How to Plan a Birthday Party Abroad

So you've invited your sweetie to join you on your business trip in London, and the trips falls on her birthday. While dinner and flowers would be a perfect birthday celebration, why not shoot a few emails and throw a surprise party? This is especially timely for a "milestone" birthday and will never be forgotten!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Keep it simple. If it's her fortieth and you know she'd love her sisters and best friends to be there, send a group email with the suggestion of an abroad get-together. Because of the occasion and the location, more people will agree than you think.

2. The guest list will be small (likely under 10), so plan a dinner party either at the hotel where you are staying or at a restaurant nearby. Putting an event planner in charge of this takes the detail work out of your hands. Make sure the planner knows her favorite flowers, wine and dessert for the celebration.

3. The guests and the party are taken care of, so the rest is easy. Your spouse will think you are taking her to a birthday dinner; not knowing her crew is in town will blow her mind!

4. Make sure you thank those who made the trip. A hand-written thank-you card to each guest would be sincere and appreciated.

5. Plan a breakfast or happy hour before the guests leave to go back home so you all can get together again to compare notes about your trip.

Tips & Warnings

• Invite people to travel out weeks in advance. The more notice you give, the better chance many will come.
• Don't worry about perfection--just have fun!
• Don't feel obligated to host any guest, entertain the duration of the trip or pay for anything you don't want to. If friends can take a short vacation and spend time at the party, they will.

Resources

• Evite online invitations