Help planning a Sweet 16!

[scottmel]

Wow! I guess the whole huge Sweet 16 parties haven't caught on here! My DD will be 16 in March - she is not anywhere close to a girlie girl - more like a gamer girl. I am SO lucky - no party, just a trip for her and I attend a convention "RTX" in Austin over the summer. However, I will live vicariously through you guys and all of your awesome sounding plans!

LOL our DD's would get along great! No Sweet 16 here unless it was Minecraft themed!! They aren't popular in my area and my DD wouldn't attend her own if they were. But I love reading this, so cool!!!

 

[mjkacmom]

I'd go with eggplant rollatini instead of eggplant parm if you are having chicken parm. Shoot, now I'm craving eggplant rollatini....

Around here, those photo booths are a HUGE hit. As for dd16's party, I just had a swim party with a taco bar. Being the oldest of 5, I make a point of setting the bar low!

 

[Desnik]

Wow! I guess the whole huge Sweet 16 parties haven't caught on here! My DD will be 16 in March - she is not anywhere close to a girlie girl - more like a gamer girl. I am SO lucky - no party, just a trip for her and I attend a convention "RTX" in Austin over the summer. However, I will live vicariously through you guys and all of your awesome sounding plans!

Lucky you! lol But honestly, I'm 37 & my older sis is 42. Sweet 16's were huge in our time too! My sister had 300 people at a hall, had her dress made, had a photographer & everything! It was crazy! Me, I had a family party at our house, then the night of my bday I had 4 of my closest friends go out to dinner with me in a limo to Tavern on the Green in NYC. Then we came back to my house, changed, picked up my older sis & her BF (they were chaperones) and we went clubbing all night long! It was great!

What about instead of hiring servers hiring a bartender who can make and serve nonalcoholic cocktails? I would suggest for music you do what is done at a lot of weddings. At beginning play a mix of music with a high percentage of music liked by the older crowd and as the night goes on the percentage of music liked by older people does down and the percentage of music liked by your daughter and her friends goes up.

Great idea about the music! I think that servers would be more helpful though then a bartender. Actually the servers will serve drinks too, just not special fancy ones

When I read your first post, I immediately thought "black and purple" so when you said she had decided on colours and those were them I kinda chuckled. But when I think of black and purple, and being a Disney fan, I immediately think of the Haunted Mansion! lol

We love the Haunted Mansion & were thinking of doing the invitations like the wallpaper in there, you know with the black and purple demask.

We recently went to one where the host hired a caricature artist. Everyone loved it!

I would serve alcohol. Beer and wine would be perfect!

I would also hire some servers to help set up and clean as well. This way you could enjoy your party.

Have fun!

Caricature artist is a great idea!

I'd go with eggplant rollatini instead of eggplant parm if you are having chicken parm. Shoot, now I'm craving eggplant rollatini....

Around here, those photo booths are a HUGE hit. As for dd16's party, I just had a swim party with a taco bar. Being the oldest of 5, I make a point of setting the bar low!

You're right about the eggplant rollatini instead of the parm!
I want the photobooth, but I'm not sure if it'll fit in our budget!

I wish my DD's bday was in the summer! But in Jan in NY we have no choice but to have the party indoors.

 

[Desnik]

Here's an update! I hope all this can help others when planning their parties!
My budget for the party is $5000.
Hall (includes tables & chairs) $850 (you get $250 back 4 days later when they approve the condition of the room was the same as when we received it)
DJ $750 4 hours (includes light show, and tv screens to play photo montage)
Food $1100 (with tax included)
Servers $320 4 hours set up clean up & they bring the food
Cake $500
*This leaves $1480 for invitations, centerpieces, decorations/paper goods & favors

The invitations we will design ourselves & order online. The centerpieces I will make. I have no idea about the favors or decorations because she still hasn't picked a theme!!

But at least I've got the food, hall, DJ, and cake sorted out!!

It doesn't look like I'll have money for extras like the photobooth or dessert bar. Unless one of the grandparents chips in! My older sister wants to but DD's dress, so one less expense!!

 

[DisneyMissy318]

LOL our DD's would get along great! No Sweet 16 here unless it was Minecraft themed!! They aren't popular in my area and my DD wouldn't attend her own if they were. But I love reading this, so cool!!!

Too funny! She and her friends spend hours on Minecraft! Portal is another! I'm sure they have lots in common!

