What better way to celebrate a milestone birthday than a surprise birthday celebration in the iconic Swiss Alps?

To create an unforgettable birthday for this celebrant, we spent nine months working with his wife. The family made plans to go to their holiday house in the quaint village of Villars-Sur-Ollon. To his knowledge, he was going to have a simple birthday with his family. What he did not know is that his wife had invited 50 of his friends and family members to join them! The amount of planning and secrecy from everyone involved was an amazing group effort.

On the first day, all the guests met up with our planner Annelies to go to the location of the surprise. Our client loves to go back to the basics in nature, especially when on holiday. So of course, we all waited high in the mountains to surprise him as he began his hike! It was completely unexpected for him. The joy on his face seeing everyone who showed up for him is truly an unforgettable moment.

After a moment of thanks and hugs and tears, everyone began the hike with the help of local guides. The views of the mountain range were stunning the whole way. And what a mind-blowing treat at the top! Everyone was welcomed to a typical Swiss Chalet that offered stunning views and an incredible dinner. Guests enjoyed a classic cheese fondue spread to fuel their hike back down the mountain. The first day was filled with locally inspired foods, great wines, quality time, and unreal views.

The second day, the actual birthday day, began with a lovely brunch at the family’s home. All the guests were excited to be there, where the family love to spend time during holidays. They idea was to put together a spread of typical Swiss delights that the family enjoys and make everyone feel at home.

In the evening, the epic birthday celebration began. Our client loves great food, the best wines, a nice ambience, and a good party. To accomplish all of this, we privatized Restaurant 1913 at the Villars Palace Hotel. We created a mountain chic set-up that accompanied the incredible mountain views. It was perfect weather for guests to enjoy aperitifs on the terrace. Dinner was an amazing spread, and it was accompanied with heartfelt speeches from his family. To top it off, a tiered birthday cake was served that was decorated perfectly on theme. We flew in an amazing Dutch DJ, who brought the vibe after dinner and everyone danced the night away!

The following day was a post-party outdoor activity. Guests had the option to bike, or take the gondola and hike, for a journey up the mountain. At the top was a lovely lake where some people went for a dip. Guests relaxed, swam, had a bite to eat, and just enjoyed all being together to celebrate someone they love.

It was really important to the birthday celebrant’s family that the event felt like something he would plan, even though it was a surprise. At Art2Arrange, we make it a priority to reflect a persons personality, passion, and preferences in their event. This way, events are never the same and always unique to the client. For this event, we made sure to incorporate outdoor sport elements like hiking and biking, as he really enjoys them. He also prefers a laid-back party, but to still have a lot of fun, so we made sure the program didn’t feel too strict. It truly reflected his vibe and he was so happy with the outcome. Surprise parties can be difficult, but with our help, you can surprise a loved one and enjoy the event yourself!