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Who says you still can’t throw a themed party even as a 20-something-year-old? I totally get it, being in your 20’s —whether you’re in college or full-on adulting — making big audacious plans for your birthday can be a bit overwhelming. However, we’d argue that it’s the perfect time in your life to make the most of your birthdays and have fun planning them.
Whether you’re looking for something more casual at home, like a Little Italy pizza party, or a destination birthday at a local park or beach, there are so many fun and unique ways to celebrate your big day. These 8 birthday party themes are ones you’ll remember for years to come. Keep reading to find the one you love most for your upcoming celebration.
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8 Fun Birthday Party Themes
1. Little Italy Pizza Birthday Party
- Invitations: Big Pizza Pie Invitation | Hand-Drawn Pizza Party Invitation
- Decorations: When thinking of the best party decorations for a pizza party, we thought of a classic pizza shop mixed with subtle Italian influences.
- Party Food: Planning the food for a pizza party is super simple. Whether you order pizzas or have everyone make their own, it’s a super simple main dish. You could serve a side caesar salad with the pizza and some delicious cookies or fudge brownies as a birthday treat.
2. Nancy Meyers Coastal Birthday Party
- Invitations: Hand-Drawn Trendy Blue Birthday Party Invite
- Decorations: We absolutely love this theme. It’s perfect for anyone who loves the classic Nancy Meyers aesthetic — it’s coastal, girly and so unique. Staying in line with the theme, choose decorative items that are classic, blue and white hues and have a nod to the cozy feel Nancy Meyers is known for.
- Solid White Table Cloth
- Melamine Blue & White Stripe Plates
- Black & White Birthday Banner
- White Paper Lanterns
- Hygrandgeas
- Use woven baskets for a “gift wrapping”
- Party Food: A coastal theme means coastal food, so for a main party dish, lobster rolls would be such a fun and unique food item to serve. For dessert, we were inspired by Nancy Meyer’s film, The Parent Trap, and thought peanut butter oreo cheesecake cookies would be a delicious birthday treat.
3. The Office Birthday Party
- Invitations: The Office Inspired Birthday Invitation
- Decorations: If you love the show The Office then, this would be the perfect birthday party theme to recreate for your birthday this year. There are so many fun directions you can go with decorating your space, so here are a few of our favorite decor ideas.
- Party Food: There are a lot of food references in The Office, but a couple of our favorite are Kevin’s chili and the infamous pretzel day. Rightfully so, we thought those would pair amazing together and be a crowd favorite. As for a cake, you can be as basic or creative with it as you want and make it perfect for the birthday girl.
4. Summer Picnic Birthday Party
- Invitations: Picnic Delights Invitation
- Decorations: A birthday picnic is such a fun and casual way to celebrate your birthday with your friends during the warmer months of the year. Classic americana decorations just seemed right for this birthday party theme.
- Party Food: Keeping with the casual, classic theme of the picnic birthday party, we reccmend the party food fit the occasion too. We’re thinking hearty sub sandwiches, fruit, vegetables, crackers and cheese and for drinks some cold Olipops. For a birthday treat, a gorgeous berry cake would complete the menu.
5. New York Themed Birthday Party
- Invitations: Carrie New York Themed Party Invitation
- Decorations: A New York themed party would be so fun. Whether you live in the city or not, this is such a unique birthday party theme and perfect for all the NYC lovers out there. Plus, there are a lot of cute decorations to choose from too — from city themed banners, balloons, napkins and more.
- Party Food: New York is known for so many types of food. It’s a melting pot of cultures and you most likely won’t find better food in such a small space. With that in mind, you can choose the food you love most from New York. For us, that’s the New York Cheesecake and bagels!
6. Coffee Shop Birthday Party
- Invitations: Coffee Shop Party Invitation
- Decorations: Hosting a home cafe themed birthday party sounds like such a cozy and fun idea. Invite your friends and decorate your house with adorable cafe-themed decor. Here are some of our absolute favorite decoration options:
- Party Food: The party food includes all the main food groups we love: pastries, hot lattes and more pastries. If you’d like you can even serve small sandwiches, tea, matcha and other coffee shop staples.
7. Pajama Movie Birthday Party
- Invitations: Movie Night Party Invitation
- Decorations: We absolutely love hosting movie nights for our friends, but on a birthday, it’s time to bring out all the stops. Movie-themed decor, balloons, fancy pajamas and more.
- Party Food: For a movie night party, we’re thinking a menu of easy finger foods (taquitos, Bagel Bites, pretzel bites, vegetables and hummus), popular candy, popcorn and the birthday girl’s preferred treat (cake, cupcakes, cookies etc.).
8. Pink and Green Matcha Birthday Party
- Invitations: Green Tea Matcha Themed Birthday Party Invite
- Decorations: We’re convinced you can turn anything into a fun theme, because how cute is a matcha-themed party? This is 100% our kind of celebration. Plus, the decorations are small details are so fun to pull together.
- Party Food: If you’re throwing a matcha birthday party, then a majority of your food should be matcha-flavored — matcha lattes, matcha cupcakes, matcha pastries, matcha brownies and more. Even if food and drink items aren’t all matcha-flavored, keep with the pink and green theme — you could go for strawberry or raspberry too.
