UGH! Forgot Someone’s Big Day? We’ve Got You Covered With 125 Belated Birthday Wishes and Messages

Wendee Wendt

June 22, 2023 at 7:15 PM·16 min read

Oh, no! You forgot someone's birthday....again! It happens. Life is busy. Let me repeat that—life is busy!

People can be more understanding than you may think if you skip the excuses and just acknowledge your simple mistake. We have created this list of 125 belated birthday wishes to help make it easier for you.

Maybe you didn't see the Facebook notification, maybe you were off your phone almost all day, maybe you have a lot of personal stress going on right now that has made it tricky to remember anything else. It's totally understandable! But now, how do you reach out to say, "Happy belated birthday"?

Whether it was the birthday of your friend, family member or coworker, we've got both thoughtful and funny messages you can share. Read through and see which one expresses just the right amount of sentiment to the person in your life whose birthday you happened to miss.

How to wish someone a happy birthday

Even with our smartphones, we can do silly things like forget someone special's day. We may forget to put it in our calendars or we may see that notification first thing in the morning and think that we will get to it later.

Wishing someone a happy birthday is easy. However, wishing someone a belated birthday can be trickier. You want to make sure the person you are giving the wishes truly understands what you truly mean. After all, you missed their special day, and you'll want to make sure they feel special regardless of that fact.

Humor can always break the ice, if it is harmless and well-received. But the key is to just be true to yourself, own the fact that you missed the person’s birthday and then genuinely wish them well.

125 Best belated birthday wishes

These wishes aren’t late, they’re just super early for next year! Happy birthday!

Belated happy birthday wishes to you! I so wanted to be on time but then I ended up being a little late… I promise I’ll be better next year!

A belated happy birthday! May every blessing find its way to your door—and hopefully faster than this card!

I truly hope your birthday was the best one yet. Sorry, I missed it.

Happy belated birthday! I hope whatever you wished for comes true this next year.

I know this is late—why break tradition? Hope your day was fun.

Whether my birthday wishes are this year (or technically for next year) they are still sincere in wanting nothing but the best for you!

Sorry, to be the last one to wish you a happy birthday, but my sincere feelings are always with you.

This is late, I know, but I hope it was a fantastic birthday for you!

Receive my sincere but belated wishes for happiness for your special day. I am also sending prayers for blessings and prosperity in the year to come.

Birthdays are meant to be fun and a celebration of milestones. I know you had a great one even though I missed it.

UGH! My brain short-circuited and I forgot your birthday. Please forgive me, and belated wishes to you!

I totally messed up and forgot your birthday. Hopefully, it was as fantastic as you are!

I must be getting more forgetful with age! I completely forgot your birthday but am still sending the most love-filled birthday wishes to you!

I really wanted to send you this birthday wish on time, but it wasn’t meant to be! Happiest of late birthday wishes!

From the bottom of my heart, I am sorry to have missed your special day! Belated birthday wishes!

Have another great day of birthday celebrations thanks to me and my forgetfulness!!

I am a bit late to the birthday party this year, and I am so sorry for that. I wish you nothing but peace and happiness this coming year! Happy birthday!

I am bowing my head and hoping you can forgive me for being late on your birthday wishes this year! I love you and am sending you the most heartfelt belated birthday wishes!

Happy (just a teeny-tiny bit late) birthday wishes! Have a sensational year ahead!

I promise that this will be the last time I miss such a special day. You mean the world to me, and I hope the day was everything you had hoped it would be.

Saved the best birthday wishes for last! Happy belated wishes to you!

Just when you thought your birthday ended, here come my wishes just in time! Belated birthday wishes!

I didn’t forget your birthday—I just forgot it was yesterday! Happiest of wishes to you!

You deserve the most incredible birthday—hopefully, my late wishes didn’t mess that up! Happy belated birthday!

I missed your birthday,
It snuck up on me this year.
But I’m sending some late wishes,
They’re extra special, my dear!

Belated birthday wishes for friends

Belated happy birthday to you. I hope you know that I would never miss the birthday of a good friend like you on purpose.

Even though this is late, it’s never too late to wish you the best of everything—always.

I didn’t want to throw you off and actually send your card on time. This way, you know it’s from me! Hope you had a good one.

I didn’t know whether to send you a handwritten letter, an email, a Facebook message, a text, a tweet, or a voice message. It took me a whole day to decide, so I ended up running late. Here, happy belated birthday wishes to you!

I can’t say enough how sorry I am for the late wishes on your birthday this year. Time simply got away from me on this one, my friend!

It seems you’ve been blessed with everything apart from a punctual birthday message from me. I hope you had a glorious day. Belated happy birthday, faithful friend.

