around.  

I do love throwing surprise parties though!  I helped my step-dad throw a fantastic party for my mother's 50th.  We hired a wonderful caterer who had done the rehearsal dinner for my wedding.  She did everything; including a big beautiful cake.  The party was "Hollywood" themed and we had it at our church where I had a big room to decorate.  I made the centerpieces.  My step-dad gave a little speech and thanked me for spending his money.   They ended up being late and a few people missed because the weather was horrid (pouring in March so very cold!) but we still had a great turn out and everyone had fun.  Mom was truly shocked!  I was afraid she'd know something was up because I took most of that day off of work and Mom and I worked together in a small office.  I tell her pretty much everything too.  This time I told her I had an appointment but I didn't specify where.  I'll bet she thought I was pregnant.  

I threw one of my friends (we were very close at that time) a surprise 21st birthday party.  There was no alcohol involved though.  Some of us (including me) were still under age and others just not into drinking.  It turned out fun and she was truly shocked.  

I've been to a few others that were well done.  A friend of mine had a surprise baby shower.  I saw her outside the door before she came in. She was dressed pretty casual and looking pretty annoyed her mother was dragging her around places.    She is one of those people who wears all her emotions plainly on her face.  Another good one was for a co-worker's 60th back in that small office Mom and I worked in.  Our boss had worked with the co-worker's daughter so other business associates were there.  We'd all seen each other at work that day and no one let on.  I worked in a great office and I still miss those gals!  (And 1 guy.  )  She was such an awesome co-worker. She never forgot anyones birthday; I still cherish some of the gifts she bought me over those years working together.  She'd make lunch for us all.  Such a nice lady.  She deserved that party!