75th Birthday Party Ideas
Are you looking for fabulous 75th birthday party ideas? Whether you’re planning a celebration for your Mom, Dad, grandparent or friend, you’ll find memorable and fun (and most importantly – easy!) party themes and ideas here.
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It’s not easy to come up with new and exciting ideas for a birthday party, especially if it’s your parent or grandparent that you’re trying to impress.
We’ve got you covered. From unique decoration ideas to fun party games, we have everything you need to plan the perfect 75th birthday party. Be sure to download our free party planning checklist and party games!
The 3 (Super-Simple) Secrets to an Unforgettable 75th Birthday Party
I’m sure you’ve planned other birthday parties before. There are really just 3 tricks to making a 75th birthday party stand out:
1. Use the Number 75
You’ll want to remind everyone that this is to celebrate three-quarters of a century! Start by choosing invitations that feature the number 75.
Use 75th birthday decorations at the party to remind everyone of the special occasion. You can find everything from backdrops to balloons to plates and napkins that highlight the 75th year.
2. Show How Much Life Has Changed in 75 Years
Life has really changed loads in 75 years! Look for posters, signs or banners that show what life was like when the guest of honor was born.
The poster pictured above presents an interesting trivia fact from all 75 years. It would look marvelous on the dessert table, welcome table, or displayed on the wall.
Your guests will enjoy finding out how much everything has changed, and will love being reminded of long-ago events that they may have forgotten.
3. Display Pictures of the Guest of Honor At All Ages
You’ll definitely want to make sure there are plenty of pictures displayed at 75th birthday party. Consider displaying old photographs in picture frames or in posters around the room.
The photo banner pictured above is an easy way to show off 13 of your favorite pictures of the guest of honor. It would be hung in front of the cake table, or makes for a great photo opportunity when hung on the wall.
You can also make a simple photo collage by creating 75 individual pictures that create one large image when placed together. Check out this post for easy ways to display pictures at a birthday celebration.
10 Fun 75th Birthday Party Ideas: Create an Unforgettable Party!
1. Decorate with colorful balloons and streamers
The most important part of any party is, of course, the decorations.
There are many different ways you can decorate for a 75th birthday and we’ve put together some ideas for each one.
Decorating with balloons: Balloons are perfect for parties of all ages. There are so many different types of balloons that you can experiment with to find your favorite. Balloons come in a variety of colors and sizes so take some time to explore what’s available.
Balloons are a simple decoration idea, but the final look can be amazing if you use them correctly! You don’t have to fill an entire room with balloons to get the desired effect—even just using one or two can do the trick.
Decorating with streamers: Streamers are one of the easiest decorations to use when it comes to birthday parties. They come in various colors and can be attached to just about anything. You can use tape or Sticky Dots to attach the streamers to the wall, windows, tables, chairs, ceilings—you name it!
2. Have a photo booth with fun props for guests to take pictures in
One of the best ways to get people talking and laughing is with a photo booth. It’s easy to set up, it only takes a few minutes, and you’ll have everyone smiling in no time! You can print some pictures or just let your guests take some home as party favors.
Basic tips for hosting a photo booth:
Use a 75 themed backdrop, such as the one pictured above.
Include 75th birthday themed silly props such as the ones pictured below for guests to hold or wear.
Use your smartphone or digital camera to take pictures of the guests. Once you’ve created your collection of photos, use a photo editing program to add creative effects before sending them off as party favors.
You might also go retro with a Polaroid-style camera that will print the pictures immediately.
3. Put together a slide show of photos from the guest of honor’s life
Whether it’s slides of your loved one as a baby or photos from their most memorable travel destinations, set up a projector or laptop and let the guests reminisce. You can also incorporate videos of family members who couldn’t make it to the party.
You can use free photo editing software and templates such as the ones found on Canva to quickly create a festive slideshow.
4. Have everyone write down their favorite memory of the guest of honor
This idea is perfect for guests of all ages. Have everyone write down their favorite memory of the guest of honor, roll it up like a scroll, and seal it with wax to symbolize how many years they’ve been alive!
Recruit some friends or family members to help you make your authentic looking scrolls by following these simple steps:
Step 1: Cut a long piece of parchment paper into strips that are about an inch wide.
Step 2: To make the wax, mix equal parts paraffin wax flakes and candle dye with boiling water. You can find candle dye at your local craft store or online. Stir until the color is even throughout the mixture.
