How To Throw A Smokin' 50th Birthday Party

Turning 50 is a milestone for everyone. It's an opportunity to celebrate with family and good friends from different eras and significant times in your life by throwing a great party. Here, we take you through a 50th birthday party put together by New York Lux Events.

Throw a smokin' bash for your 50th! 

The guest list for this event was more than 200, and included a mix of people that were unrelated to each other. As the party was for a man who is both very social and low key, we decided to throw an open house in his apartment. This let a large number of people attend, made it warm and inviting by welcoming guests into his home, and also made it cost-effective.

The open house was held on a Friday night spanning four hours. Then, on Saturday night, 26 people continued the party at a private dinner with family, out-of-town guests, and very close friends in attendance. This also gave the celebration a level of intimacy.

The theme "Smokin' 50th" was chosen because of the honoree's affinity for a good cigar. It was fun, masculine, and represented him well. From the invitation forward, we ran with the theme. Food was presented in cigar boxes and wooden boards of all shapes and sizes. A humidor was stocked for guests to choose from.

To feed the large number of people anticipated, a buffet of cheeses, small sandwiches, and charcuterie was set up and replenished throughout the night. A separate dessert buffet held small bites of sweets. As the invitation asked guests to "stop by, raise a glass, smoke a cigar, and toast..." there was something for everyone regardless of when they came by or how long they stayed.

To streamline the bar, drinks were limited to prosecco and vodka with colorful mixers. Bartenders poured throughout the night, but guests could also help themselves to refills from other stations around the apartment. At the private dinner, each place setting had a Thank You box mimicking the invitation. It was filled with the birthday guy's favorite treats — gummy bears and chocolate chips cookies.