Happy birthday to a warm, understanding, kind, fun and special friend. (See? Wasn’t that worth waiting for?)

Happy belated birthday to you. Thank you for being a beautiful and understanding person. I hope the year ahead comes with answered prayers and breakthroughs. You are a phenomenal person.

Somehow, I lost track of time, and I seem to have missed your special day. I am so sorry. I hope that it was spectacular. Belated happy birthday!

Happy belated birthday, Dear. Life is so busy nowadays, and I’m forgetful as always. I hope you’re enjoying a lot with your friends and family!

Yep—I forgot your birthday; but I could never forget a spectacular friend like you.

Belated happy birthday, my close friend. I am so sorry for forgetting. Please accept my belated greetings and my best wishes for a great year ahead.

You’re such a good friend with lots of wonderful gifts—lucky for me, one of them is forgiveness! Sorry, I missed your big day.

Good friends know that even if your birthday wish is late, it doesn’t mean you’re loved any less. Thanks for being such a good friend!

I hope this year’s birthday was as incredible as you are, my friend! Sorry, I missed it. Happy belated birthday wishes!

Belated wishes my friend! The 'best things do come to those who wait', don’t they?!

From one friend to another—happy belated birthday! My apologies for forgetting your special day!

Belated wishes to my forgiving friend! Pretty impressed with myself for remembering so soon after the actual day!

I missed it by just one day! Happy belated birthday to my dear friend!

Much love and hugs to my dear friend. Please forgive the belated birthday wishes. May you have a fantastic year to come!

I am a day late, but my wishes for you aren’t any less sincere. Happiest belated birthday, my friend!

I hope my friend your birthday was everything that you wished for. Belated wishes to you!

I care so much for you, friend, and feel terrible I missed your big day! Belated wishes and hugs!

Once again I am late with my birthday wishes. My bad!!

Happy belated birthday! You don’t look a day older than your birthday!

Funny belated birthday wishes

Better late than never! Hope you had a wonderful birthday!

I just didn’t want to break it to you that you are OLD! Ha Ha! Happy birthday!

Birthdays are special days, but you are special every day!

This wish is late, so we can celebrate longer! Happy birthday!

Legend has it, if someone forgets your birthday, then you don’t get older that year. You’re welcome!

Surprise! I didn’t actually forget your birthday! Belated birthday wishes!

No need to thank me for the belated birthday wishes, that’s what friends are for! Happy birthday!

Hopefully, you didn’t feel bad about me missing your birthday because I sure didn’t! Happy belated birthday, friend!

Happiest of belated birthday wishes to the most forgiving person I know! I wish you the best this year!

How am I supposed to remember your birthday, when you don’t look any older?

My birthday wishes aren’t late, you’re just old and confused! Love you!

Sometimes you need a friend to remember your birthday, and sometimes you need a friend at 3 a.m. to help hide a body. I can't be both! Happy belated birthday!

I hope you can appreciate that this is less belated than most of the birthday wishes that I send out.

Fashionably late is kind of my style. I hope you don’t mind! Happy belated birthday!

I didn’t really forget your birthday. I just wanted to keep the party going! Belated happy birthday!

I’m so sorry I forgot your birthday. The good news is that if you forget mine next year, I’ll forgive you. Happy belated birthday!

I’m so sorry I forgot your birthday. But hey, at least I didn’t forget that I forgot. Happy belated birthday!

From now on, I promise that the older you get, the better I will be at remembering birthdays. I think that’s fair. Have a great belated birthday.

Now that everyone else’s wishes have worn off, here’s a great big one from me!! Happy belated birthday!

Belated birthday wishes! Please forgive my time perception disorder.

Everyone else already wished you a happy birthday, but who’s thinking of you now? ME!

I did not forget your special day! You just deserved more than one. Belated wishes!

I prefer to celebrate your birth month, instead of your birthday! Happy birthday!

Sorry, I forget to wish you a belated birthday! Happy belated, belated birthday!

I don’t always wish you a belated birthday, but when I do, it is always a day late! Wishing you well!

Belated birthday wishes for family

My dear sister, I am so sorry this birthday wish is late. You're the best and deserve the best birthday wishes!

Belated happy birthday big brother. I wish I could attend your birthday, but work was so hectic. I hope you had a wonderful day.

Sorry, for the belated birthday wishes. I prefer to celebrate with you every day of the year!

Belated happy birthday! It’s true that I forgot your birthday, but the most pleasant thing is, I didn’t forget you. So, be happy!

I can’t believe I missed your birthday, because you’re too special to ever forget.

Oh dear, I missed your birthday. I hope it was fabulous. I wish you good health and happiness for the year to come. Receive my belated birthday wishes.

I want to give you double hugs, double kisses that are your bonus gifts to make up for being late wishing you a happy belated birthday.

