If you are hosting a surprise birthday party for a family member or friend, finding the right spot is key to the atmosphere and overall fun factor participants have during the event. Here are points to keep in mind when making a choice for a venue.

Consider An Indoor Venue

While an outdoor party is certainly an option, having an area inside to retreat to is beneficial as well. An indoor venue allows guests to congregate in an area well-protected against all types of weather. This ensures you do not need to reschedule your party date because of inclement conditions. Indoor venues also provide plenty of additional amenities not always available outdoors such as bathroom facilities, electrical outlets, and areas for food preparation and storage. 

Make Sure The Space Is Adequate

Before selecting a venue for a birthday party, do a headcount of the guests who had responded to the celebration so you know exactly how many plan on attending. You do not want to book a facility where guests do not have enough room to mingle, dance, and eat without feeling as if they are on top of each other. Ask each prospective venue for their facility's maximum occupancy level to get a better idea of how many people fit inside comfortably.

Find Out About Specific Features

Some event venues provide catering services, maintenance assistance, or musical entertainment in addition to the space being rented. When you start your hunt for an event location, inquire about the amenities available, and any pricing required to acquire them. Sometimes having everything available in the event location itself ends up being less expensive than having to find and pay vendors separately. 

See If Decorations Are Allowed

For a birthday party, decorations are a necessity to set the mood for the event. Some venues provide decorations while others ask that you bring in your own. If an event venue allows the latter, find out which types of decorations are allowed before the event arrives. For example, knowing whether you are able to hang posters on walls or if you need to stick with table decor helps you when it comes time to purchase these items.

Check Out The Parking Area

For a surprise party, hiding guests' vehicles from the guest of honor is important. Select a venue that has a large parking area so vehicles are not prominently displayed for the guest of honor to see upon their arrival. Alternately, select a venue where a back parking area is available to hold vehicles out of view.

Look for indoor venues in your area.