Retirement Party Ideas

Planning a Retirement Party?

Are you planning a smash bash for yourself or someone you care about who is retiring? Should you rent a hall, hold the event at the retiree's home, or decorate a conference room at the office? Is a theme party the way to go, or should you have a tried and true "Retiree Roast"? Something formal perhaps, or maybe a casual, off the cuff gathering?

Anchor any ideas you entertain in what you think the retiree will enjoy, keeping in mind that the purpose of the party is to honor and celebrate the career and retirement of a person who is special to all in attendance.

Retirement Party - Glass of Champagne A retirement party can be expensive or modest, large or small, and held by a friend, spouse, family members, coworkers, the company, or the retiree themselves. When a retiree holds a party for themselves the intention of the gathering is usually to thank those who have contributed support and encouragement throughout their career.

A party thrown by others for the retiree should reflect the true passion of person being honored. Is the retiree an avid golfer? A "golf tournament" culminating with a picnic at the clubhouse might be the perfect celebration. Is the retiree a "meeting junkie" who is always creating PowerPoint presentations?

Create a PowerPoint "Forecast of Sue's Retirement" complete with pie charts predicting how she will spend her leisure time post retirement. A dedicated hunter might enjoy a paintball party in woods, and someone who plans to vacation in the tropics will appreciate an island motif with a party set around a backyard pool, even if the pool is of the blow-up variety.

A "Roast and Toast" retirement party combines a little orneriness with a true tribute. Guests are encouraged to prepare poems, toasts, speeches, or songs to honor the retiree with a recitation of complimentary or humorous memories. If that idea sounds a bit too risky for you, it might be safer to plan a "This is Your Life" party.

A video collection of photographs can play in a continuous loop on the wall or TV screen during the party, and mystery guests can stand behind a screen and talk about time spent with the retiree. The retiree must then guess the identity of each mystery guest.

Make certain that there is at least one souvenir of the party for the retiree to take home. A scrapbook, photo album, a wall mural signed by everyone with short messages of remembrance, a giant card signed by all, a PowerPoint, or a videotape of the party with each guest contributing a short message all give the guest of honor something to enjoy long after the party ends.

Party games such as "Pin the Gold Watch on the Retiree" might be fun. If the guest of honor isn't too touchy about his or her age, the traditional "Old Age Gag Gifts" theme with gifts of Preparation H, Bengay, Depends, denture cream, and a subscription to the large print version of Reader's Digest will keep all in stitches as the gifts are opened.

Guests can be asked to suggest activities that the retiree would be wise to learn post retirement like, "Learn to make the VCR stop flashing 12:00," or "Read Soap Opera Digest to catch up on the storylines of the daytime soaps."

Remember, sensitivity is key to a great retirement party. If the retiree is depressed about their departure from the workplace, old age gag gifts are probably not the way to go. A quiet dinner at a fine restaurant with a few friends and family members, and a good Champaign to toast the retiree's success might be more in line with the retiree's mood and wishes. Avoid throwing a surprise party for someone who has never liked surprises.

Be sure that the guest list for any retirement bash contains only the names of people that the retiree enjoys being around and that the party menu includes the retiree's favorite foods and beverages.

A very private person might not appreciate the details of their life broadcast over a loud speaker, so a better route to take might be to provide entertainment such as a magician, a caricaturist, a DJ who spins the retiree's favorite tunes or a band who plays a genre that the guest of honor will enjoy.

These are also great ideas for someone who is throwing a party for themselves and would like to treat their guests to an evening of dining and dancing.

Whether your party is a potluck in an office conference room, or a "spare no expense" intimate gathering of 300 of the retiree's closest friends in a hotel ballroom, the gathering is sure to be a hit if you find a befitting way to honor the retiree's spirit and celebrate the contributions of their lifetime.