Need ideas for AMAZING 60th Bday

Motherlee

Wed, Aug 13 2014, 6:18 am

So my mom is turning 60 in the fall and we want to plan an awesome party for her.

I'm talking mind-blowing.

Some of us are traveling in from out of the country...It's gotta be big.

I need some help in terms of creative ideas for venue, gifts, games.

Thanks!

self-actualization

Wed, Aug 13 2014, 6:56 am

I made my mother a 60th birthday party at a pottery place. We made adorable invitations (pm me if you want a copy) and mailed them to all of her friends. My sister chipped in to book the pottery place and my father paid for the invitations and the mailing. My brother paid for the food - eggplant parmesan, penne a la vodka, a big cake, cut up fruits and veggies, cookies, and chips and dips. We also had coffee and soda and water. Anyway, it was a surprise for her and she showed up and all her friends were there (must have been around 25 friends ... the pottery place cost $500 for the rental and the pieces for everyone - if you do this make sure to book in the suburbs and not in NYC). The guests (ladies only) chipped in and bought her an iPad and a Coach handbag. It was an awesome party. (Not necessarily mind-blowing, but really awesome).

Scrabble123

Wed, Aug 13 2014, 11:16 am

Motherlee wrote:

What does your mother like?
Games?
Activities?
Foods?

Just idea shopping...

self-actualization

Wed, Aug 13 2014, 11:24 am

It was in Great Neck, Long Island, called Mud Works. They let us rent out the entire studio on a Sunday night. (Of course my mother googled it when we said where we were going, and she said - it's closed on Sunday night! My sister and I had to convince her that it was open that Sunday night for a ladies night event.)

Scrabble123

Wed, Aug 13 2014, 11:53 am

Motherlee wrote:

She'd really love anything we do but we want to make it super special.

I'm just looking for original, exciting and fun ideas.

Anything you guys can share will really help!

We once had a family monopoly birthday. It's was massive and extremely expensive, but could be done to fit several budgets. You could make a monopoly board with her name and picture in the center so if her name is Rivka you can write Rivkopoly or Bubby Bubbopoly. You can then change the names and pictures of the cities to her children and grandchildren, previous addresses, or favorite places to go. Our family actually order Monopoly boards for guests, but it was a little over the top. We played Monopoly and had prepared skits and games for where you would land. There were a few hundred guests so entertainment by each of the properties was great. One of the entertainers was a magician which is always great. You can do this as big or as small as you want. It's great to set up!!

My aunt recently had a 60th birthday party. She did a throw back theme. Very classy table; off white, wedding style, with pictures of herself and her guests over the 60 years (and the guests could take home their pictures). She had other tables arranged for stages her in life. She didn't do a decade theme, but separated the decade with happy memories.

You could go to a park and do something meaningful if she's into that.

Rutabaga

Wed, Aug 13 2014, 12:00 pm

Painting parties are all the rage now in NY. You essentially copy a real painting using techniques that an instructor shows you and you get to bring home a real canvas. I'm sure you can find places that do this in a party setting. I know people who have done this as a ladies night and had a blast.

Would your mom enjoy something like that? Or were you envisioning more of a family party?

freidasima

Wed, Aug 13 2014, 12:09 pm

Depends what your mom is into.

We would do 60 presents each one meaningful with a story behind it of why it is suitable for your mom. A kind of "this is your life" through presents that she will look at and be able to use and enjoy.

My kids did this for me for my 50th and it was terrific. In fact I am wearing one of the robes they gave me (I live in housecoats) right now as I type this. In front of me is the certificate for the tree they planted in the JNF forest in my honor ( I love greenery), next to it is a medal they gave me (as I am always saying I deserve a medal for ....) saying 50 and fantastic and so on and so forth.

It can be tremendous fun, they planned the presents out for over a year.

amother

Wed, Aug 13 2014, 12:19 pm

We made a photobook of every member of family from husband down, so children and grandchildren (leaving out siblings and the generation above as it got too massive), and each person sent me (as the designer) a favorite photo of themselves with or without my mom.

They also sent me a story, devar torah, memory, poem plus a posuk from tenach that they felt had special meaning for their relationship or my mom's outlook in life.

I designed a background and piece of artwork to frame each piece of prose, and did some fancy stuff with the pesukim then uploaded it all to an online photobook to make a grand personalised 60th birthday album.

It was a lot of effort, took maybe 5 months to co ordinate and then put together, but she loved it and still reads it 8 years on, it is her favorite shabbos afternoon read.

Rutabaga

Wed, Aug 13 2014, 12:25 pm

If you want glam, then I'm assuming you have a decently large budget. How many people do you need to accommodate?

Could you do a leaf-peeping weekend at a kosher B&B? Fall is the perfect time for that.

Or just do a really fancy party with everyone dressed to the nines. Make a day of it with your mom and the other ladies to get your hair and nails done.

imasinger

Wed, Aug 13 2014, 12:33 pm

Great ideas here!

You could do a rigged game show game; "This is Your Life", "The Oldywed Game", or the like. She wins, and the grand prize is the cruise.

IMO, a little less glamorous party with a big, wonderful event to look forward to next spring or summer is a better use of resources. More bang for the buck.

But it depends on your mother's taste, of course.

Motherlee

Wed, Aug 13 2014, 12:40 pm

imasinger wrote:

That does sound nice, but 3 of us live overseas, so we cant keep flying in LOL

Rutabaga

Wed, Aug 13 2014, 2:13 pm

Motherlee wrote:

We have a nice budget.

Around 25-30 people (family only).

Overnight probably won't work out logistically...Peofple work and stuff.

Can you recommend a nice, kosher B&B?

I've never actually been to a kosher B&B, so I can't really recommend one. I've looked into it though, and I seem to recall there being one in the mountains and one in Newport. Try googling. But I think you have too many people in your party to be accommodated in a B&B anyway.

Does your mom enjoy theatre? Maybe you could do dinner and a show. Even better if you can arrange with the theater to go backstage and get a tour or a Q&A session with the actors.

Emily Thorne

Wed, Aug 13 2014, 9:20 pm

I dont know if this what you mean but I'll just tell you what my siblings and I did for my moms 60th bday (last year january)
at the chanuka party (december) all of us gave her and our father tickets for a kosher cruise that was leaving january on a sunday (2 days after her bday) from miami to the bahamas. and we booked her a ticket for wednesday already so she should have some time in miami too. we also made reservations for her thursday night in a fancy restaurant (rare steakouse) but what she didnt know is that we all flew in to miami and when my parents arrived to the restaurant we were all sitting there with balloons!! she was beyond shocked!! then we has the most amazing shabbos together in miami, the weather was gorgeous. before she left on the cruise on sunday morning we presented her with a beautiful calendar that we customized according the family. put in all bdays and anniversaries from all the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren kh, and the yahrtzeits of our grandparents. and every month had pictures of another family so that way every month she had nachas from another childs/grandchilds family.. just writing it makes me wanna do it again!

Motherlee

Wed, Aug 13 2014, 9:37 pm

sgmama wrote:

This sounds amazing!

As I mentioned before, overnights wouldn't work, but I like a lot of the aspects of your idea.

Thanks!