Step 3: Use a brush to spread the wax on one of the strips. Then, sprinkle on some glitter and allow it to dry.
Step 4: Attach another strip of parchment paper on top of the first strip with more wax. This time, put silver or gold glitter in between the two pieces. Allow it to dry completely. Once your scrolls are completely dry, you can tie them together with some ribbon or twine.
5. Play music from different eras to create a fun atmosphere
You can set the tone for your party with music. If you want to make your guests feel like they’ve traveled back in time, play some tunes from different eras on a record player or mix them together on a smartphone.
Think about all the early years of your guest of honor’s life and create a playlist that includes songs from those decades. You can find a list of top songs from each year at Billboard Top 100.
6. Choose a fun theme for the party
You don’t have to choose a theme for a 75th celebration – turning 75 is a theme in itself. However, you can go a little further and choose a theme that represents the guest of honor’s interests.
What activities does the guest of honor enjoy? For example, if they love to travel or play golf, you might choose travel-themed or golf-themed decorations.
You can then add balloons in the shape of 75 or other number 75 decorations as an accent.
7. Serve nostalgic food and drinks that your loved one will enjoy
Your guest of honor loves you for who you are, so why not create a menu that reminds them of times gone by?
Here are some suggestions:
Serve fruit punch instead of wine.
Have your guests wash down nachos with root beer rather than hard liquor.
Create signature cocktails using their favorite ingredients or flavors, like strawberry daiquiris and mojitos.
Serve an ice cream sundae bar and let guests top their scoops with candy, sprinkles, sauces, and crushed cookies.
8. Play games from their childhood or favorite decade
Stumped on what games to play at your party? Get inspiration from the era in which you’d like to set the mood and pick out a few classic board games.
Some games that were popular in the 50s (which is when someone turning 75 would have been a child) include Scrabble, checkers, marbles, card games, Monopoly, Sorry and Bingo.
You can also download these free trivia games that feature prices and events from 1947. Just click on the picture below, and the game will open in a new window ready for you to print.
9. Include family members and friends who live far away
You can invite your guest of honor’s loved ones to join the party via video chat, but be sure to choose an area with great wifi or cell reception. You can also ask them to send you a recording of themselves talking about their best memory of the guest of honor so they’re there in spirit.
You could even have everyone record a short video saying “happy birthday” if they’re unable to make it.
10. 75 Messages from 75 Friends
What better way to celebrate 75 years of life than with 75 messages from 75 friends?
Before the party, have 75 friends and relatives write a handwritten note on cards that you send to them. The messages don’t have to be long – you can keep them simple and sweet with a quick sentence of praise. Then read the messages out loud at the party.
Check out this article for detailed instructions.
75th Birthday Party Planning Tips
Download our free 3-page 75th birthday party planning guide! Just click on the image above, and the party planner will open in a new window, ready for you to print.
Regardless of the theme you choose for your celebration, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when planning a 75th birthday bash. Here are my top tips on easily planning a memorable event:
1. Set a Budget
It’s easy to get carried away with costs when planning any party. You’ll find more ideas than you can actually use! So one of the first things you need to think about is how much you’re planning to spend.
If you’re co-hosting the party with other people, it’s especially important that you all agree on (and stick to) an overall budget. That way no one gets upset at having to spend unplanned money.
When setting a budget, consider the cost of:
- The Venue
- Invitations
- Decorations
- Food
- Drinks
- Paper goods (plates, napkins, utensils
- Party favors
- Entertainment
- Salary or tips if you’re hiring servers or anyone else
When setting your budget, you might want to reserve an extra $100 for any “must-have” items that you’ve either forgotten or just pop up while you’re organizing the party.
2. Choose a Theme or Party Colors
You can use just about any theme for a 75th birthday party. You don’t actually have to choose a theme for a birthday party. You can just use birthday party decorations.
If you’d like to go with a themed party, Some of the more popular themes include:
- Cocktails
- Champagne Toast
- Barbeque
- Chocolate
- Dancing
- Dinner
- Tea Party
- Beer Tasting
- Luau
Another option is to choose certain colors to use for the party. That makes it easier to coordinate decorations and paper goods.
Unlike anniversaries, birthdays don’t have an official color (I’m not sure who comes up with official colors, anyway). Some people (incorrectly) think of a 75th birthday color as platinum (platinum usually refers to a 70th anniversary).
There isn’t an official color for a 75th birthday, so you’re free to use any color that you (or the guest of honor) prefer.
