7 Questions to Help Plan Your Next Big Celebration

I’m turning 50 this week.

I guess it’s true what they say–time flies by when you’re having fun!

I’m grateful to have created a really beautiful life in my 50 years on this planet. I’ve got a loving husband, an incredible daughter, tons of friends and relatives I adore, a successful business where I get to do meaningful work and help the coolest clients live their best lives, and I feel positive, happy, and hopeful most days. Sure, I’ve had my fair share of challenges in life and if you’ve been in my sphere for a while, you’ve heard me write or talk about them plenty. But they’ve all shaped me into the woman that I am today and I am grateful for all of my Life Experiences to bring me to this point–turning 50.

So, what does this mean for me?

It’s Party-Time! I love a good party and when it’s a milestone year, I have no problems with throwing a shindig (or two!). For me, having a party is about surrounding myself with the people I love most in the world. Life is busy and full with work, parenting, volunteering, and other responsibilities. Birthdays are a great excuse to take some time off from real life and spend quality time with friends and family I enjoy. I especially love bringing people together who’ve never met but I just know they will have a blast hanging out together. This year, I’m having two gatherings. One with Texas friends in the Hill Country at the adorable Wildflower Inn and one with my Asheville, North Carolina friends where we’re all meeting up to go see Oprah together in Charlotte! January’s shaping up to be a fun month!

So, what does my birthday mean for you?

You get a sneak peak into the questions I ask myself when planning a special celebration. It’s a chance for me to share with you a planning tool that I use for myself and with my clients who are planning their own big event. As you may know, I’m a big proponent of ALL celebrations. I believe in celebrating milestone events and important transitions–birthdays, anniversaries, job changes, retirement, moves, and more. In fact, I’ve written a book about it and I’m shopping around for a literary agent to help me get it published.

I believe celebrating birthdays is life affirming.

Being reminded of our inner divine spark is a beautiful thing. Birthdays can be a time of reminding us of our strengths, gifts, and talents, and they can remind us of just how much love surrounds us. Sometimes we forget and it’s good to be reminded. When you dismiss or ignore your birthday, it’s almost as though you’re ignoring—or even rejecting—the gift of your precious life. By not receiving love from people around you, you are effectively putting a stopper on the flow of abundance and the recognition of your uniqueness. A celebration doesn’t have to be big or extravagant to be meaningful.

I also believe those sentiments hold true regarding other life transitions.

Getting married–or divorced–it’s important to know that you have a community of support. When moving to a new city or state, it’s important to say a proper “good-bye” and an equally important “hello” to your new home and new environment. When someone you love dies, it’s important to honor their memory and celebrate their life as you adjust to your new reality without them in the world.

So, if you have a big transition coming up, I invite you to consider these seven questions to help you plan your celebration. There is no right or wrong way to do this. You could plan a gathering for hundreds or it could simply be something for a small group of close intimates. Often, I ask clients what they want to do to celebrate a milestone event and they don’t even know. Hopefully these questions will help you to think through the upcoming event and get your creative juices flowing. Of course, if you’d like extra inspiration and support on this, I’d love to do a Sacred Celebrations Coaching Session with you.

7 Questions to Help Plan Your Next Big Celebration

1. What’s your vision for the sacred celebration that you would like to create?
2. Who do you plan to invite to this gathering?
3. Do you have some ideas for where you would like to hold it?
4. What is your timeline? When do you want to host your ritual? And about how long do you anticipate it lasting?
5. What are your goals for this gathering? What do you want participants to experience? How do you want everyone to feel before, during and after the ritual?
6. Have you given any initial thoughts to the sensory elements that you might want to include?
7. Is there anyone else helping to plan and facilitate this ritual with you? Or are there key people that you might want to check in with about the planning & preparations?

You may also download these as a PDF so you can print them out and work through them at your convenience.
Let me know what creative ideas this stirs up for you by leaving a comment.

Good luck designing your next big celebration!
Cheers!
Elizabeth