Party Planning
Plan the party around a theme that the honoree will love. The theme will be different depending on the person you’re celebrating. Think about what they like—it could be a color, a hobby, a favorite book or movie, or something else that they’ve enjoyed throughout their life. Use that theme to plan the decorations, invitations, and party favors. For example, if the centenarian loves gardening, plan the party around fresh flowers and green, vibrant decorations. Print the invitations on sage-green paper and make small bouquets for guests to take home. Or, if they love a particular sports team, use sports memorabilia and photos for the decor and invites. You could always use “100” as the theme! After all, that’s enough of an accomplishment all on its own. Use banners, balloons, confetti, and cake toppers themed around someone turning 100 years old.
Choose a venue with easy accessibility. A recreation center or retirement facility probably has a community room you can rent for a large gathering. Consider renting a banquet room at a favorite restaurant or even a bar for a smaller group if that’s something your centenarian would enjoy. Just double-check that there is a ramp available or/and an elevator if the room is on a higher floor. Depending on the size of the party, think about using your loved one’s home. This could be a way to make sure they feel comfortable and have anything they might need on hand. Plan on taking care of all the preparations and clean up! Keep in mind the time of year you’ll be hosting the party, too. If it is wintertime, make sure someone can shovel away any snow and lay down salt before the party starts to make the walkway safer.
Send out invitations 3-6 weeks before the event. If you need to get RSVP cards back, plan on 6 weeks to give guests enough time to respond. Include all the important details, like date, time, and location. If the design allows, add a nice photo of the honoree and match the invites to the party's theme. For something fun, list 10 “did you know” facts about the centenarian on the back of the invitation. Include things like where they were born, surprising facts, accomplishments, or even pet peeves. When picking the time for the party, consider when the honoree is at their best. If they like to go to bed early, an 8 pm party might not be the best idea. If you want guests to share a story about the person you’re celebrating, put that on the invite, too. You could write something like, “Guests will have time to share stories and memories, so prepare something ahead of time if you’d like to participate.”
Decorate with photos from the person’s life. For a centenarian birthday celebration, using pictures is a great way to show off everything they’ve done and enjoyed over the past 100 years. Ask friends and loved ones to share photos, too. Put pictures in frames and use them to decorate the room, or compile them into a slideshow to share during the party. Organize the photos in chronological order, so it’s like seeing a timeline of the person’s life. You could get creative and showcase the photos by decade and include fun facts about that time in history. If you get photos from other people, keep track of who gave which pictures. That way, you can return them after the party.
Create a special booklet or keepsake for guests to take home. You could make a printout with nice photographs and a short biography of the person’s life, or you could do something simple like have buttons made with the person’s face on them. Whatever you choose to do, it’ll be a nice thing that guests can keep to remind them of the celebration. Include trivia from the year they were born for some extra fun content. Research things that happened in history, what was going on in popular culture, and other facts.
Serve your centenarian’s favorite foods and dessert. Ask them what they like and plan around that. If the party is a surprise, ask some friends or family members for their input. Make sure there is enough for all the guests, too. Use the dessert or cake as a way to highlight 100 years. You could make number-shaped cakes or get a fun topper. Pay attention to any dietary restrictions your honoree might have. Depending on the party's location and size, ask guests to bring along a dish to share.
Create a playlist based on popular music from the decade they were born. For example, in the 1920s, jazz, blues, swing, ragtime, and dance band music were super popular. Of course, if your centenarian prefers music from a different decade, tailor the playlist to their preferences. If the honoree loves live music, hire a band to play some tunes at the party.
Plan time for guests to share favorite stories of the honoree. This can be such a lovely time for people to reminisce and celebrate your centenarian's remarkable life. Ask guests beforehand to prepare something if you want this to be a part of the celebration; last-minute asks for speeches are often met with crickets! If the honoree wants to, have them give a short speech, too. They can talk about life lessons, family, and whatever else they feel is important at this significant milestone.
Distanced Celebrations
Host a virtual party through an online platform. Set the date and time and let all the guests know how to log on to the party. Also, check that the honoree has the setup at their home to join in on the festivities! Have people say hello and tell stories, ask everyone to sing happy birthday together if the centenarian wants, and enjoy watching your centenarian get to see everyone from the comfort of their own home. For added fun, have everyone decorate their room for a party. Balloons, banners, and signs add a festive element to this type of virtual gathering. Sites like Zoom, Google Hangouts, Houseparty, and FaceTime (if everyone has Apple products) work well for these types of gatherings. This is an excellent option if friends and family are scattered all over the world. Everyone can be together even when they’re hundreds of miles apart.
