Don’t spoil it for that special person! Need guidance on surprise party etiquette? We’re here to help.
Although this question falls outside the realm of “etiquette,” a good rule of thumb is to plan the party around another, authentic event that has a definitive start or end time, such as a baseball game or concert. Tell the guest of honor that you’ll both be attending this event, then use the ol’ bait-and-switch when the day arrives. Of course, make sure that the surprise party isn’t a let-down when compared with the faux event you’ve promised the guest of honor.
If you know you’re going to be late ahead of time, call the host at least a half hour beforehand to get an update on the plan. There’s always the possibility that the guest of honor’s schedule has changed, so you might still be able to sneak in. If the host is incommunicado, as is likely in such situations, wait at least half an hour after the guest of honor is scheduled to arrive before making your entrance.
Unless you’ve had this very discussion with the guest of honor, there’s no way to know for sure, short of questioning their significant other and close friends on the sly. Even then, you may only be relying on conjecture. When in doubt, opt for a surprise-free party; otherwise, you may be the one surprised by the event’s outcome.
Depending on how many people will attend and how far they’re traveling, it’s usually safe to give three to four weeks’ notice for a surprise party. But if it’s a milestone event (40th birthday, retirement), provide extra time to ensure that the most important invitees can attend, especially if their attendance requires an overnight stay.
Developed hand-in-hand with community organizers, PTA presidents, parents and teachers, Evite's signup sheets are designed to make organizing volunteers a breeze. Here are a few ways SignUp Sheets are different than other signup tools:
Choose Evite SignUp Sheets for the easiest, most streamlined way to get volunteers and signups for your next event!
Signup sheets are the perfect way to streamline scheduling, volunteer recruitment, class parties, snack duty, potluck organization, parent-teacher conferences and more! You can think of them as your digital assistant for coordinating events and tasks and ensuring that your event is a success.
Evite SignUp Sheets offers parents, teachers and event planners customizable online forms that organizers and volunteers can access and update effortlessly. Volunteers can choose their preferred time slots, sign up for tasks or indicate what they'll bring to the event. It only takes organizers a few minutes to create a signup sheet and send it out with a shareable link, so they can get the word out via text, email or social media—whichever way they prefer!
Long story short, SignUp Sheets save everyone involved tons of time, avoid scheduling headaches and ensure everything runs smoothly before and during the event.
Creating a signup sheet has never been easier than with Evite! Here’s how to create a sheet that’s sure to make your event an absolute success:
When it comes to signup sheet information, there are some essentials to include regardless of what you’re organizing:
When adding your slot information, clearly define what people are signing up for, especially for a what-to-bring list or role assignments. If you want someone to bring healthy snacks for kids to enjoy after a game, specify that. You want your volunteers to feel confident in what they’re bringing and to make it easy for them to know what’s expected of them. It will save them time and stress (and you, too!). That being said, if you make your ask too specific (for example, asking for a hard-to-source item or something expensive), you may not end up with a volunteer for it. So be clear about what you expect, but also be reasonable!
Aside from providing the basic signup information, you can also add optional descriptions to both your entire signup sheet and individual slots. While not required, they can help guide your volunteers further and provide more information. You can add information about allergies, preferences and general info about the event. You can also add a wish list to make it easier for your volunteers to bring exactly what you need!
Signup sheet templates offer a ton of advantages for both organizers and volunteers and with Evite SignUp Sheets, you'll enjoy even more benefits than other digital and paper signup sheets! Some benefits our signup sheet templates offer include:
With Evite SignUp Sheets, you can enjoy organizing and coordinating all your events with ease. Signup sheets streamline the signup process for everyone involved, ensuring that everything will go to plan on the day of your event while saving you precious time in the process.