My dad's 50th party?

Question

I want to get my dad a really great gift for his 50th birthday. My budget is between $200-$300. I thought of doing a cigar bar at the party we are having (its a flipping HUGE party) but i cant get anyone to come to my town.. and i have no idea how much it costs. Does anyone have any ideas? so far i have ideas for gift cards..but i would rather spend the money on the party in some way where i can surprise him cause i know my parents are already spending so much on the party. Any ideas are appreciated.

Answer 1

Okay, I have to confess I don't know what a cigar bar is. And my gift ideas are things my siblings and I did for our parent's 50th Anniversary party, but they may still work for you. We put together a video of pictures of the couple alone and with their family and friends and set it to music. We also contacted friends and family and asked them to share a favorite memory (in writing so the honoree could have it as a keepsake) that was read aloud. The funny or slightly embarrassing ones were the most popular with the audience. We also did a "This is your life" type of thing where a surprise guest is hidden away and speaks through a microphone, sharing an experience that hopefully is remembered by the honoree. Hope this helps.

Additional details: The pictures were on a disc, not a tape. And it's also fun to research the year the person was born and have a report made of anything newsworthy such as any celebrity born the same day or year, the price of food or gasoline, the newest fads, music, medical breakthroughs, etc.

Answer 2

I love the idea of a video, I think it's touching and something they'll always remember.

You can also have a scrapbook made of his life, in fact if you yourself don't want to do it there are people that would come and spend hours with him interviewing him and making the book for him.  

You can get him a nice bottle of Dom Perignom champagne.  Or if he likes a certain wine etc, you can get him that.

If he does like cigars and you think he would really like a cigar bar at the party, I would keep looking.  Go online and keep checking out places, I'm sure that when someone hears that you want to do this for your dad, they will do it, do NOT give up!  There are still people left in this world with a heart and I wouldn't give up just yet!  I would keep at it if you know this is something he would really love.

If there is NO possible way to do that, is there someone in your family he hasn't seen in years that you know he would love to see that's not coming to the party?  With your budget you could pay for their airfare and surprise him with their presence at the party.  Maybe even an old friend that he talks about but hasn't seen in ages that you know he'd love to see.

What about something special from you to him?  I had a guy around here that did etchings out of metal and I wrote a letter to my dad and gave him a picture of us, he took the letter and picture and etched it out the metal and backed on velvet and framed, it came out beautiful, maybe you can do something like that.

If he likes cigars, can you get him some really nice cigars?  Ones that he woudn't normally buy for himself, but being you have the money and are ready to splurge for him, you can?  What about a cigar humidor?  Does he have any or can you upgrade one he already has?

I know how hard it can be, my dad is the type that when you ask him he doesn't want anything and if he needs something, he goes out and buys it.  

There is another place online that takes your life's memories and makes it into art, like a street, you put in the big moments, and they make it a street, and things will be put in lights, or a storefront, etc.  It's really cute, it's called my memory lane etc.  

What about the photo to canvas, it's when you send in a picture and then actually take the picture and paint a portrait from the photo you can even send them several photos and you can tell them which people you want in which photos to include, you can have a family portrait taken or even a family portrait painted or even both!  Have a photographer do an updated family portrait and then send that in to be painted.  I'm sure he would love that being it's his family.  

I'm sorry that's all I can think of right now. There's also those monthly clubs and those experience kind of gifts where you spend a day in a hot air balloon or driving a race car, etc.  Do a search of a experience days and you'll get a ton of websites with ideas and what areas they're in.  Also like wine of the month, etc.