10 Tips for a successful surprise party

We all have our personal lists - of the zaniest/quirkiest/
funniest/craziest/smartest... We devote this page to them. This week, Deniz Ozdul offers some...

Invite with caution - Keep abreast with the latest relationship developments because inviting someone who's been struck off the guest of honour's list can be off-putting. Worse still, inviting your own friends instead of the surprisee's can be a real damper.

Beware of children - The worst thing you can do is tell kids about a surprise party. They will act just like parrots and chant, "Party! Party! Party!" and pretty soon everyone including the guest of honour will know about your so-called surprise party.

Don't steal the limelight - You arrive at the party a little late and see the guest of honour parking his car, so you run to the house to get ready and come face to face with people cheering because they assumed that you were the guest of honour. It's better to hide in the garden or corridor until he makes his grand entry.

Watch for unwanted clues - Nothing screams "we're here" louder than those familiar cars parked in front of the guest of honour's house. Get a taxi; you can't drive home after
a party, anyway!

Don't spill the beans - You let slip about the party. Don't even try the "They are arranging a surprise party for you but please just act as if you didn't know!" card. It just steals the thunder.

Have a good excuse planned - When the guest of honour becomes suspicious and asks what's going on, don't just say, "nothing" because that will only confirm you're up to something. Find a better reply and keep a straight face.

Remember to hide - When you hear that click at the front door as the guest of honour enters the house, find a place to hide - behind the couch, behind the curtain, under the table... anywhere!

Mum's the word - If you are not sure whose party you have been invited to, don't tell anyone about your plans for the evening. You may end up spoiling everything by divulging the secret to the guest of honour.

Make sure the guest of honour comes - You have to ensure the guest of honour doesn't have other plans, otherwise he won't turn up for his party. And that would be a really big surprise.

Plan your entry - Forgetting to ask for the guest of honour's house key can ruin the whole thing. Imagine the surprise of finding a bunch of friends and relatives loitering around the
front door.