Exciting 40th Birthday Party Ideas To Celebrate This Major Milestone

While the term was originally used to signify 40^th anniversaries, turning 40 is also lovingly referred to as the “ruby jubilee.” Many people like to say that “life begins at 40,” and however you look at it, this birthday is a major milestone that deserves to be celebrated with lots of fanfare.

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Birthday invites

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Browse gorgeous designs for every party theme!

Birthday invites

Whether you’re planning to celebrate your own 40^th birthday or you’re gearing up to create the most incredible get-together ever for a friend or loved one, this is one life event that should come with plenty of memorable moments. Here are some exciting, creative 40^th birthday party ideas to help you plan the ultimate festive jamboree.

Planning a Friend’s 40^th Birthday Party

Friends are people who stay by your side through it all, whether things are good or bad. These important companions deserve a 40^th birthday party they’ll never forget.When you think of 40^th birthday party themes for a friend, stay focused on the things your friend enjoys. This will give you a starting point to turn their birthday party into a special event personalized just for them.

1. Iconic Movies Theme

Think about some favorite movies that you and your friend have seen together. Maybe it was a classic 90’s comedy, or perhaps it was a hilarious rom-com that the two of you went to the theater to see and shared some inside jokes later.

Set up an outdoor space like a patio, backyard, or deck with a large screen and project some of those movies onto the screen during this milestone birthday party. Serve freshly popped popcorn with melted butter, boxes of movie theater candy, and a variety of fountain drinks.Decorate the space with red velvet curtains and comfy theater seating. A great idea for these 40^th birthday invitations is something in a design that looks like a movie ticket.

2. Focus on Their Favorites

Since you’re celebrating the birthday of a close friend, make a list of some of their favorite things to help create the perfect theme. Perhaps they’re a wine connoisseur, or maybe they love to spend their free time hiking in the great outdoors.

From your friend’s favorite food and drinks to their most beloved hobbies, celebrities, music styles, or activities, choose the favorite thing they love the most, and design the party theme around it.

If your friend loves camping, host a “birthday party sleepover” where everyone brings their sleeping bags, and you enjoy making s’mores around the fire. If they’re a huge fan of rock and roll, make a special playlist featuring all of their favorite bands to play during the party. Look for 40^th birthday invitations that correspond with their most beloved people, places, or things.

3. Host a Casino Night

Another fun way to celebrate a 40 birthday is with an exciting casino night. Set up a card table with several chairs and designate one of your guests to be the “card dealer” for the evening.

Whether it’s Blackjack or poker, play some card games and have a special bar area where drinks are served. If you’re feeling extra daring, you can even add a roulette wheel to the mix.

Decorate the space with dark red rugs that look just like those you’d find in a classic casino. You don’t have to bet big during the party, just use pennies and other coins or chips, and keep the focus on having fun rather than walking away with a huge prize pot.

4. Keep it Low-Key

Not everyone celebrating their 40^th birthday wants to be met with fanfare. If your friend is shy or mild-mannered, it’s perfectly fine to plan something a little less overwhelming.

Schedule a day when the two of you or a small group attend a cooking class or a paint and sip session together. Here are some other low-key 40^th birthday party ideas:

• Host a backyard barbecue with just a few friends
• Play some 40^th birthday party games like classic board games, and serve cake and ice cream
• Book a spa day followed by a delicious brunch at their favorite spot

As for low-key 40^th birthday party decorations, keep things classic with balloons and streamers. A sweet, personalized photo display showcasing your favorite moments of friendship is also a nice touch.

5. Go Retro

Since turning 40 is such an important milestone, your friend is likely looking back on their life. Have a fun, retro-inspired birthday party where the central theme surrounds some of their favorite things they did or saw growing up.

Try a birthday party where you play all of the classic hits that used to play on the radio and ask the invitees to come dressed in their favorite outfits from decades of the past. If your friend has a particular fondness for a specific era, like the 1920s, have a Great Gatsby-themed birthday party.

As for decorations, use retro-inspired patterns and colors that remind your friend of the good old days. From arcade games to gossiping at the mall, use some old school images as inspiration to help you design the ultimate celebration.

Planning a 40^th Birthday Party for Men

From your beloved brother to your BFF or your husband, these 40^th birthday ideas for a 40^th male party will give him something to remember for a lifetime.  

