tell me what you did for your dd's sweet 16 birthday party???

[dis2cruise]

Hi everyone....

boy what different types of sweet sixteens ideas, thanks everyone.

I do want to keep it simple for her party, we have a nice pool and her birthday is in july so maybe a pool party. LOVE, LOVE the idea about the
candy station very cute. Agian, I want her to have a wonderful time
and something so special to remember but I don't want the crazy money spent either. Where we live several girls are having their sweet 16's at
country clubs spending thousands I really don't think you have to do that
to have a good time not saying they can't but some times something so simple can work great too.

..

 

[flying_babyb]

wow! all I got was a sleepover! For my 21st my mom took me and my BFF to build a bear which I thought would be tacky but we had a blast, and still joke about how were gonna explain the matching bears to our kids 20 years from now.

 

[vellamint]

For years I have told my twin daughters that they are NOT getting a Sweet Sixteen party.......but if we could get a few friends and moms together for a short trip I would be willing to do that....

My reasons are
1) the expense
2) I am sooooo sick of hosting parties
3) I have 2 sons that got nothing for their 16th birthday and I dont think it would be fair. Granted a trip would not be fair either but at least it is worth the expense involved and not over in 4 hours......

I think this is an area that has gotten out of control.....

ps.....by nothing I dont mean nothing I mean no big party!! Just want to clarify that

 

[stahshee]

I thought I had a great time - I took 2 friends to the local amusement park for the day & my parents got me a little diamond chip necklace. Of course, that was eons ago according to DD14.

Wow, I didn't realize they were that "big" now. I don't remember anyone having a big party when I was young. We will probably do a trip w/DD, she wants to go back to Disney & that would be about when we'll be able to go back. If we're going to spend thousands, it will be on a family trip. I just can't see spending all that on a party, imo. She may get DH's really old Buick if it still runs since we don't have free transportation to her HS.

If we do a party at all, it would be a HS grad party but even then, our family is so spread out it might be tough.

my 16 bday I had a cake and 20$ and I was thrilled with that

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

My DD goes to a school where there is a "trend" of great S16 B'days. My husband and I agreed that we didn't want to do the "big party". DD's bday is a week b4 Christmas. I am taking her and 2 of her friends on the train to NYC to see a show, shop, and see the Christmas sites. It may sound expensive, but not really. The hotel for 3 nights is 300.00. (2 nights free from HiltonHighPoints) Students can get discounted tickets for shows so I am estimating 150.00 per show. One or two show's depending upon availability. Train for 4 roundtrip w/ Amtrak friends discount 200.00. No fancy lunch/dinners and breakfast buffet is included in the hotel price. So the trip is $800.00 plus meals/shopping. Both DD and I have been doing survey's and will use this for gift cards. I don't feel like I am over indulding her and she is very grateful for anything she gets. She has very high grades in HS and to this point has given us no reason to doubt her judgment. We have never been anywhere Mother/Daughter. I am looking forward to watching her and her friends interact in NYC. Its a memory I could never put a price tag on. Yeah I could take her to dinner, buy her a gift, maybe have a few friends over, but she will never turn 16 again.

*Her first bday in HS we went to a local pizza place for her and her new friends. She was the only one in her Middle School to attend her HS. I am not kidding, this "pizza party" was expensive. So planning is definetely the key.

 

[lucigo]

She might not be quite old enough to appreciate this yet, but for my oldest DD's 18th birthday we did a "back to basics" Disney princesses party. Basically it was just like she was turning 4, we had the little party favors, hats, tatoos, balloons, bubbles, plastic bracelets, all the things little girls love. Her friends wore princess costumes and did makovers, and we had a cake and watched the Little Mermaid (her favorite when she was little). As her present I gave her a memaid doll and a framed disney stock.

 

[englishteacha]

My Sweet 16 party was, well, not a success. My parents have a camp on a lake about 1.5 hours from "home," and I wanted to have the party there. We would have a cookout, swim, sun, go tubing, and make a day of it. I invited about 30 friends, and we offered to provide transportation since it was such a distance. 5 came. We had fun, but it was not the big beach party I had wanted. I was really disappointed, and decided then that big parties just weren't worth it. My 17th was way more fun. About 10 of us got together in the basement and watched movies and ate junk food. My 20th involved a bunch of my college friends (we were all taking summer classes) going out for pizza. Also more fun than my 16th!

I think the only big "party" for me that was a success was my wedding. People still talk about how much fun it was, and that was 6 years ago! This year, my niece is getting married on my birthday. I'm guaranteed to have cake and a DJ, and lots of people to party with! Too bad it's not my party!

 

[barbnbrian]

Just bringing this back up because DD is turning 16 in June and wants a Sweet Sixteen party. What's the trend around the CT area these days. My sister lives in NY and nephew has been to a lot of these parties and they're like weddings! We not going that fancy, but I am willing to rent the local clubhouse for $100 for the night, order pizza, have a nice cake.

We want to get a dj fofr 4 hrs. What is the going rate for a party for a dj who will play the right music and interact with the guests to get them dancing and having fun?

 

[cheermom1]

Well I didn't get a sweet 16 party..my parents refused to even let me have a few friends over ..it was mean trust me it they did it on purpose..I got the money myself and bought a cake...

