3 Essentials for a Low-Key Birthday Party

Whether it’s because you are not ready to go back into the world after the year and a half that all of us had, or simply you prefer smaller celebrations with your closest friends or family members, low-key birthdays can be just as amazing as huge fancy parties. And it’s not only about whether it’s your cup of tea or not. Because, even if you are someone who usually prefers many guests and big venues, with a little bit of creativity, a small birthday party at home can be a huge, memorable and beautiful experience.

Have you ever had or been at a party that was so big that at the end you didn’t even really see anyone and can’t remember much except for what you see in the photos? Having a smaller party with people you love can even be more meaningful and special. A small group of people means that you’ll get to spend time with everyone you’ve invited. It means that you’ll be able to fully enjoy every moment.

But there are other things that make low-key parties a great idea, and one of them is that they are less costly. Furthermore, regardless of whether you are celebrating with closest friends, your family or roommates, there are numerous advantages of having fun at home. The best part is that preparing a home birthday party is quite easy. However, if this is the first time you are preparing one, you should know the essentials. Namely, like for any birthday party, you are going to need a birthday cake, one or more wine packs and a plan for the party.

The Birthday Cake

There are two things that make a party a birthday party: the cake and the presents. While decorations and other birthday related things can be skipped, every birthday needs a cake. One way to make your low-key party special is to focus on the cake itself. Make it the crown of the event, make it surprising and try to avoid cliches. For instance, leave the typical birthday cakes for when others organise birthdays. Instead of something expected, you can order a giant cookie cake or a doughnut cake. You can go for a box of cookies or doughnuts instead of a regular cake. Do something different. Your low-key birthday can be a high-end event.

It may seem like an overstatement, but something as simple as getting a big cookie cake or cookie bouquet can be just the thing to make your birthday special. Food, such as chocolate and other sweet things, is known to live a huge impression on people. Not only because most of us are hedonists, especially when it comes to flavours, but also because, as it has been proven many times, chocolate and even sugar provoke some very interesting reactions in our body, including helping it release some of those sweet “happy hormones”, we all keep chasing after.

Also, don’t forget about your audience. For instance, if you are celebrating with family and there are going to be kids, keep that in mind when choosing the cake. Or, if you know your friends taste or special diet requirements, you can also take that into account when buying the birthday dessert. Finally, don’t forget about the most important thing – quality.

The Wine

Whether you are making a small party or you are organising a huge event, alcohol is one of the must-haves. And while beer is the obvious choice for many people, the next essential for a special birthday party, however small, is wine. Regardless of whether you include other types of alcoholic beverages, like beer or something more fun like gin, the wine will make your party classy.

Almost nothing important in the world is celebrated without wine. Wine has played key roles in so many love stories in the world, it has been a part of crucial events throughout history, it has played different roles in different cultures across the world, in many religions, mythologies, it has inspired art pieces, stories, poems and whatnot. Nothing in the world, whether it’s food or beverage, has left such a mark on humanity, like wine.

So, if the event is important to you, you want the party to be special, if you are trying to make a low-key party feel like a big event, you shouldn’t skip the wine. For instance, you can order wine packs so that you can offer your guests different types of red or white wines, or both. But before ordering, you may also want to find what pairs well with the cake you’ve chosen, as well as the food or snack you are serving.

The Plan

While something like a giant cookie cake will make your birthday different and memorable, and wine can make it classy and sophisticated, to have a successful party, you need your guests to have fun and to feel relaxed. For this, you can plan out the event, as if you were planning something much bigger. Of course, it all depends on who you invite. If you are only inviting your family, then you don’t really need to worry about awkward silences. However, if you decide to have a dinner party for your birthday and invite a couple of friends that don’t know each other, things can get more difficult.

Decide how low-key you want your party to be, and plan out accordingly. Before even buying the cake and the wine, think about what kind of party you want it to be, is it a fancy soirée, a casual get-together, a game night… will there be a theme or a dress code… Think about the music, whether you want there to be dancing, games, other activities… Think about having a backup plan, just in case. For instance, you can have a film prepared in advance, in case no one wants to dance, or the activities you have planned haven’t worked.

Of course, things may not work out: it may turn out that you didn’t get enough wine, that no one wants to dance, that the dinner isn’t as tasty as you thought or that no one wants to play the game you choose. But, that’s the thing with low-key parties – you can reinvent it right there on the spot, and still make it one of the best nights ever.