1. X-Games Excitement

If the man in your life is into skateboarding, BMX bikes, or snowboarding, there’s a good chance he’s familiar with the X-Games. Design an awesome party space with a skateboard ramp (or several) if you have the room.

For hosts who prefer not to have to worry about possible injuries, set up a big screen and play videos of some classic X-Games events, or clips of the most iconic skateboarders of the era. You can also have some friendly competitions, like an ollie or kick-flip contest. Or everyone can try their hands at a killer backyard obstacle course.

Look for party invitations that feature skateboarding or bike-riding themes. Serve up some ice-cold Gatorade, nacho cheese Doritos, and other snacks that will take him right back to those days hanging out at the skatepark. If the guests are down for some friendly competition, don’t forget to take photos of your private X-Games to share later.

2. Have a Football Bash

There’s no denying that a lot of men love football. If your husband happens to be one of those men, host a 40^th birthday party for your husband centered around throwing the pigskin.

If your husband happens to be born during football season, schedule the party on the night of a big game when his favorite team plays. Make sure you play the game live on a large flatscreen TV or projection screen and serve up lots of tasty treats like pigs in a blanket, cheese and crackers, and chips and dip. While some guests may enjoy sipping on a cold brew, be sure to make both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks available.

To make this party a true touchdown, decorate the space with football-themed tablecloths, napkins, cups, and plates. Hang streamers featuring his beloved football team’s colors. Send out invites featuring playing fields, foam fingers, and footballs, and make a note to guests that they’ll be attending on the night of the big game.

3. Get Adventurous

Not all 40^th birthday parties for males have to be hosted at your home. Consider booking a fun outing that features his favorite activities, like hiking, camping, or fishing.

If the man you’re celebrating is extra adventurous, consider trying some of these major milestone experiences:

• Whitewater rafting or kayaking
• Scuba diving
• Off-roading with an ATV
• Paragliding
• Ax throwing

You can schedule this incredible adventure with just the two of you or send out invitations to a select group of friends who you think would love to join you. As for the invitation theme, try something featuring mountain landscapes, forests, boats, or airplanes, depending on which wild and crazy thing you decide to do.

4. Host a Comedy Night

One of the best ways to celebrate a 40^th birthday is with lots of laughs. This birthday is special because many people consider it the midpoint of life, where people start to think about their past while working toward future goals. If you live anywhere near a comedy venue, buy tickets and celebrate by checking out one of the birthday boy’s favorite comedians.

For those who don’t dwell within close range of a comedy venue, you can always host your own comedy night at home. Enlist some of his friends to be the stand-up comedians for the evening and have them host a comedy roast for the man of the hour. Have fun hosting an open mic night and let guests come up to the stage as they try their hands at being a real-life comedian.

There are lots of other ways you can celebrate this special day. For more comedy-centric 40^th birthday ideas, set up a fun photo booth featuring hilarious props like colored wigs, oversized sunglasses, and fake moustaches. If you know exactly who the birthday boy’s favorite comedian is, get a life-sized cutout of the performer and place it near the stage where the roast or comedy open mic night is held for fun.

5. Hello, Bartender

Some men enjoy an ice-cold pint of IPA, stout, or lager, while others love to sip on a nice glass of whiskey. While not all turning 40 birthday themes have to be centered around alcohol, it can be a fun way to celebrate this special occasion for those who do imbibe.

Set the party up like a real bar, including barstools and a bartender. You can be the bartender yourself or recruit a close friend to take on the role. Make sure you stock up the party with plenty of options, including craft beers from local breweries and classic mainstream favorites.

For hosts who prefer not to have a bar bash at home, book a fun brewery or winery tour so the birthday boy can have some fun checking out the behind-the-scenes of beer or winemaking. And, if you don’t mind hosting this type of bash at home, you can go all out and bring in a food truck that serves fresh tacos, wood-fired pizza, or barbecue for a delicious ending to the celebration.

Planning a Woman’s 40^th Birthday

Reaching the age of 40 is significant for lots of women. Whether you’re getting ready to plan a 40^th birthday party for your wife or your best gal pal, check out these exciting ideas to make the night unforgettable.  

