Throwing a Sweet 16 party can be a fun but stressful experience. There are a ton of details to deal with from picking the right Sweet 16 DJ to looking at the venues in your area. Here are some steps you should take to make the night the best it can be.
- Look at how much you can really spend. This should be the first thing you do whenever you are planning a big event. People in the United States generally pay between $300 to up to $25,000 for their party. Some people even pay more. When you determine what you can spend and what your budget is, you can break this down into what you want to pay for your venue, the catering, and the Sweet 16 DJ. Knowing what your priorities for the event are important as well. If you are handling the food and drinks yourself, you may be able to spend more on a custom DJ package, for instance.
- Put together your list of guests. This can make a difference in what venues you are going to want to look at. This also may change the exact date of the party, depending on the birthday date itself. Some people go all out and have parties with more than 100 people in attendance. Work this out with your daughter. She may want everyone she has ever met or may be more happy with just a smaller group of friends and family.
- Get a venue. You should start your venue search early. There are venues that are used for a lot of different things — weddings, prom and graduation parties and the like — so if your daughter’s birthday falls in one of those areas, you may have stiff competition for the venues you like the most.
- Think about a theme. This, of course, is not something you have to do but can make the party a lot more fun to plan and attend. There are a number of themes that have been popular in recent years. Some include Princess, zombie, luau, or Hollywood Glamour. If this is not a surprise party kind of thing, you should talk to your daughter about what kind of party they would like to have the most.
- Send out your invitations.You should do this early. Event planning experts say that people should send out the invitations to parties and events like this at least three to five weeks before the party. If you are planning it at a popular time of the year, you may want to do it earlier.
- Think about the food. If you are going with a theme for the Sweet 16 Party, you may have an idea about what kind of food and beverages you are going to serve at the party. Zombie parties can have a lot of fun zombie-themed drinks and foods. You should decide if your Sweet 16 celebration will have a full meal or just offer snacks.
- Work out a schedule of events for the big night. You may want to talk to the Sweet 16 DJ about how to work out what happens after the party starts. They can help with a playlist or worth with you on your specific needs. You still need to work out when guests will be asked to arrive when you will serve food, what time you will bring out the cake and what time the guests should go home.
- Get your vendors lined up. The same way that the venues may book up early, party DJs and DJ entertainment services do as well. If you really like a particular DJ company, for instance, you should make sure you talk to them well in advance of the big day. You should do the same for the caterer, decorator and any other vendors you are thinking of hiring for this great gala.
- Lay down the law. Teenagers will try to get away with a lot at these parties. You need to let your daughter know that alcohol, for instance, will not be tolerated.
From Getting the right Sweet 16 DJ to setting the right theme, you can have a really great party for your daughter with these tips.
