How to Plan a Simple surprise Retirement Party

My mom retired from Target after 47 years of employment. While she is choosing to continue to work for few years, she is going to get a job that is much less physically demanding. My sister and I wanted to honor her years of service at Target and bring together a bunch of loved ones to celebrate her.

We pulled the party together in two short weeks. Here’s how we kept it simple, but still made is memorable.

Digital Retirement Party Invitation

We designed an invitation using an Etsy template and then texted/emailed it to family and friends.

Simple Food for a Retirement Party

We held the party from 5:30-8:30, so we needed to serve dinner. We got pulled pork from a local restaurant, made a big salad and had a variety of chips.

We also ordered a Costco cake. Tip: Costco doesn’t do customized art (we wanted to have a Target bullseye on the cake), but you can get an extra bag of frosting to do your own art.

A Theme + Matching Colors

Since Mom had worked at Target for 47 years, we asked everyone to come dressed in red and khaki/jeans. Nearly everyone participated and it was such a simple, delightful element. It also made for a lot of really cute pictures.

I wore this eyelet dress and it was perfect! Highly recommend for any event (it comes in lots of colors). My daughter wore this cute mini dress.

We decorated using Target bags, the Target dog and red and white party elements. We bought balloons and tablecloths from Target and everything looked so good. We also used Target paper products to make it all come together.

We also had a sign made commemorating the party and Mom’s retirement.

A Photo Spot for Retirement Party Photos

We ordered these photo arches from Amazon and hired a local balloon artist to create a simple red and white balloon arch. We had this set at the entrance of the party so it set the theme up nicely.

We also communicated to everyone that we wanted to do a group picture for Mom.

Instead of a guest book, we had a photo mat for people to sign and then we got an 8×10 developed of the group photo.

A Custom Button + Name tags

Because not everyone knew each other, we had nametags for everyone to put on when they got to the party. My sister designed them to look like Target employee badges.

I also printed pictures of my Mom at Target that said “I Love Deb!” on each, and turned them into buttons. I bought a button maker on Amazon and it was such a fun, personalized touch for the party. Everyone also went home with a little memento.

Mom’s retirement party was something I know she will never forget. It was a great reminder to me that celebrating the people we love matters. You don’t need to spend a lot of money to make a memory and show someone you care about them.