Category: 40th birthday party ideas

Ideas for planning a 40th birthday party in London

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Celebrating a birthday in London (2 exciting suggestions)

If you quickly need some birthday party ideas, here are 2 exciting suggestions for celebrating a birthday in London. I have selected these birthday party options from two of our best parties this year.

The first is a river cruise on the Thames. In September, we covered a fantastic 21st birthday party on a boat called The Erasmus, boarding at Butler’s Wharf Pier and also at Waterloo Pier for more guests. If I was planning my 21st birthday in London now, I would arrange to have drinks close to Butler’s Wharf and then walk over to the Pier for boarding. There are many options for hiring a boat on the Thames and The Erasmus was a good option. They had a DJ set up on the first floor and our steel drum band performed during the arrival drinks which were also on the same floor. One thing I liked was that the acoustics were fantastic with the low ceiling and wooden floor which were complementary to our steel band sound. On the upper deck, you can enjoy a nice seating area and just watch the sights. We one did a boat party on a barge and it was really difficult to get a level surface to set up and there was no protection for bad weather, but we managed to improvise and we lucky on that occasion.

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Cruising the Thames
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The Shard
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The O2 Arena and Canary Wharf

Our client had around 70 to 80 guests for celebrating her 21st birthday party in London and they totally enjoyed the experience. We also saw another party on a passing boat and they had a pirates theme.

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Themed boat parties

The second suggestion, is a Tropicana themed party at one of the preset venues in London.

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Tropicana theme decor
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Tropicana themed party

We have been to many themed birthday parties and the Tropicana theme wins every time. People have the most fun with this theme. Even the most stiff and stubborn person eventually succumbs to the strong rum punch and vibrant music. The above party was at a venue called Barrio East, which is just a nice warm well presented venue for this type of party. In addition, you could also check out the Kanaloa Club which is in the City, we covered an amazing Hawaiian themed party over there. We also like the popular Toga theme for celebrating a birthday, our clients have had lots of fun with it. Once again, our band provided music during the drinks reception and then the DJ took over. You can also check current tweets or Instagram for birthday party ideas, or hire an experienced party planner like Lillingston, who we’ve worked with and can recommend. Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.

https://twitter.com/Best_Birthday/status/661555202013667328

Instagram

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Ideas For A Summer Birthday Party In London

London gets really hot in the summer! If recent summers are an indicator, then you can expect to have fantastic summer weather in London to celebrate your birthday in June, July, August and September. This means that you can plan the most amazing garden party which runs from midday right through until late evening.

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There are also lots of Roof Top venues in London to hire if you would prefer someone else to do all the preparations and clearing up after a party. However, you could also try something a bit different and hire the upper deck of a boat. There are many options along the Embankment in London and there is also the Sunborn Yacht in East London.

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Sunborn London

The Sunborn is very easy to get to and just a short walk from the nearest tube station. It also has an excellent position for having drinks and watching the sunset over Canary Wharf.

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Embankment

For many people a party is really something that you host at home despite all the self-inflicted punishment with preparations and the stress of finding all the right service providers, but nowadays there are so many party planners for hire and event organisers that you can easily hire one person to arrange everything. As mentioned many times in previous posts, the party host should not be multi-tasking during a party or tied to a station like the barbecue, etc,. That’s just bad planning! It is much better when the host is free to meet & greet and spend quality face time with all the guests. Some host like to show off their skills at cooking or being the DJ or mixing drinks or all of the above; just forget that and use professional caterers and see the difference.

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We have worked with some of the best catering companies in London like Ampersand, Lexington Catering and Burrell which specialises in Caribbean cuisine and the standard is very good. Everything runs like clockwork and your guests are greeted with chilled drinks instead of the host asking each person what they would like to drink.

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For entertainment, you can easily find lots of bands for hire in London and many DJ’s for your party. Some care is needed when doing this and it is best to have a recommendation from your party planner. We were recently at a birthday party and there was the most annoying DJ that we have ever heard as he came across like someone who had really wanted to be a singer but ended up being a DJ. His selection of music was actually very good, but just when you are enjoying the music he was either shouting announcements or singing and to compound the problem, the music was already very loud for the size of venue and he didn’t reduce the volume during the announcements. It was like torture after a while. Having covered over 1000 events, that was one of the worst. Notwithstanding, there are some excellent DJ’s and live bands in London which you can hire for most venues or parties in a private marquee.

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Band for birthday party

Many of our clients prefer the marquee in the garden option as they have the space for this type of entertaining. There would be several service providers including a live band and even a fireworks display at the end of the evening. One summer birthday party that we are covering this year starts at midday with a beach theme by the pool, plus inflatable entertainment for the kids. They are also having different live music throughout the day with our steel drum band covering the earlier part, plus another ensemble and a DJ for the evening entertainment. If you have the space and money is not a concern, these formats are great for celebrating a landmark birthday during the summer. However, if you are at the other end of the spectrum, then one thing which London has lots of, is free open spaces. Ofcourse, there are restrictions on what you are allowed to do, but, you can easily arrange a grand picnic with your closest friends and family in a park and have lots of fun.

