Surprise Birthday Party Photo Album Planning Guide

Surprise Birthday PartyPhoto Album

Planning GuideRonald G. Shapiro, Ph. D.

January 1, 2012

Table of Contents1. Preface2. Acknowledgements3. Initial party questions4. The invitations and signs5. Planning the photo album: tips for special chapters

1. The chefs and the menu2. The guests and their greetings3. Wishes for a conservative honoree4. Wishes for an adventuresome honoree

6. The cake ceremony7. The gift presentations8. The activities9. The cleanup crew10. Education by Entertainment advertisement

© Ronald G. Shapiro, Ph. D. , 2009, 2011 [email protected]

(401) 272 – 4664All Rights reserved.

PrefaceMy Education by Entertainment programs have been designed to offer participants insight into how they sense, perceive, think, learn, remember, make decisions, respond and interact with other people.

The programs have always included lots of audience participation and have always been a ton of fun. They afford lots of great photo opportunities. After several decades of offering these programs for industry, professional organizations, academic institutions and community organizations I’ve now expanded my offerings to include programs for social events and personal recognition events. I’m also offering numerous booklets and planning guides to help people plan their own events.

This guide is designed to help you plan the photo album for a surprise birthday party for someone very special. The guide also suggests a few activities which will help you to make your event a unique one which will never be forgotten. The well planned photo album should be fun to share with friends and families for generations to come.

Enjoy!!! Ron

AcknowledgementsI would like to thank the following Education By Entertainment program participants whose photos are included in this planning guide:

* Luana Matos (Cover)* Simone Bolton and Elysia Amoroso (Table of Contents)* Esther Cameron and Colleen M. Williams (Invitations and Signs)* Julianne Friend and Friends (Planning the Photo Album)* Colleen Williams (Wishes for a Conservative Honoree)* Elizabeth Prend, Elizabeth Alderman, Jessie Serrino and Brianna

Keenan (The Activities)* Pinar Duru (Education By Entertainment Programs: Truly Unique

Experiences)

Initial Party QuestionsThe following questions should be addressed early in theplanning process: When is the party? Where is the party? Who will be invited? How will you be sure your guests are going to be available? How will you be sure the guest of honor will be there? What is the menu? Who will prepare it? What activities will you be doing? What is your budget? How will you pay for it? Who will help with all of the details? What is the theme for decorations? Do you want to feature the honoree on the invitations/signs? Who will be taking your photos? Who will be taking your videos? What will your photo album look like? What photos do you need to collect prior to the event? Is everything you have planned safe and healthy? Will the honoree and guests enjoy everything?

The Invitations and SignsYou may wish to feature photographs of your honoree on your invitations and signs. Consistent with the surprise party theme, you may want to have your honoree blindfolded in the photos, possibly holding up a sign inviting everyone to the event as pictured.

If you know the details of the event the honoree might hold up a real sign showing all the details. If not, the sign details can be edited in later as shown here. Of course, having the blindfold say “Happy Birthday” is a nice finishing touch.

As the event planner you will need to determine how to take this picture without giving away the surprise. Perhaps, the honoree could be blindfolded at another party for a game? This opportunity may not come up often, so plan early!!!

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The Invitations and Signs(continued)

Alternatively, you may prefer to have the honorees picture featured next to the event details.

Planning The Photo AlbumIf you want to have a great photo album, plan it as you are planning your event.

What would you like to have as a cover photo? You might like to have a photo of your honoree holding up a sign announcing the party, similar to the one on the cover of this planning guide. Alternatively you might like to have a photo of the honoree and the attendees similar to the one below

Planning The Photo Album(continued)

Decide on your album chapter titles. Sample titles might be: The Chefs and The Menu, The Guests, The Greetings, The Gifts, The Games, and the Cleanup Crew. Make a sign on 8.5 by 11 or A4 Matte photo paper announcing each chapter title. Be sure that your photographer will take a Chapter Heading Photo with the relevant people holding the sign (or with the sign strategically positioned). Be sure to capture facial expressions in the photo rather than wide panoramas. If you can’t see a facial expression on your camera’s display then you are probably too far away from the subject (or have not zoomed in enough.)

If indoors, adjust the lighting before the event begins.

Take some practice photos before the event and view them on a computer screen to be sure all the camera settings are right. Have lots of extra batteries.

