As someone with a late April birthday (where are my fellow Aries girlies?), I’ve had my fair share of spring-themed birthday parties. Class parties with friends, dinner parties with family, even drive-by parties filled with honking and blocking my neighbours into their driveways for a few hours (thank you, COVID-19).
My 18th birthday was magical, thanks to my friends and family, which is why I’m slightly stressed about my upcoming 19th. With all of my friends on opposite sides of the province and a boyfriend who’s across the country, I have my work cut out for me to plan a fun get-together; Especially considering that I’ll be turning 19 right in the middle of final exams.
So, instead of stressing about my party, I’m going to list some tips that I’ve collected from my years as a lover of planning and a lover of spring. If any of you have a spring birthday, or if you just want to plan a fun little spring party with your friends, read on!
Consult Pinterest
This really should be the golden rule for planning anything: outfits, meals, interior design projects, future haircuts… and especially parties.
The first step to planning a fun get-together is curating the perfect vibe. In typing “garden party aesthetic” or “outdoor party ideas” into the search bar, you’ll unlock hundreds of pictures of floral decoration pieces and baked goods ready for you to use as inspiration.
Once you have a few ideas down on your board, you can actually organise them into different sub-sections. Each subsection could contain a different aspect of your party, like snacks, drinks, and decor. Or, if you want to keep it less specific and more ‘vibey,’ simply keep them all in one section.
Plan a yummy menu
Spring is one of my favourite times to cook and bake. With the weather getting warmer and more fruits coming into season, there are so many fun recipes to try. Here are some of my personal favourites:
- Strawberry Scones
- Lavender Shortbread Lemon Bars
- Air Fryer Banana Chips
- Cucumber Sandwiches
Whether you want to add the element of alcohol to your party or not, having yummy drinks to sip on is also a great idea. I’ve included two alcoholic options and two non-alcoholic options:
- Pink Lemonade Cocktail
- Lychee Guava Mezcal Cocktail
- Elderflower Rose Mocktail
- Pink Lavender Lemonade
pick a dress code
One of the best aspects of going to a party is picking out the perfect outfit to wear, so why not have fun with it?
You can ask your friends or family to all wear a specific spring colour (like pastels), or something floral. There could also be a costume element. For example, they’d dress in the same colour palette as their favourite flower.
Wearing fancy clothes to a tea or garden party is also enjoyable, as is any excuse to dress up formally. Dresses, linen button-downs, rompers, etc. The world is your oyster!
If you’re more into the casual vibe, you can still have fun with the wardrobe! Making an activity of crafting little flower crowns or jewellery can be a fun way to involve your guests and get into the spring spirit!
conclusion: Don’t over-plan!
I wish I could remember this one more often. When preparing an event, it can be super easy to over-decide every detail. Then when anything goes awry, stressful spirals can ensue.
Let things go unplanned, go with the flow. If one of your guests isn’t sure if they can make it, don’t dwell! Keep a space for them, but if they end up not showing up, there’s nothing else you could have done about it. This can go for any facet of life, but over-planning and stressing about small details is my specialty, so I figured mentioning it in this context would be beneficial.