50th Birthday Party Ideas: Fifty is Fabulous

 At 50, your friend might not be young enough, or funny enough, to appreciate an "over the hill" party anymore. Think about going with a kinder, gentler approach. Use these 50th birthday party ideas and design the party around activities or a theme that the guest of honor enjoys.  Whether it's a golfer, a gardener or a traveler, you can find a theme that fits the guest of honor. It's a great time to look back at all the good things that have happened and to look forward to all the good things that will happen.

50th Birthday Party Invitations
The fun starts as soon as the invitation arrives. Make sure you WOW your guests -
  • 50th Birthday Invitations - Our most popular milestone birthday invitations... lots of designs to choose from!
  • Ticket Invitations - A unique way to invite everyone to the hottest event of the year!
  • Over The Hill Birthday Invitations - Is this party "Over the Hill" themed? These are the perfect invitations (and check out our Over the Hill birthday ideas too!)
  • Caricature Invitation - A caricature invitation not only creates a great piece of art you can use several times during your event but it will also let you feature hobbies and character traits that can help theme your party. This is a completely custom invite, the only limit is your imagination!

You can add a little fun to whatever invite you choose with 50th birthday confetti sprinkled in the envelope.

Invitation wording is important, so here are some ideas for 50th birthday invites -

  • He's seen it all, done it all, and can't remember most of it. But don't forget to come and celebrate with him... Paul's turning 60!
  • Brian has turned 50 at last, and all of the "good years" are now in the past! Help us as we lay his youth to rest...
  • Say it isn't so, William is turning the big 5-0!
  • Come morn the passing of Jimmy's youth at a SURPRISE birthday party!
  • Lori is 50 and Fabulous! Join us as we celebrate her birthday.
  • Help Christine celebrate her 29th birthday... for the 21st time!
50th birthday decorations and party supplies
You have some great options here. Consider hanging a personalized photo banner of the guest of honor, using the baby picture of course! Create a timeline on a wall with key events, with pictures of course! Ask your guests to recount their sides of the stories around the key events.
 
The best 50th birthday party ideas are personal and creative. Consider creating a scrapbook with pictures from graduations, the wedding day, and the first home, and let the conversations begin.  You could even rent a projector and make a slideshow of the photos. You know there is someone in your group of friends who is the perfect emcee for this. Keep it fun. Keep it light. Keep it moving. While it is fun and appropriate to look back, this is a good time to look forward. Extend the timeline forward and focus on all the fun things that happen when the kids are gone, the house is paid for, and there is some time for self-indulgence.

At 50, people are ready to spend some time on their hobbies or take those once-in-a-lifetime vacations. If you have an avid golfer, think about what Jimmy did for his birthday. How about a casino theme party? Maybe the star of the show is ready to head to Hawaii (or at least hopes to soon). Well, you have to check out these luau party ideas. Maybe a trip to Vegas, Atlantic City or Bermuda is in the offering.  Or, a hybrid of several interests is possible.  This is the guest of honor's fiftieth birthday, we're sure you know what they want.

50th table decorations and menu
For this birthday menu you should serve the guest of honor's favorites.  For another personal touch, consider these personalized beer bottle labels, which your guests will love!
 
There are a lot of fun 50th birthday party ideas available for table decorations. Choose decorations that work with your theme or pick decorations with 50s on them. Here are some fun 50th birthday party supplies:
The combination of table decorations, and photos will make for a great milestone birthday celebration.
 
50th games and activities
Let your party location dictate your activities. You're pretty much set at the golf course. Have a wine tasting at a wine bar.  If you're having a party at home, I think you'll find your guests are happy to enjoy each other's company. Don't forget our games page for game ideas for any party!
 
Karaoke is another great activity for a birthday party. Buy, rent or borrow a karaoke machine and serve a up a list of songs for your guests to sing. These are a few of my favorites for birthdays  - 
  • Glory Days – Bruce Springstein
  • Jack and Diane – John Mellencamp
  • In My Life - The Beatles
  • Changes - David Bowie
  • Forever Young - Rod Stewart
  • Time After Time - Cyndi Lauper
  • If I Could Turn Back Time - Cher
  • Life is a Highway - Tom Cochrane or Rascal Flatts cover

50th Birthday Party Favors
Memories of a wonderful evening are always the best souvenir but it’s fun to have a great party favor too. You can choose a favor based on the theme of your party. For example, if you're having a music theme party, then send your guests home with a custom CD with the birthday celebrant's favorite music.

No matter what, send your guests home with a personalized party favor that celebrates the big day. Here are some fun 50th birthday party favors:
From us here at Party411.com we hope you enjoy your Fifty is Fantastic and Fabulous Party, remember it's a milestone so treat it as such!