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By Lucy Smith - Last updated on
Rather than giving a gift this year, how about organizing an event for your boyfriend’s birthday?
Everyone loves presents, but they also love making memories with special people.
This is the perfect opportunity to do that thing you’ve always talked about doing together!
It’s a lovely time to really go for it, whether that means printing out an invitation or surprising him with a room full of his friends.
Choose something you’ll enjoy doing together and you’ll be giving him the best gift ever…
1. Go on a brewery tour.
Yes, it’s a gender-stereotypical way to kick off the list, but it’s also a great way to celebrate.
A lot of smaller, craft beer breweries will run pretty cheap tours, and you’ll get to taste a whole bunch of delicious beers in the process.
This is a really fun way to spend your boyfriend’s birthday!
2. Host a games night.
Invite some of his favorite people around for an evening of games, or keep it just the two of you if you’d prefer something more intimate.
Hoard a little collection of board games, quiz games, or challenge games in the run-up to his birthday and surprise him with a fun night in.
3. Enjoy a DIY movie night.
Make a home cinema and enjoy cozying up with each other.
This is a really lovely idea for your boyfriend’s birthday and doesn’t cost much money, either.
Choose his favorite movie, stick on a full box set, or find something you both love.
You can get popcorn, blankets, and comfy clothes ready and surprise him with a movie theatre in your living room.
4. Share a bath.
Set a romantic mood for his birthday by running a bath full of bubbles.
Light some candles, put some nice music on in the background, and open a bottle of wine.
This is a nice way for the two of you to connect without any other distractions.
If you fancy sticking Netflix on while you soak, we won’t judge you!
5. Run a co*cktail night.
Invite your boyfriend to a birthday co*cktail masterclass in the kitchen!
Get some cool decorations to make it more exciting (maybe an inflatable flamingo and some pineapple bunting!) and stock up on ingredients for 2 or 3 of his favorite drinks.
Either learn the recipes beforehand so that you can teach him, or find a YouTube video and learn together.
Make it more fun by ordering some little co*cktail umbrellas, funky straws, and tasty garnishes and sticking on a tropical playlist.
6. Cook together.
Plan a chilled evening in and cook together. Choose a meal that you both love and that has enough bits for you to both be cooking at the same time.
Or, cook for him! Everyone loves being treated to a home-cooked meal, and you can set the table up with candles, cute napkins, and some pretty flowers.
7. Bust out the video games.
If your boyfriend loves video games, have a video game night!
If you’re new to it, ask him to show you the ropes. If not, the challenge is on – make it a competition and enjoy showing off your skills.
If you’re not into video games, but your boyfriend is, ask his friends to get online at the same time and surprise him with a game.
You might not be able to get fully involved, but he’ll really enjoy it and he’ll love that you came up with the idea.
Just make sure you spend some time together afterwards!
8. Go to a sports bar.
Heading to a sports bar might not be part of your usual Friday night plans, but they can be so much fun.
If your boyfriend loves sports, take him to a local sports bar, drink some beer, and immerse yourself in it all.
He’ll really appreciate you making the effort to do something he likes doing, and you can head off to a nicer bar afterwards for a tasty drink to make up for it all!
9. Book a karaoke booth.
If you’re a power couple who love a power ballad, book a room for the two of you.
If not, invite your shared friends along and surprise your boyfriend with a karaoke night!
Fancy dress is encouraged…
10. Organize a pub crawl.
If you both enjoy a night out, arrange a pub crawl for your boyfriend’s birthday.
Map out bars and pubs that you both love – maybe include a food stop along the way to be safe! – and head out on your adventure.
Make it even cuter by printing out an invite for him, or make a list to work through together – Bar 1, drink a pint; Bar 2, do a shot of tequila; Bar 3, get a packet of nuts, etc.
You’ll end up having a lot of fun – just remember to drink plenty of water along the way.
11. Go for a long walk in the countryside.
If you’re the kind of couple who prefer chilled events to nights out and tequila, get immersed in the countryside.
Plan a nice long walk for the two of you, pack a little bag with some snacks, and set off into the wilderness.
Or, if you’re feeling more adventurous, set out and see where the wind takes you (safely, of course!).
12. Head to a wine tasting.
Another fun boozy one here! Head out to a local wine tasting event – if you don’t live near a vineyard, check out the bars in your local area.
A lot of places run events like this now, so try to find one close to the birthday date and book yourselves in.
This is a really fun way to spend an evening together and, even though you’re learning about wine with a group of strangers, it’ll still feel nice and romantic.
13. Go to an art class.
Look for fun classes or workshops near to where you live and book onto the one that sounds the most fun.
It doesn’t matter if neither of you have done it before, you’ll end up having a brilliant time.
Ceramics, painting, stained glass. Whatever it is, you’ll both be making happy memories together – and you’ll get something to take home at the end of it.
14. Book a spa day.
There’s a bit of a myth that spa days are for women, but most men love them as well!
The chance to put your feet up, enjoy an amazing massage, and soak in a pool all day? Birthdays don’t get much better than this.
15. Get outdoors.
If you’re quite an outdoorsy couple, why not organize a camping trip? Head out for the weekend with your tent and get back into nature.
This is also a lovely way for you to connect with each other and have some time as a couple without distractions.
16. Go all out.
Why not book that fancy restaurant you’ve both been talking about for ages?
Birthdays are the perfect excuse to splash out a bit, if you can afford to, and you’ll really enjoy knowing how special the occasion is.
Get all dressed up, go for a glass of fizz at a nice bar, and then head over for a delicious meal, knowing that you’re celebrating him and your relationship!
Putting your all into his birthday celebrations is a great way to be a good girlfriend.
17. Book a gig.
If you’re both into music, find a gig that you’ll both love.
If not, choose his favorite band/genre and see what’s on around the time of his birthday.
Surprise him with tickets and head out for an amazing night.
18. Relive your first date.
This is something that a lot of people tend to save for anniversaries, but it can be a really sweet way to say happy birthday to your boyfriend.
Go back to the place you met, or where you went for your first coffee/drink.
It’ll be a really special way to show how much you care and will be a perfect way to connect as a couple too.
19. Organize a chilled day.
If he’s not massively into birthdays, but you still want to do something nice together, have a lazy day!
It’s okay to stay home or to have a mellow day – we often get caught up in spending lots of money and planning big things and, sometimes, it’s nice to just spend your birthday with someone you love.
Stay home, watch TV in bed, have some tasty food and relax. There’s no shame in celebrating by not-celebrating!
20. Let him choose.
Don’t make any plans and, instead, say that you’ll go along with whatever he decides.
You may end up staying home and getting takeaway or you might end up with a bunch of friends on a wild night out.
Either way, you’ll know that he’s having a brilliant time because he’s doing exactly what he wanted – spending time with you doing things he loves.
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