Alison and her husband, Zach, both turned 40 this year, so they threw a large party together. “We considered a sit-down dinner,” Alison said. “But we love being silly, wearing wigs, and singing karaoke, so we thought, why not turn it into a children’s birthday party for adults?” Here are a few highlights from the celebration, along with Alison’s recap.
“We liked a neighborhood dive bar called Boat, but it didn’t have a phone number, website, or email address. I visited three or four times, became close friends with the bartender, and convinced her to let us host the party in the back.”
“I had always wanted to wear an over-the-top dress. I found two pink dresses and ordered both a short and a long version. I couldn’t decide, so Joanna came over while I tried them on. Jo said, ‘You can wear the long one anytime in your life, but this mini dress is basically saying, “This is 40!!!!”’ I felt fantastic that night, so it was the perfect choice.”
“For the menu, we went high and low, serving chicken nuggets with caviar alongside generous platters of French fries. We also decorated with fringed garlands and paper chains, and filled the space with balloons marked 1986, our birth year.”
“We decided to hire a face painter. We were also planning temporary tattoos, but someone suggested going one step further and hiring professional tattoo artists. I didn’t realize that was an option, but you can invite them to a party. My brother assumed no one would actually get a tattoo, but eight people did!”
“Of course, we had a karaoke session. Here, Freddie and Zach are singing the Backstreet Boys’ ‘I Want It That Way.’”
“My karaoke choice was Miley Cyrus’s ‘Flowers.’”
“We invited family, neighbors, and friends from every part of our lives. I love it when people jump in and belt out a song, even if they can’t carry a tune. That’s my favorite part.”
“We also served a vintage-style cake—the more colors, the better.”
“At the end of the night, Zach and I sang Natasha Bedingfield’s ‘Unwritten,’ a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. We love dancing while acting out the lyrics. For ‘feel the rain on your skin,’ we pretend it’s raining. For ‘staring at the page,’ we hold up books. And for Journey’s ‘I’m Just a Small-Town Girl,’ we act out riding a train or standing beneath a streetlight, with Zach playing the streetlight and me standing beside him.”
“We loved every moment. It truly reflected who we are. I love the attention, and Zach is happy to go along for the ride.”
(Photos by our friend Ana Gambuto.)
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