Planning The Photo AlbumTips For Special Chapters

“The Chefs and The Menu” If you are having a home made meal prepared by several chefs, feature a picture of all the chefs holding up a sign “The Chefs.” Follow this by a photo of the entire food spread, be it a buffet or individual servings. Follow this by a photo of each chef holding up their specialty dish (and perhaps include a box with the recipe, too).

If eating at a restaurant perhaps take a photo of the menu, the kitchen crew with the honoree and the table setting before people begin to eat.


“The Guests and Their Greetings.” Rather than sending or bringing individual cards to the party, encourage each guest (or set of guests) to prepare a sign on the computer or hand drawn for the honoree expressing their congratulations. Take a photo (actually 2 or 3 photos just to be sure because people do blink, frown, look away, etc. ) of:

o each guest (or set of guests) holding their signo guests presenting their sign to the honoreeo the honoree reading their signo honoree holding the sign.

Conclude this section with a picture of all of the guests and the honoree perhaps holding a sign such as “We Love You, Honoree’s Name.”

Tips: 1. Look for expressive, creative poses and facial expressions. Try not to take “tin soldier” type of pictures.

2. Have a few signs pre-made for guests that didn’t feel creative and did not make as sign so all they need to do is select a sign and autograph it.

3. Use photo matte or cover stock, not 20 pound bond paper.

Happy BirthdayTo My Big Sister.

You Are A Great Role Model.

I Love You!!!Kate


“Wishes For A Conservative Honoree.” Ask each of the guests to bring a second sign containing a wish or statement for the guest of honor. For example, the sign might say “Track Champion” or “A+ Student” or “Class President”. Take photos of :

o each guests with their signo each guest presenting their sign to the guest of honoro just the guest of honor holding their sign.

See the sample signs in the album 101 Signs For Special Occasions on SlideShare.

A+ Student

AwesomeTeacher!

Win the Lottery

BestFriend

http://www.slideshare.net/DrRonShapiro/101-signs-for-special-occasions-internet-version


“Wishes For An Adventuresome Honoree.” Make “The Wishes” into a game. To do this blindfold the guest of honor while the signs are being presented without names being written on them. Take photos as above as the signs are presented to the blindfolded honoree. Don’t tell the honoree what is on the sign or who is presenting it to him/her. Thus, you will have photos of the honoree receiving and holding a sign without clues suggesting who presented the sign. Again, fun expressions, please!!!

Collect all of the signs and put them in a sealed envelope before removing the guest of honor’s blindfold. While other activities are occurring prepare a display of the photos showing the blindfolded honoree holding the wish sign (with no one else in the picture) followed by a second photo showing the sign makers with their sign and then the third photo of the sign being presented.

For each wish the guest of honor needs to guess who extended the wish to them based upon the photo showing only him/herself (blindfolded) holding the sign and explain why they made that guess. Record the answers and reasons. Then the second photo is shown of the guests with their sign and finally the third photo with the guests presenting the sign to the guests of honor. Repeat until all wish photos have been shown. The guest of honor wins a prize for every correct guess.


"The Cake Ceremony." Consider having a cake lighting ceremony in which selected guests each light a candle and extend a personal wish to the honoree before blowing out the candles. Take lots of pictures and video throughout this ceremony.

Ideally, the cake would be custom designed for the honoree. For example, if the honoree is an exchange student or a visitor from a country outside of your own, you might consider making the cake in the shape of the honoree’s flag, similar to Luana’s cake on the cover of this planning guide.

Planning The Photo Album“The Gift Presentations.” Have each guest present their gift to the birthday person. Take photos of gifts being presented and opened. Also, take notes of what the birthday person says along with each gift… so you can include these as photo captions.

Planning The Photo Album“The Activities.” If you have games or other activities take lots of pictures. If you have “teams” have each team make up their team sign writing the names of each team member on the sign. Take a photo of each team holding their sign to introduce the games. If there is a winning team, conclude the activity with the winning team holding their “Champions” sign or trophy.

“The Cleanup Crew.” Don’t forget the include this team in the photos…


The blindfold is clean, ironed and

readyfor the

next birthday!!!

Distributing The Photo AlbumAfter the event email, distribute on a CD or print and distribute the album to your guests. Remember, CDs do not last forever, so re-record every few years. Also, keep up with the technology. At some point, CDs may no longer be readable.

Enjoy YourSurprise Party!!!

Thank you!!!