Women's 50th Birthday Party Ideas

Many women consider turning 50 a major milestone birthday. Party ideas range from small, intimate gatherings with a few close friends to large, extravagant events with lots of guests. If planning your own event, don't worry about what others want, choose a celebration that will be meaningful to you. If you are throwing the 50th party for someone else, consider what she will most enjoy and plan accordingly.

A This is Your Life party is a bit like a roast. The guests can fill out a questionnaire that contains questions such as, "What is your favorite memory of [the person having the birthday]?" Or "The dumbest thing I ever saw her do was [fill in the blank]." An emcee can share the answers during the party.

This party takes the guest of honor on a trip down memory lane. Find important people from the birthday girl's past to put in an appearance or to send a letter or video message. Show or read these as part of the festivities. Make a scrapbook of photos and mementos to present to the guest of honor.

Create a party using the theme of the decade in which the woman was born. Or, if she has a specific passion, such as horses, build the party around that theme. Either way, make the decorations and festivities all about her and her interests.

Rent a cottage or house and plan a weekend getaway for the birthday celebrant and her closest friends. Make sure the place is stocked with plenty of food and wine for the festivities. If a weekend is out of the question, throw a similar event for an afternoon; the most important thing is to have her closest friends participate.

For some women, a big party is the best choice. Invite friends, family and work colleagues and rent a room at a hotel or other spacious location. Depending on a woman's preferences, have a band or disc jockey for dancing and a formal sit-down dinner. Or take the same setting and use it for a costume party.