There are also no official symbols or jewels of a 75th birthday; however, some people like to use diamonds, which are the gemstones of a 75th anniversay. I think diamonds are appropriate for any occasion!
3. The Guest List
How many people are you planning to invite? Is this for close friends and family only, or do you want more people? Are children invited?
Consider inviting people from the guest of honor’s past…he or she may enjoy getting together with childhood friends or former co-workers.
You also need to think about whether you’re inviting local people only, or whether you’ll be including out-of-town guests.
Be sure to check with close family members to see if they have any suggestions or additions for the guest list.
4. Pick the Date
Ideally the party would be held on the guest of honor’s actual birthday. However, if you’re inviting more than just close friends or family, you should consider holding it on a weekend near the birthday. You’ll most likely get more attendees that way!
If you’re inviting out-of-town guests, especially ones with school-age children, then you may want to hold the party during a time when school is not in session. It’s much easier for out-of-town families to attend if there’s no conflict with school.
You might want to keep a couple of different dates in mind until you book the venue.
5. The Venue
You’ll need to think of where you’re going to hold the party. Popular options include someone’s house, a restaurant, a bar, or renting an event room at a hotel.
If you think the weather is going to be good, you could plan the party outside. Consider your backyard, a park, or a lake-side event.
If you plan an outside party, be sure to have a backup plan in case of bad weather!
Call as soon as possible to try to reserve any venue that you’re interested in. You might need to adjust the date if the place is booked during your first choice.
6. Invitations
Once you’ve chosen a date, booked the venue, and organized the guest list, you’ll want to get started with invitations as soon as possible. Even if the party is several months away, I would order invitations right away.
That way you’ll have plenty of time to choose and order the invitations without having to pay rush shipping fees.
Generally, party invitations should be mailed about four weeks ahead of the event. If you’re inviting out-of-town guests, you should mail them eight to twelve weeks ahead of time so that they have time to make their travel plans.
Read Related Article: Brilliant 75th Birthday Invitations and Invitation Wording
7. Decorations
Your decorations will reflect the theme of the party. For a 75th birthday party, I like to use lots of pictures of the birthday man or woman at different stages of their lives. Check out this post to see 21 great ways to use photos as party decorations.
A clever and inexpensive decoration is to arrange pictures on a wall in the shape of a large number 75.
You can also look for pre-made decorations that feature the number “75”. You can find table centerpieces and wall decorations that are especially made for a 75th birthday party.
Hang a banner – either one you buy or one you make yourself – for an easy party decoration that makes a big splash. Click here to see more information about 75th birthday banners.
Read Related Article: Impressive 75th Birthday Party Decorating Ideas
8. Food and Drinks
If you’re having the party catered, or if you’re hosting it at a restaurant, you’ll work with professionals on the food and drink orders.
If you’re going to be the one making the food, look for party food that can be made in advance so that you’re not rushing around too much at the last minute. Remember to check Costco or Sam’s Club for party platters – they usually have wonderful appetizers and finger foods that everyone enjoys.
9. Entertainment
Do you need to hire anyone for entertainment? If this is a dancing party, you need to think about getting a band or DJ.
You might want to consider a few party games, especially if the guests don’t know each other well. Party games can be excellent ice-breakers!
If possible, create a slideshow that can be shown at the party with pictures from all phases of the birthday celebrant’s life. This is a great project for your favorite teenager!
10. Photographer
Everyone is going to want pictures from this fabulous event, so consider hiring a professional photographer. If one of the attendees loves taking pictures, you may want to ask them ahead of time if they would serve as the photographer for the event.
Be sure to get pictures of everyone with the guest of honor, as well as family groups.
11. Party Favors
Party favors are completely optional; however, I feel that they’re a fun way to say thank-you to the guests. They can also be a thoughtful memento of the occasion for the attendees.
If you’re choosing party favors, pick ones that go well with your theme or color scheme. Personalized favors make an especially nice touch.CLICK HERE to see all 75th Birthday Party Favors
Read Related Article: 75th Birthday Party Favors Your Guests Will Love
Top 10 Party Planning Tips Video
No need to get overwhelmed when planning a party! Check out these top 10 Party Planning Tips:
What Next?
It’s true that throwing a memorable 75th birthday party takes some effort, but it will be worth it when you see everyone having a great time.
We hope our tips have given you some ideas on how to make your party stand out. If you need more inspiration, be sure to check out these articles:
