Only one day a year was meant to celebrate you, and that’s your birthday. If you’ve been trying to come up with new ideas for your big day each year, maybe you’ve wondered what your favorite celebrities do. From huge galas to quiet nights at home, stars spend their birthdays in a wide variety of ways. Maybe one of their popular ideas will catch your eye for your next celebration.
1. Renting an Entire Island
While the average citizen might consider purchasing cruise packages a way of going big for his or her 21st birthday, Justin Bieber couldn’t stop at sailing the seven seas. The Pisces, who was born March 1, 1994, rented an entire Caribbean island for his 21st birthday in 2015. Located near Grenada, he popped champagne on the private island with some of the most popular names in the business, including Hailey Baldwin, who is now his wife. Not to be outdone by himself, he also threw a star-studded soiree for his 22nd birthday in 2016, using James Goldstein’s Los Angeles-area home as the backdrop.
2. Choosing Big Themes
Themed birthday parties are a favorite among celebrities, and Beyonce is no exception. When the Virgo turned 35 in 2016, she decided to go all out with a “Soul Train” birthday party. Naturally, her husband and fellow musician, Jay-Z, attended, as did her equally musical sister, Solange Knowles. Other guests who dressed in their best ’70s fashion and boogied down the “Soul Train” runway included Alicia Keys and her husband, Swizz Beatz, as well as former members of Destiny’s Child, the girl group that rocketed Beyonce to fame.
3. Planning a Different Party for Every Night
Chances are your friends and your parents have two different ideas regarding how you’d like to celebrate your birthday. Like many other people, celebrities are known for planning different parties for different friend groups when they celebrate their birthdays. Lauren Conrad is just one example. The Aquarian loves planning parties and uses it to her advantage every February. Her go-to options typically include an upscale dinner full of laughs and conversation with family and a wild night on the town in Las Vegas with her friends.
4. Keeping It Intimate
Celebrities don’t always want to have huge parties for their birthdays. Some, like Chrissy Teigen, prefer to celebrate their big days in more intimate ways. For her 30th birthday, the model ordered some of her favorite food and spent the evening with her husband, R&B singer John Legend. He even sang her a special song. Even if your sweetheart isn’t musical, there’s nothing wrong with a quite birthday night in, complete with takeout, a favorite show, and a board game or two.
5. Making a Big Purchase
Celebrities are known for treating themselves, and their birthdays are no different. Pankaj Parakh, leader of NCP, went above and beyond when he wore a gold shirt for his birthday. That isn’t gold like the color, but gold as in the entire shirt was made of pure gold. A team of 20 jewelers spend more than 3,000 hours over the span of two months creating the shirt in Nashik before he wore it on his big day. Perhaps you can’t afford a shirt made out of pure gold, but why not treat yourself to a new piece of jewelry or that pair of jeans you’ve been eyeing for the past few weeks?
6. Spending Time Alone
Celebrities are almost always in the spotlight. For many, the best thing they do for themselves on their birthdays is to simply spend it alone. If you’re a busy parent or have a highly demanding job, perhaps you’d like to follow suit. Spend your next birthday alone, whether at home or in a hotel, ordering food, reading a book, or catching up on your sleep.
Remember, your birthday is supposed to be about you. If you want to have a huge celebration, of course you should do it. However, don’t feel obligated to have a celebration simply because your friends or family expect you to. Above all else, be sure you’re honoring your own needs and wants on your special day.