Darling, despite the delay of my birthday wishes to you, please know that I am very ashamed and truly regret that. I promise to make it up to you. Happy belated birthday!

My sweet sister, I hope your day was filled with love and lots of gifts! Happy belated wishes to you!

Have a great second day of birthday celebrations (thanks to my forgetfulness)! Happy belated birthday, Dad!

Happy birthday, Cousin! Thanks to me, your birthday celebration has been extended!! Love you!

Happy belated wishes! I have already started counting the days until next year, so hopefully I don’t forget again! Much love!!

Surprise, Brother! I didn’t completely forget your birthday! Happy belated birthday!

Maybe, just maybe, I will get my crap together next year and actually remember your birthday on time!! Belated wishes, dear sister!

I am late with your birthday wishes, but there is always next year to get it right! Please forgive me! Loving birthday wishes!

Belated wishes to you, my brother! Just walking in the same footsteps as the one I admire most! (Since you were late wishing me a happy birthday last year too!)

You know how I like to be just a bit different! So, it shouldn’t surprise you that I picked a different day to wish you the most wonderful birthday wishes! Love you!

"Always save the best for last," even if last means these birthday wishes are a bit later than I intended. Happy belated, Momma!

There are a lot of things I don’t remember, but you aren’t one of them. Sorry, it wasn’t on the day, but it doesn’t mean you are special to me. Love you and belated wishes!

Just wanted to wish you the first birthday wish for next year, dear! Loving you always!

With so much going on, your birthday slipped my mind! Happy belated birthday, my dearest sister!!

I promise that even though I missed your birthday, Brother, it doesn’t mean that you aren’t important to me. Time passes so quickly, and it just slipped through my schedule. Happiest birthday wishes—late of course!

These birthday wishes aren’t late, I just wanted to wait and check in with you to make sure you had a great day! I love you!

I am a bit ashamed I couldn’t be there to celebrate your special day, but I am sending you birthday wishes anyways!

I can’t believe I could forget the birthday of someone so unforgettable! These are extra special wishes that I am sending you, my dear!

Belated birthday wishes for co-workers

Time slipped by, and I missed your most important day. I sure hope it was fantastic!

Birthday celebrations aren’t just about the day you were born but also the amazing ways you continue to impact this world. Happy belated birthday.

These wishes might be one day late, but I hope your birthday yesterday was everything you hoped it would be.

I am deeply sorry for missing your birthday. The important thing is that you had fun. Have a beautiful and prosperous year ahead.

Sorry I couldn’t catch up with you on your birthday! Hope it was great!

My belated wish for your birthday is that you are filled with much joy in the coming year.

I didn't realize it was your birthday!! Happy birthday, hope you had an amazing day.

I wasn’t sure how to wish you a belated happy birthday, but I thought it would probably be best to start off by apologizing for missing the actual day! Sorry for the late wishes!

I regret this birthday wish is late and pray you had a wonderful birthday! Many blessings and peace be with you this next year to come!

Happy belated birthday! I tried so hard to come up with the perfect birthday message, that I actually missed your birthday. Sorry!

Since I got this wish in only a few hours late, is it technically even belated?! Hope you had a great birthday!

Even though my wishes are late, the bright side is we can eat cake twice! Let’s bring on another year!

I definitely won’t miss next year’s celebration. You mean too much to me! Happy belated birthday!

I forgot your birthday, and for that I am sorry. But hey, let’s do a second celebration tonight!

I meant to say this to you earlier but….happy birthday! Sorry I didn’t make it on time.

Happiest wishes for you this next year. Hope you had an amazing day.

"OOOPS! I …did it… again…." (You're welcome for my birthday present song getting stuck in your head!) Love you very much!

I am thinking of you twice as much today—hopefully, that makes up for forgetting your birthday yesterday! Belated wishes for a good year to come!

Dang it! I forgot about your birthday yesterday. That doesn’t mean that I don’t wish the very best for you this next year. Belated wishes!

You really didn’t think I would forget your birthday, did you? The best birthday wishes, for the best friend anyone could have!

I am sorry to have missed your special day. I will make it up to you and buy you lunch! Happy birthday!

I truly apologize for missing your birthday! My wish is for you to have a fantastic year!

The truth is, I simply forgot your birthday, and for that I am sorry. May you have the greatest year yet!

Oh, man! Am I in the doghouse for forgetting your birthday?? I am so sorry and promise to make it up to you. Lovingly belated wishes to you!

I pinky-promise that from this day forward, “I will not forget another one of your birthdays.”

Happy belated birthday my gorgeous friend! Time just got the best of me, and I missed your special day!

Next: 75 Religious Birthday Wishes and Messages That Express Faith-Filled Love to Family and Friends

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