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Open spaces in London

An outdoor space is a luxury in a crowded city and not everyone can have an amazing penthouse party with live entertainment or host a birthday party around an indoor swimming pool at their private mews in Mayfair or Kensington. But, anyone can have a picnic in the park and even walk with their acoustic guitar to sing some songs and amuse their friends. What will you be doing for your summer birthday party? Or, does your birthday occur during the middle of the coldest month of the year? If so, how do you celebrate? Leave a comment and share your feelings about this post.

 

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What to do for my birthday?

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What to do for my birthday?

Consider this, if there were only 2 clubs in London and 2 restaurants and 2 hotels and 2 cinemas, and 2 shopping centres, it would be an easy decision when thinking about what to do for your birthday. In London, we have the longest list of multiple choice for social activity compared to any other city. Just trawl through any Timeout magazine and you will see what I mean. In addition to that, there is social media coming at you from all directions and this makes it harder to make a final decision on how to celebrate your birthday. To inspire you, I have hand-picked some interesting videos of people having fun at their birthday party in London.

Ideally, a birthday party should be planned many months in advance especially a landmark birthday. It is nice to really treat yourself by celebrating in 2 or 3 stages and including a holiday. The idea is that at some point in the future you will reflect on those special birthdays with fond memories and there is nothing more enjoyable than looking back at your timeline and seeing footage from when you had the most fun in your life. At this point, the challenge is to set aside enough resources to have a memorable celebration.

There are many party suppliers and party venues that tweet their services and you can easily hand pick some of the best ones to check out.

https://twitter.com/HOUGHTON_J/status/507248131285975040

But what if you don’t want a party? Well, why not? What’s wrong with having a party? It doesn’t have to be a big party, just a few friends. I prefer the idea of going out with my inner circle of friends to a special place and having a 3 or 4 course meal served by the best waiters in London. Most people have their favourite places where they feel welcome and the service is always of a high professional standard.

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Dinner options
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Dessert at Hakkasan Mayfair

You could easily find a good restaurant and book a table or use a luxury hotel and do the same. I recently tried a restaurant called Hakkasan in Mayfair, which I can recommend if you want to impress your friends. Alternatively, for a small gathering, you could transform your dining room and hire a professional catering company. Ofcourse, you can do the cooking, but chances are that your inner circle of friends have already tasted your cooking and wouldn’t mind something different, as a surprise.

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Sea food

To complete the package, all you then need is some entertainment or a small ensemble to perform a set during your reception drinks. Some of the best parties that I covered with my band had used similar ideas and on some occasions there were just 15 to 20 guests, but another 15 people to provide the services. It may seem extravagant, but it’s a treat; something that your inner circle will appreciate. After all, that inner circle of friends is what you rely upon when you need people who understand your idiosyncrasies and know how to help you. There are many bands and entertainers that specialize in performing at house parties and you can easily do a search for your local area rather than the whole of London.

Whichever option you choose to celebrate your birthday, be sure to capture the best moments with your smartphone or hire a photographer.

 

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40th Birthday Ideas London

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This post is about planning your 40th birthday party in London and a few ideas for your birthday celebrations based on successful gigs that we’ve covered.

For your 40th birthday party, preparations should be made a year in advance, because this is a landmark birthday to celebrate 4 decades on the planet. Forty years of staying focused and dealing with all the challenges which have been thrown at you; forty years of waiting to throw a really big celebration.

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How to celebrate my 40th birthday?

The 40th birthday party is so important that some of our clients have celebrated their birthday in 3 stages. One of the best parties was held at home and the client had invited just 20 guests, almost like an inner circle of friends. However, there was the most extravagant treats laid on which started with a catering company and waiters for the reception drinks, a steel drum band ensemble, a Caricaturist and close-up magician. During dinner they had a duet singing and playing guitar, followed by a mini disco and firework display in the garden. The next day, all of them were going on holiday to continue the celebrations. Some of our other clients have made use of the amazing view from the River Thames and celebrated with a cruise.

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River Cruises

At night, the city looks amazing and you will need a good camera to capture the best images. The photo below was taken during a celebration cruise in September last year.

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Parties on the River Thames

Hosting your party at a venue where you can enjoy panoramic views of the city, is a fantastic idea and there are many venues which are available for hire. If you wish to include our steel drum band for reception drinks, then I can recommend Altitude 360, Tower 24 and the Roof Gardens. You could also check out Paramount Bar at Centre Point and Galvin At Windows which is on the 28th floor at the Hilton Park Lane.

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Hilton Park Lane

If you have never planned a party before and need some help, there is a dedicated party ideas page with popular themes and suggestions on how to plan a successful party. It is important that you arrange a celebration to remember turning 40, so invite the people who matter the most to you and have drinks in your garden or go out for dinner or afternoon tea at a hotel. You are welcome to submit party images in our special section to help anyone who is seeking ideas for their birthday celebrations. Let us know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.