My boyfriend is turning 30 in September. I have no idea what to do. He isn't really into parties so that makes it even harder. It would just be a few friends and family. Nothing too big. Budget is an issue, too. Any suggestions?
Aryn from Diamond Bar, CA
Why don't you throw a slumber party for your husband?
For my 35th birthday, my friends threw me a slumber party (totally co-ed). The friend who had the biggest place (he owned a house) hosted the party. They crowned me with tiara, gave me a baton to use as a scepter, and donned an me with an oversized bathrobe. We had a potluck dinner and birthday cake, then watched movies and played games all night long. We all camped out in the living room. The next day we had a nice home cooked brunch. It was tons of fun and I'll always cherish the memory. (07/26/2007)
By Gypsy Artist
I think for your boyfriend you should invite close friends and family over, and throw him a BBQ. You could cook hamburgers and hotdogs and then just hang out outside. If it's not too cold you could have a bonfire at night. (08/01/2007)
By Alisa
We decided to have a dodge ball tournament and played poker, and listened to music and had a BBQ. It was fun to all get together and get involved in some intense gaming. (09/26/2007)
By ADIBABY
My husband is turning 30 this year. His best friend owns a lot of land so we're going to have a big field party. Everyone is bringing their camp gear. I'm going to hire a band and roast a pig. Looking forward to it. We'll do a bonfire if it's not too hot outside that night. (03/25/2008)
By Lisa
My friends took me on a 4 day 3 night cruise. It was about $250 a person and if you get enough people they throw in the fare for the birthday guest free. Very memorable. (05/08/2008)
By Adrian
I just threw a surprise 30th birthday for my husband. It was a bike-riding scavenger hunt in our neighborhood and everyone had a great time. People brought back-packs and digital cameras for the scavenger hunt. I supplied beer and water so people could load up their backpacks for the hunt. There were about 27 items on the list and some of the items were related to "30" or my husband. Really fun and different. Each team had their own team mascot, which was a blow-up animal. Every photo had to include the team mascot. The pictures turned out really funny. (05/29/2008)
By Lindsey
(sent in by email)
Just in response to your 30th birthday confusion, here is an idea that is lower budget and personal.
Call a local bus company and create a tour of places around you that are important in the birthday person's life. Creating a personal tour, will bring back memories for all family and close friends to share in. A bus can usually be rented for under $150.00 depending on the distance. You can stop at his first school, where you both first met.
Get every one to suggest a location to add to the bus tour and the reason behind it in the invitation with their response. At every stop get up and explain why to all this is important. End the party at a location where appetizers and cake can be served.
Hope this helps.
LL in Ontario
(08/01/2008)
By ThriftyFun
My boyfriend's 30th birthday is this week, so I wanted to do something that would involve all of his closest friends and family. I rented a bunkhouse (a large, one room cabin) at the Illinois River. They offer horse shoes, volleyball, and a swimming pool, plus the river to float or canoe down.
There are several spots along the river where you can stop for a picnic, and they allow beer on the river, so it will be a fun, relaxing booze fest with those closest to us. The actual cost of the cabin was a bit expensive, but it is worth it to have everyone together for a memorable birthday. Plus, with me paying for the cabin, more people can afford to come along. But the alternative route is to have everyone pay their own share, which was still affordable, around $50 a person for the whole weekend. (08/11/2008)
By Leslie
Make dinner. He doesn't like parties and it's only going to be a small gathering. (12/12/2008)
By Kevin
My husband turns 30 in September and I have found a "safe" theme. A James Bond theme party. It's cheap because everyone just turns up in a black tie, and you can customize it to fit whichever film.
I'm doing a 007 party for him at a local golf club, and the decorations are black and silver. The food is simple finger food (easily bought from Walmart, and only takes a couple of hours to prepare at home) and will have about 60 people attending.
If you want to go smaller, do a 007 theme, but as Casino Royale have a poker night. You only need to gamble pennies for the night. Also, it means the ladies get to dress up as one of the sexy, sassy, Bond girls.
It's a cheap night that will appeal to his boyish side. Enjoy. (01/15/2009)
By Tracey, United Kingdom
I recently did pub crawl in a fun, bar-filled neighborhood in my town for the 30th birthday of a friend. We rented one of those tacky, revamped school buses that are painted with a theme. We had a keg and shots on the bus and then stopped at some of the local notorious bars. It was one of the most fun parties I have ever been to. (01/19/2009)
By Chris
My husband is turning 30th in July and we are having a party for everyone to attend, then the guys are going camping that evening. (02/09/2009)
By Casey
In 2008 I gave my BF a 30th Casino night party. We rented roulette wheel, craps table, and a poker table it was so much fun. People want us to have casino night parties all the time now. The decor was mostly bought at partycheap.com and orientaltrading.com. Rental of all 3 tables was about $200 and it came with play chips. (02/16/2009)
By Adriana
I am taking my husband to NYC for the weekend. It just worked out that the weekend of his birthday the Yankees are playing the Indians (his team). We will drive and meet a couple on our way, and his friends from MD and NM will be coming in for the weekend. Total cost $150.00 for tickets (4) and we found great rentals in the city for all of us, a 3 bedroom, 3 bath for about $300.00 a night. I will pay for that $750.00 not bad for a birthday he will always remember. But you could always split the cost with a few of your closest friends and family. (02/25/2009)
By Heidi
My husband is turning 30 on 3-11-09 and he is making a big deal about how old he will be. So, for his party is kind of a Halloween decor party if you will. The decorations are black and grey (streamers and balloons) along with tombstones (the Halloween decor ones from the Dollar store). I also saved a semi life sized skeleton that I will be dressing in Kevin's clothes with a birthday boy hat and pin. The skeleton will be propped up in a chair next to the tomb stone cake I will be making. It will say, "Today we lay to rest the youth of Kevin."
I asked everyone to dress in black and I have a sign in book similar to the ones you would see at a wake, so guest can write a favorite memory of Kevin before he turned into an "old" man and how to work through those mid life crises. It is a cook out; I have a cousin doing the BBQ so Kevin won't have to. There will be a keg and it is in the evening to help with the whole idea of a spooky grave yard for the burial of Kevin's youth. For lighting I have tiki lanterns.
Altogether I have spent around $100 in decor about $150 in food and then the keg. So I didn't really spend all that much. It really depends on the amount of food you want to have and how much you want to spend on beer, liquor, etc. I hope this gives you some ideas. (02/28/2009)
By Nicque
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