I threw my dd a Luau ..it didn't cost more then a few hundred, I was about to go over the top don't think so...it was bigger than their normal parties...I mean 16 is a big deal but big enough to spend thousands

dd really loved her party...she had only her closest friends, I think I gave her limit of about 20...hope this helps

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I got a homemade cake and Love Story on VHS This was only 12 years ago. My parents had/have money but see anything over a couple of hundred dollars for a celebration as wasteful. I still appreciated it though. I guess to me it was just another birthday (cause when you're 16 you think you've been a grown up for a long time )

 

[Heidijs]

Wow...I just don't get it...I saw this on TV but I didn't think people actually did it! I can't even fathom having a huge bash for a SS...I got to go to an amusement park with my mom and sister for my SS...nobody does that around here...I could see if she wants to do something special and have friends over and a little party... fine...but I'll be damned if it's going to cost more than a couple $$ bucks...wow...I could see taking a friend on a trip as a great idea! I'd think any party after that would be a letdown! Like someone else said, what do you do about graduation??? Take their entire class to Paris? I love my daughter and would give her the world but that just seems over the top to throw such a big party and spend that kind of money...but that's just me...

 

[MUFFYCAT]

My 18 year DD didn't want a party. It would have been at the Knights of Columbus hall but she didn't want it there. Instead she chose to get a laptop. Back then they were expensive because the new pink Dell's just came out.

My younger DD will be 16 in May and we're going to WDW with her friend and family in the summer.

 

[Stacy9402]

Well my daughter will be 16 in March. Originally, she wanted to have a Pump It Up Party. It is an inflatable bounce house and you can invite 25 people and have pizza and cake afterwards for about $400. But now she has decided she will do that next year. So now she just wants to get a 2 bedroom hotel room with 3 friends at near the Pentagon and go shopping and dress up and go out to eat.

 

[HunnyPots]

My daughter had a party in the back yard with tiki torches and other luau decor from oriental trading. They ate junk and had water balloon and silly string fights. They had fun, no complaints.
I never did see the big deal about turning 16. What makes it more special than 15 or 17? Or 46?

 

[Priorityonecb]

We gave our daughter a trip to NYC and tickets to see Wicked...she's been doing theater since she was 4 and it truly was a dream come true for her! I would rather spend $2,000 on a trip than a party! We've asked the youngest dd (almost 13) and she has already told us she does not want a trip or a party...she wants a car!!!

 

[DisneyRunner2009]

My daughter invited a few friends to a paint your own pottery party. We were allowed to bring in snacks. Also, they had a choice of pottery predetermined by me.

 

[cheermom1]

My daughter had a party in the back yard with tiki torches and other luau decor from oriental trading. They ate junk and had water balloon and silly string fights. They had fun, no complaints.
I never did see the big deal about turning 16. What makes it more special than 15 or 17? Or 46?

That was the party I had for my dd in my pp I said but it rained and rained that day

But we decorated the kitchen and living room and I think it turned out great

I put a grass skirt around the island and made a tiki bar and put up lanterns instead of the torches....it was fun...like I said there was no way I was spend a bunch of money on a party ..

my ds will turn 16 in June and he is just going to take a few friends to a near by theme park. We can get their tickets free with purchase (we always but season passes) so we only have to pay for food

 

[Donnainnj]

A couple years before my oldest turned 16 I asked her if she wanted a party or a WDW trip with a few friends. She wanted the trip. We did it last August after her Feb birthday, during free dining. She was originally allowed to invite 3 friends, but ended up with 4, as she was very close to all, and the kids were ready to kick in the 4th girl's portion of the trip so she didn't get left out. I wasn't sure her parents would allow her to go, but they did, and we covered her. Our family has been to Disney many times, none of these kids had ever been before. A couple of the girls had only traveled to see family before, no real vacations. It worked out better then I ever imagined. The kids were so grateful. The planning and trip made everyone even closer. On my 16 year olds real birthday we gave out the official invites. Each girl got Mickey ears with her name on them, a scroll invite, Mickey shampoo, conditioner and lotion, disney pens (from the dollar store) and a few other disney trinkets. We had homemade Ziti for dinner (her fav) and started planning the trip.
The only problem I'm having is my younger one originally wanted a party, and now is looking at Disney to. I know I could do Disney for about the same money or less then a VFW/Elks type party with a DJ, but she is a very different kid, more high maintenance, her friends parents are much stricter, her friends don't all get along as well. I guess a lot can change in a few years, so we shall see, but it is something to consider if you have more then one child. Oh and we have a boy to and I would probably try to do something special for his 16th to make it more fair.
Donna

 

[jakoky]

When my oldest dd turned 16(now almost 19 ) she actually didnt ask for a party...what she wanted was me, her, one of her friends and her mom to go away for night, get massages/manicures, do tons of shopping and go out for nice meals...we had a BLAST...we also did a surprise party for her at a local golf course, where all the family came and her closest friends...we did dinner and cake...my sons 16th was lame, we were camping...i am really hoping my youngest dd wants to do the same thing as her older sister...( i should add the my oldest dd is very social and loves to go to parties, so i was completely shocked by her request, and very, very happy)

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

On my Sweet 16 I got my license then me and a friend drove my grandma's car to breakfast then by noon I was getting my 4 impacted wisdom teeth pulled. Ahhh, good times.

We won't be doing anything too major, can't afford it, aren't party people, and it doesn't happen around here anyway. Our oldest will be 16 in October and we will probably take her and a couple friends to an indoor waterpark for one night (along with her sisters, dad and I.)

Also, she asked to go to the Luau at the Poly this November trip (a couple weeks after her birthday.) We have never done it and she has always wanted to so we are planning to book it as a surprise and not tell her till we get there for dinner at "Kona" and go to the Luau instead.