Surprise Birthday Party Ideas?

Question

I'm throwing my boyfriend a Alabama football themed surprise 22nd birthday. I need ideas to make it look really amazing. Any Ideas?

Answer 1

I know NOTHING about sports. So I had to look it up. It is the Crimson Tide, correct?

How far are you away? Maybe you could arrange a meet and greet with some coaches and a few players at your party? If not maybe a letter for your boyfriend from a player or a coach on the team, or some autographs that you asked for ahead of time, or a videotaped message for your boyfriend.

Otherwise, about the only thing I can think of is to plan the party on a game day and use that as the main event of the party...plan the rest of the party like a superbowl party or other entertainment get together, with finger foods etc.

If the day of the party is not the day of the game, you could start recording different game footage, borrow and set up different TVs and VCRs, and have old games going on all over the house at low volume, including in the bathroom on a tiny TV. You may be able to get a video of a documentary about the team.

For his entrance to the party, you could set up a paper ring (after the guests arrive) for him to burst through like they do when the team comes out. On HIS side, you can write a note..."Happy Birthday to My Most Valuable Player!" That is cheesy, I know. Of course the jig would be up then, but not much before he finds out anyway...and if there are a lot of cars parked in the driveway, he might know before that anyway.

Of course a football shaped cake. Easy enough, you pop the cake out of a 9x13 pan and trim it out to shape, then frost it and decorate it with the threads and stuff. If you need more cake, you can have a bakery do a larger cake (sheet cake or a partial sheet cake) for you, same way (cut to shape), its just that they have bigger ovens and pans than you do.

The drinks of course would be red...red wine, and white wine, red punch.

A finger food idea...stem on strawberries half-dipped in white chocolate.

Other red and white? A big pot of tomato soup (toss in some fresh basil to make canned soup taste really good) and panini sandwiches...round out as a meal with chips and salsa, raw veggie and ranch dip and other party friendly easy to eat foods. These would be pretty easy...do a few sandwiches at a time on a griddle/grill pan, and they cook fast but have to be done at the time. On a positive note, you could lay out everything for people to choose their own toppings, and then they give you their assembled sandwich to throw on the grill for them, it is as fast as making a grilled cheese sandwich, but with stripes and classier.

Thinking out loud, sorry, get help from his friends to get him OUT while you plan everything, and HOME when he needs to be back.

If the activity of the party is an actual ball game, you need plenty of semi-comfortable seating (cheap bed pillows with red pillowcases on the floor might be good enough, or move the mattress from your bed in front of the TV and in front of the couch for multiple layers of seating right there by the action. You may consider renting a big screen TV for the day of the party.

You can have red lava lamps going around the room, sorry this is lame but it is the closest I can come to representing a "TIDE". You can try some effect with vases of oil and water, but I don't know how to help you move the water without sloshing it for a mess...I wonder if you can imitate those desk accessories with the encased different colored water and oil that is so cool to watch...you could use them for centerpieces at the different tables. Or colored lighting pointed up to the ceiling.

You could cut out an old football (not one of his treasured ones) and place a small flower pot in there, fill it with red roses! for the main centerpiece of the party, somewhere on the food table, or somewhere that it will be seen a lot.

Party supply stores have all the different colors of balloons, streamers, plates, napkins, etc. Go with red and white of course.

If you act fast, you may be able to order enough logo cups from the concession stand at the stadium to serve drinks out of...these can go home with guests as a party memento.

Otherwise, pennants, posters of players (blown up photocopies would be fine) to decorate with.

For your gift to him, how bout tickets to a game, or a season ticket for college football on your TV subscription, or a nice item with the college logo, or an autographed ball.

