Neon and Neutral So Glad You Were Born Party Idea

Need a fun party theme idea? Throw a So Glad You Were Born Party! The neon and neutral color scheme make it feel youthful and fun. It works for any age and this theme is a great way to really play up what you love about the guest of honor.

A Creative Party Idea for Adults

It can be really hard to figure out a theme for an adult birthday party. So I went with a color theme instead. Neon and neutral are the perfect colors for a party.

What does that mean? It means pairing bright neon colors like yellow, pink, orange, and green with more subdued neutral tones like beige.

And instead of calling it a birthday party, I decided to instead use “So Glad You Were Born,” which is directly inspired by Shanna Murray’s poster on Oh Happy Day.

Related: Toast and Jams Brunch Party Idea

This is my favorite party to date. I know I say that about all of them but this one was ridiculously fun and personal.

I created little vignettes around the party space of all the things she loves or that remind us of her. And they all had to fit the neon and neutral scheme because I am that OCD.

While I had two party themes in this party, of course, you can just go with one if you prefer.

Personalized Decor with Neon Colors

Along with the color scheme, I decided to use the letter “E” all around the party to further personalize the event for the guest of honor.  

I was able to make large letters for a big visual impact while still being able to keep the costs down by purchasing small sheets of Styrofoam and having my Dad cut them out with a saw.

A few coats of spray paint were all they needed. We also reused some plywood from a previous party to make some of the smaller ones.  

The guest of honor is a lover of many things. We tried to incorporate a lot of those through the party decorations.

And we customized everything we could with neon yellow and neon pink spray paint with pops of beige accents.

She loves office supplies and spreadsheets so what better way to show that than with spray-painted calculators and bright erasers.

For other pops of color I used tall cylinder vases filled with neon pink ‘Easter Grass’ (I’m calling it that because I have no idea what that stuff is actually called…) and topped it with an air plant.  

In other areas I put flowers in empty glass jars I had collected and spray painted on stripes in neon yellow and pink to jazz them up.

I wanted a way to share some photos and mementos from her life and needed a simple way to display them.

I found these two really large frames at a thrift store and used colored cording to wrap them.  

TIP! Thrift stores a great way to find things to decorate your parties inexpensively. From glassware to sheets you can use for tablecloths, don’t forget to browse!

I borrowed some photo albums and memory books and pulled out some of the best treasures I could find, including her DMV written test from when she was 15, report cards and school photos.

I made copies of each item then using neon-colored zip ties attached them to the cording.

Fun Guest Book Ideas

We did two versions of a guest book. We set up a station in one area of the party where guests would be relaxing so they could easily do one or both of the ideas.

We set out some colorful note cards and pens so that people could write a sentimental message for her to read later.

We also had a personalized plate option. We set out enamel paint pens and a blank white plate for people to sign and make small doodles.

Party Food

Pretzels and kettle corn were set out for a little snack. These types of foods are easy for guests to grab.

We also had a company come who made smoothies and funnel cakes. It’s a great idea to outsource some of these types of things to help take some tasks off your plate.

When you use a specialty vendor, it helps to make the party even more memorable.

We also made sugar cookies with the guest of honor’s initials and the pink sanding sugar kept it on the theme.

We also had a birthday cake and cupcakes but I didn’t get a photo unfortunately.

Details

We requested that everyone dress in neons and neutrals to add even more color to the party.

I really love how these books turned out. I spray-painted them and created silly book titles that also represent the guest of honor.

I had a friend with graphic design skills create cool patterns in neon and a neutral that you saw around the party on pennant banners. She created the banner that hung behind the pool that lead to the look of all the other signage at the party.

And to top that off, she created water bottle labels and cupcake flags. Boom. Anytime you can use an original design, the party feels more custom and stands out to the party guests.  

Note: I am beyond grateful that the amazingly talented Jackie Culmer, photographer extraordinaire, said she could come and take some pictures before the guests arrived. If you haven’t checked out my post of one of Jackie’s parties from a few days ago, go see it now!

More easy party idea

• Small Family Graduation Party Ideas
• Adult Birthday Party Idea with Dessert and Gin and Tonic Bar
• At Home Wine Tasting Party Ideas
• Ziggy Stardust Kid’s Birthday Party Idea
• For, Like, Ever Themed Bridal Shower
• Chicks and Dips

Save and pin this recipe for later!

Save this recipe for later by pinning it or clicking the teal heart at the bottom right of the page. For more recipes make sure you’re following me on Pinterest, Instagram and like my page on Facebook. If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a star rating and tag me in your pictures!

Click to share!