I'm still enjoying the conversation and ideas for the OPs daughter! Sounds like an awesome party! You might poke around on Etsy for ideas or some custom items - we've slways had good luck in finding more obscure themes.

 

[aprilgail2]

I have no idea about the favors or decorations because she still hasn't picked a theme!!

Since its the winter you can always do chocolate for favors- the last party I was at gave these and they were a BIG hit! And they were real chocolate, not like those waxy wafer things people use at home to make what they call "chocolate"

http://www.chocolatebydesigninc.com/prod_Acoustic-Guitar-Favor_497_16.aspx

Wow! I guess the whole huge Sweet 16 parties haven't caught on here! My DD will be 16 in March - she is not anywhere close to a girlie girl - more like a gamer girl. I am SO lucky - no party, just a trip for her and I attend a convention "RTX" in Austin over the summer. However, I will live vicariously through you guys and all of your awesome sounding plans!

I remember my 16th birthday, my friend threw me a surprise party at her house and then we went to a local bar and I drank so much I puked outside the bar---ahhhh memories LOL....was a lot different back when I was 16! The only real drink I knew other than beer was 7&7 and that was from watching the Saturday Night Fever movie LOL so that is what I was drinking, they were nasty!

 

[luvmyfam444]

you need to check out Pinterest. There are Tons of awesome & (CHEAP!) ideas on there!

You don't need a theme. Your colors are your theme.

Your cake doesn't need to have a theme. Just have it made in purple, blck with a silver 16 on the top. No need for cutesy things there.

You have plenty of $ for the photo booth...lol if you don't spend a ton on centerpieces....are you sitting down to eat? You could have just a few tables for those adults who want to sit & that saves on centerpieces needed.

If you don't do the photo booth...at least borrow a couple ipads & download one of the wedding photo booth apps. We went to a wedding were they asked us to take a pic of each family & pass it on. We loved that idea.

 

[Desnik]

You all are fantastic! I can't thank you all enough for all the help!! I'll be on Etsy, Pinterest, and that chocolate website all night lol Great ideas! Thank you!!

 

[Desnik]

She has picked a theme! "My Favorite Things"
The colors will still be black/purple (with white & silver accents)
To incorporate the theme we will do each centerpiece (12 tables) with the theme of her favorite things. For example one centerpiece will be My Chemical Romance themed, another Tim Burton, etc...

We will make each centerpice, but we just have to come up with creative ways to do that! Here is a list of her favorite things. If you have any ideas of how to do a centerpiece to represent any of them please share!
1. My Chemical Romance
2. The Avengers
3. Tim Burton
4. Rock Bands (The Used, Fall Out Boy, Falling In Reverse, Pierce The Veil, Sleeping With Sirens, Paramore, Panic At The Disco)
5. Disney Movies (Peter Pan, Hercules, Mulan, Pocahontas)
6. Lord Of The Rings
7. Harry Potter
8. Comic Books
9. TV shows (Supernatural, Big Brother, Survivor, Amazing Race)
10. Actors (Johnny Depp, Tom Hiddleston, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth)
11. ?
12. ?

 

[carrie1626]

I never heard of ''Sweet 16 parties" until cable TV. Doesn't happen where I'm from.
And the only thing I take from those shows are: ultra spoiled brats.

So I assume the DIS posters aren't millionaires who are simply showing off.

So real people really do throw these events???????????

 

[tinkerbellandeeyor]

I have to say I went on a cruise for mine remember it well, point being look at how hard I work trust me far from spoiled

 

[Desnik]

I never heard of ''Sweet 16 parties" until cable TV. Doesn't happen where I'm from.
And the only thing I take from those shows are: ultra spoiled brats.

So I assume the DIS posters aren't millionaires who are simply showing off.

So real people really do throw these events???????????

You are confusing "My Super Sweet 16" that is on tv and a Sweet 16 party for real life non millionairs and non celebrities! BIG difference! Yeah, some of those kids on that show were ultra, spoiled brats! But, if a millionaire or celebrity has the cash to throw an elloborate party for their kid, what is it any of my business or concern how they choose to spend their money and celebrate their kid?

Like I mentioned, I didn't have a huge party for my Sweet 16, but my older sister did and all my friends did, and family members. But non of them were anything like that tv show! Some were simple, and yes, some were like weddings! To each their own.