If Everyone's Not There, Don't Open the Chips?

I’ve never had a surprise birthday party nor have a planned one, but it’s interesting to see the etiquette involve in attending one.

On the weekend I went to a surprise 30^th birthday party for a baseball friend and arrived about 45 minutes prior to her coming home from dinner with her husband.  Everything was already decorated and 80% of the people who would eventually show up were already there.  So, once we got there and met with people, we immediately opened a drink and began to “socialize”.

At a party it is customary to bring your own drinks and engage in conversations and be apart of the fun. What I don’t understand is the food portion of the surprise party.  At the party on Saturday night, there was a lovely array of chips and party mix, numerous other snacks, and of course, the cake. Why is it that those snacks are not opened prior to the guest of honour arriving?

It doesn’t make sense, the party has essentially started and you have already begun drinking. I understand the cake. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying present the birthday girl with a half-eaten cake, but what does it matter about the chips and other snacks? Is opening a beer and getting an early start on the drinking only okay because you brought it yourself whereas the party planners where the ones in charge of the snacks?

Additionally funny was when I mentioned this very point to others at the party they didn’t know why either, yet as soon as we surprised the birthday girl, the chips were IMMEDIATELY opened but there were no bowls. Apparently, the planners had to wait to get the bowls in case the house-owner (the birthday girl) got suspicious because there were bowls missing?!  That’s not the first thing I do when I get home from dinner, check the cupboard to see if my bowls are still there! I would be more apt to be suspicious to find my fridge full of 12 different kinds of beer chilling in there without me putting them there…

But regardless, the party went off without a hitch, the husband led her right downstairs to where her friends and family were waiting to surprise her and she WAS surprised.  I just wish I could have had a couple chips to tide me over until the cake was cut that’s all!