Birthday parties
1920s speakeasy birthday
Black, gold, a bar and a dress code
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Birthday parties ideas
Birthday parties: themes, setups and activities
Most adult birthdays are a cocktail party, a dinner or a backyard bash. Pick the format first, then a theme. Each idea below lists the palette, how to set up a backyard or a rented room, games and props, and the rentals you can add to your quote in one tap.
Themes
3 birthday party themes
Each theme lists a palette, decor, setups, activities, props and the rentals with live prices.
Birthday parties
Garden dinner party
One long table, bistro lights and family-style food
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Birthday parties
Neon glow party
Black light, neon signs and an LED dance floor
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Setup ideas
How to set up a birthday party
Layouts for backyards, tents and indoor rooms, with the rentals each one takes.
- 1
Cocktail party
Indoors
Highboys with fitted covers, a bar and a lounge corner, with no assigned seats. Plan one highboy per 10 to 15 guests and seats for about a third of the room.
- 2
Long-table dinner
Backyard
Two or three banquet or farm tables end to end down the yard, bistro lights overhead and a canopy over the food.
- 3
Open house
Any space
Guests drift in over three hours. A buffet, a few rounds and highboys, and a games area keep traffic flowing.
Activities, games and props
Things to do at a birthday party
Lawn game tournament
Cornhole brackets with a prize for the winner.
Rent: Yard game ($27.50)
Photo booth
Props, a backdrop and instant prints.
Rent: 360 photo booth ($163.90), Neon sign ($97.90)
Light-up age or initials
Marquee numbers make the photo spot.
Rent: Marquee letter ($60.50)
Signature cocktail bar
A bar with two named drinks and a self-serve dispenser of something soft.
Rent: Portable bar ($77), Beverage dispenser ($12.10)
Karaoke or toasts
A PA and two mics.
Rent: Portable PA system ($110), Wireless microphone ($38.50)
Memory wall
Print photos from each decade and pin them to a board by the entrance.
DIY: no rental needed
Questions
Birthday parties FAQs
How many tables and chairs do I need for a birthday party?
For a seated dinner, one chair per guest and a 60-inch round or 8-foot banquet table per eight. For a cocktail party, seats for a third of guests and one highboy per 10 to 15.
Do I need a tent for a backyard birthday?
Not always. For under 40 guests, two 10 by 10 canopies over the food and bar are usually enough. Above that, or if rain is likely, a 20 by 20 or 20 by 40 frame tent covers the seating.
How early should I book birthday party rentals?
Four to eight weeks ahead for most dates, and two to three months for June graduation weekends, when backyard rentals in Chicagoland are busiest.
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