1. Ruby Dreams

Since the 40^th birthday is the “ruby jubilee,” go with a ruby-red-colored theme. You can even incorporate something else, like a Wizard of Oz party theme for a fun nod to Dorothy’s famous ruby red slippers. A ruby jubilee is considered a traditional 40^th birthday celebration and the color for turning 40, so give her a ruby ring, necklace, or earrings to commemorate the occasion.

Of course, you’ll want the decorations to correspond as well, so try some vibrant ruby red velvet curtains, acrylic gemstones in a brilliant red hue scattered on the table, and decorate the cake in shades of red. Serve and sip on strawberry margaritas, red fruit punch, and her favorite red wine.

As for the invitations, try some cute and creative birthday invites featuring lush red berries, red diamonds or stones, or other designs accented with this symbolic ruby red hue. Decorate with red foil balloons and streamers. For dessert, try a luscious red velvet cake or a classic like strawberry shortcake with whipped cream.

2. 40 and Fabulous

Turning 40 is truly iconic, so make sure her birthday is, too. Another great birthday idea for a 40^th female party is a luxe, glamorous theme. Decorate with some cute metallic balloon letters that spell out “40 and Fabulous,” and be sure to use lots of shimmery shades of silver and gold.

Transform this fabulous party into a fun makeover night where the birthday girl and her guests enjoy being pampered. Do each other’s hair and makeup, or hire a professional to come and get everyone dolled up.

If you’re feeling extra saucy, ask your guests to come dressed in their very best elegant attire. From high heels and dresses to faux fur stoles, the sky is the limit. Roll out a red carpet and take photos of everyone as they arrive for another fun element.

3. Focus on her Accomplishments

If you’re celebrating a 40^th birthday for your wife, consider making it sentimental by celebrating the special accomplishments she’s made along the way. Design a display that includes 40 separate highlights of her life. These highlights can be anything from the moment she became a mother to your honeymoon or when she received her college degree.

The most important aspect of this 40^th birthday party is to make sure that the birthday gal knows she’s loved and appreciated. Have guests bring cards with some beautiful thoughts written inside about the birthday girl or that include some of their favorite memories they’ve made with her along the way.

If you happen to have a decent amount of video footage, create a special montage showcasing some of these memories for everyone to watch. For those who can’t attend, ask them to film a short video for the birthday girl and put them all together for a compilation she’ll treasure forever. There are plenty of beautiful birthday invites for women to choose from, so select one that best reflects her unique personality.

4. The Boho-Chic Birthday Party

Another terrific idea for a woman’s 40^th birthday party is to go all out with a sweet and feminine boho-chic design. Think of luscious florals, hippie-inspired flowy dresses, and romantic colors like pastel pink, blue, and green.

For the celebration itself, try a lovely backyard picnic featuring a large charcuterie board, bowls of fresh fruit, and some delicious cocktails or mocktails, depending on how she prefers to celebrate. Ask each guest to bring a special dessert or side dish that they made from scratch and share the recipe with the group.

To tie this boho theme together, light some scented candles or incense and decorate the table with a large vase filled with freshly cut flowers or branches. Watch some of her favorite vintage movies or play some classic hits that everyone can dance to. When it comes to boho party favors for her 40^th birthday, give out little bags filled with scented tealights, herbal tea, organic lip balm, and colorful drink cozies.

5. A Pampering 40^th Birthday Party

What better way for a woman to celebrate her 40^th than with a little pampering? Book a massage at her favorite spa or host a party yourself that includes lots of fun self-care activities.

Set up a table with lots of different nail polish designs or UV gels so everyone can paint their nails, or give out party favors featuring small bottles of bubble bath and a spa headband. To make the party even more memorable, have your guests wear plush bathrobes and slippers.

The key is to make sure this party focuses on relaxation and feeling good. Another great way to make this moment special is to host a backyard yoga session, set up a face mask “bar,” or have foot soaking stations.

Make Their 40^th Birthday One to Remember

Remember these creative 40^th birthday party ideas to create a moment in time that will last forever. Whether it’s a casino night, an adventurous day out hiking, or a pampering session, this is a major milestone that deserves to be celebrated.At Greetings Island, you’ll find creative party invitations for every important moment of life. Choose from pre-made designs or create a custom invite using photos and more. Explore our vast selection of unique birthday invitations before you throw your next party.

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