Answer 2

i asked a friend of mine who is a party planner for some great ideas and this is what she came up with, enjoy!!!

send out invitations with a football theme, eg printed with a football or a picture of his favourite team

for food she suggested the following
chicken wings
Dips and Chips
Barbecued Ribs
bite size snacks.... Grilled Green Chili Quesadillas
Southwestern Stuffed Peppers
Hogs in a Sleeping Bag
Cheese and Rosemary Breadsticks
Parmesan Pita Toast Strips
Barbecued Shrimp and Bacon
Mozzarella Sticks
Steak Bites with Bloody Mary Dipping Sauce
Manly Mexican Bites
Spicy Buffalo Onion Rings and Blue Cheese Dip
Wild Mushroom Quesadillas with Warm Black Bean Salsa
Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
Fried Mozzarella Bites
Crabbies
Prosciutto-Wrapped Breadsticks
Elegant Sweet Potato Skins
Marinated Olives
also make wraps
Crab Rangoon Pot Stickers with Hot Mustard Sauce
brownies

you can also buy online, and there are plenty of part supply places, to help u decorate
Football Party Decorations

buy football party plates table clothes and cups and ofcourse napkins

Decorate with team colors. Encourage your guests to decorate themselves. Girls can come as cheerleaders and the guys as Jocks, or nerds You can provide face paint or a Sports Fanatic Cap Mask . It's good to have some Glitter Pom Poms around for people to shake. Your table should set the mood. Use tableware from your team shop, have team logo napkins or you can put out a colorful All NFL ensemble. NFL beverage napkins, paper plates and cup all add to festivities. Mylar sports balloons are a colorful touch and you can use them indoors or out. You should have a Football Centerpiece. Other options are a piece of fake grass with a kicking tee and an old ball for a centerpiece or a 13 inch inflatable football. Hanging some football lights around the table or around the tube is a nice touch also. Beverages are important (cheering works up a powerful thirst). Think about using a football cooler. This is great for tailgating also.

Pre-Game Party Preparations
Welcome your guests with a large personalized football banner (it’s a great way for them to find your house, too!). ask the guests to arrive an hour before your boy friend will get there as it gives time to set things up...

i would also order a cake with a picture of a football on it.

i would buy a football and get his friends to sign the ball with good wishes as well.

also play with your guests fun games, what we came up are the following
first of all Stock up on enough fun prizes such as footballs, pennants, drink cups, and team clothing items so that everyone will go home feeling like a winner
Try one or all of these games at your football party:

Challenge your guests to a football tossing contest. If you can play outdoors, the person who can toss a football the farthest wins. If it needs to be an indoor contest, use a foam football and have your guests toss it through a hula hoop or into a basket. The winner is the guest who can make the target the most times out of five attempts.


Play football charades.
Divide your guests into teams and give each team five word cards that you've prepared in advance. Everyone takes turns trying to get their team to guess the football related word that they're acting out. The team that guesses the most words wins. Use a timer to keep the game from running into the next quarter. Here are several possible words for your game
cheerleader
helmet
football
touchdown
referree
coach
team
field goal
beer
buffalo wings

Here is a party game that can be fitted to the Football party theme:
FAKE UNDERWATER SWIMMING: Give a pair of flippers and a glass of water to each team. The first player stands at the start-line, gets on the flippers, takes the glass of water and lifts it above the head. So he/she is "under the water". At the signal the players begin to move forwards. On having covered the fixed distance the first "submariner" passes the flippers and the glass to the next player. If the water spilled from the glass after the first run, add some more water.

And, here is another Football party idea:
PASS THE ORANGE: Arrange for teams of about 8 to stand in a line, one behind the other (arranged boy, girl, boy,...). Give each team an orange which the first person should tuck under his chin. This should be passed to the person behind. When the orange gets to the last person, they come to the front of the line and start again. The winning team is the first one which gets their starting person to the front again.

here is also a great site for more ideas http://www.kidspartyfun.com/pages/themes/football.html

at the endof the day remember Football trivia games, dancing music, and yummy food will guarantee a good time by all!

enjoy, the party and let us know how it went