Mum’s the Word: Keeping a Surprise…a Surprise
Dear Penelope,
I'm planning a surprise party fo my husband's 30th birthday, and I'm really worried that he'll find out about it ahead of time. Any tips on how to avoid that?
Thank you,
Stephanie
Chicago
Dear Stephanie,
I understand your concern. A few years ago, I was in the midst of planning a very elaborate surprise birthday party for my mother and word got out way too soon. Now I didn't know, of course, that she had found out until the night of the party when she walked in to what she was supposed to believe was an auction and did a horrible job of acting surprised to find her friends and family gathered there instead. It was too bad, as I had been hoping to surprise her, but we still had a great night. It turned out, of course, that my father had let the party details slip ahead of time.
The best way to make sure that your surprise birthday party planning remains a secret is to tell as few people as possible. Ask a close friend if you can use their contact information for dealing with florists or caterers, so that a well meant check-up call doesn't spoil the surprise. Keep the party planning details within the smallest circle of people possible, and you'll be more likely to surprise your husband.
As for party invitations, don't send them out too far in advance. Wait as long as you possibly can without being rude (I would suggest notifying your guests about two weeks before the event) and stress several times throughout the invitation that the party is meant to be a surprise. If you feel badly about the late notice, explain to your guests that you'd really like to catch your husband off his guard and that you're trying to keep everything as secret as possible. People love to be in on any kind of planning, and I'm sure your friends and your husband's will keep quiet.
Good luck with the surprise!
Enjoy Planning.
Penelope
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