Have their favorite meal delivered to their home. Just because you can’t be together doesn’t mean your beloved centenarian can’t enjoy a great meal or treat! Contact a restaurant or bakery and have your honoree’s favorite dishes delivered to their doorstep. Of course, make sure they’ll be home when the food is delivered.
Coordinate a drive-by parade so they can see all their friends and family. This can work if there is a health pandemic, like COVID, or if the person cannot leave home often. They can sit by a window and watch friends and loved ones drive by and wave out their car windows. Ask participants to tie balloons to the cars, make signs, and take lots of photos. If people bring cards or gifts, put a large basket out near the road so people can leave them there. People can talk to the honoree through their window if they want. This is especially nice in times when people want to be close, but, for safety reasons, can’t be in the same space.
Have a large “Happy Birthday” sign put up on their front lawn. This still works even if the honoree lives at a retirement home—just call the office and get permission to have the sign put up. Search online to find a company that does these signs in your area. Give them the date and pay a deposit, and they’ll arrange to have a big sign put up wishing the centenarian a happy 100th birthday. Signs are available at some stores that you can purchase and put up yourself, too. It’s a great idea if you think you might want to reuse the props again in the future.
Arrange for friends and loved ones to send letters or videos. If people send videos to you, compile them into one big video that your centenarian can watch. Ask people to talk about favorite stories and memories in the cards or videos. This adds a lovely touch to a big birthday, even when people can’t gather together. This idea works well for individuals who may not want a big party and for times like COVID, where it’s safest for people to social-distance. Ask people to send all the letters or videos to you directly if you want to collect and deliver them all at the same time.
Gift Ideas
Make them a piece of art that contains 100 of a particular item. This is a great way to give them something beautiful to display and look at while emphasizing this huge milestone birthday. Here are some ideas for different items you could use to make a gift: Pennies Colored glass Photos Buttons Corks Artificial flowers
Make a list of 100 things you love about your centenarian. This particular gift takes time and is something your loved one will treasure. It’s a great way to reflect on the person and their life. Feel free to include memories in your list, too. It would be really cute to make a small booklet with 1 thing listed on each page.
Buy or make a card and write a nice message inside. If you mail the card, be sure to send it a few days before their birthday, so it arrives in time. You could also drop off the card in person if you live in the area. Take some time to write something personal to your loved one. Reflect on what you’ve learned from them, or what you appreciate about them as an individual. A heartfelt message will mean a lot.
Send a special treat, like cake, chocolates, or other baked goods. If you like baking, you could always make the treat by hand! Think about what your loved one likes and find something special to send to them. Think: specialty chocolates, gourmet macarons, or a favorite cake from a local bakery. If possible, decorate the baked good with 100-year well wishes!
Send a beautiful bouquet made of all their favorite blooms. Flowers are a traditional gift for all kinds of special occasions, and for good reason. Have delivered on their birthday, or drop them off yourself. Make sure to write a nice note on the card that comes with the flowers. There are alternative types of bouquets you could look into if you don’t like the idea of flowers, from succulents, to cookies, to fruit.
Give a gift that’ll keep your loved one comfortable, like slippers and a robe. Look for matching slippers and robe in a nice pattern. Focus on high-quality items that will keep your centenarian warm. This is a practical gift that’ll make them think of you whenever they put them on. Be sure to buy slippers that have tread on the bottom. You don’t want them to be too slippery! For even more warmth and comfort, give them a heated blanket, too.
Arrange for a shoutout or letter from someone special on their birthday. The Today Show often recognizes people who are celebrating their 100th birthday, and you can request to get a birthday greeting from the President of the United States or the King of England. If there is someone else you think your centenarian would like to hear from, try contacting them on social media or through their website—you never know who might respond! If your loved one would enjoy it, have an announcement printed in the local paper. Some news stations love to interview people on their 100th birthday, which could be a fun opportunity for your centenarian.
Hire a singing quartet to serenade your loved one with songs from their youth. This is a fantastic gift for a music lover. Depending on the person’s preference, hire a group who sing a cappella, play stringed instruments, or sing along with music. This is a fun option that works even if your loved one needs to stay indoors for health reasons. The group can stand outside a window or on a front lawn while the centenarian enjoys them from a safe distance.
Present them with a spa gift certificate. Bonus points if you arrange to go with them and spend some time together! From face masks to pedicures to a relaxing massage, this is a smart way to give them something they’ll enjoy. If going to a physical spa isn’t an option, arrange for a masseuse to go to their home. Or, get some supplies together and spend some time pampering them by giving them a manicure, pedicure, and face mask yourself.
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