Wow.... 5K plus on a 5 year olds birthday party!!!!

[Papa Deuce]

I was just hired to DJ a childs birthday party for a 5 year old. The expected number of guests is OVER 125. It is at a pretty expensive place. I have DJ'd weddings there.

The party is scheduled for 5 hours ( or maybe 4 ). There is also a clown scheduled, Minnie and Mickey, and a magician.

I know that lobster is on the menu for the adults.


Poll coming.... how much is TOO MUCH for an event like this?

 

[dbarker]

Wow! Around my house we get homemade cake or cupcakes and ice cream at home. If I feel like splurging, we do a pinata. And that is all.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

Exactly who is this party for, the 5 year old or the parents? I could not imagine a child's party menu that included lobster or for 125 guests. What will they do to top themselves next year, or at 10, 13, 16, 18, or 21 years old?


I help out with birthdays at a bowling center, less than $250 for 18 kids for the most expensive package that includes 2 hours "glow" bowling, shoes, slice of pizza or hot dog, a drink and 10 game tokens. And I thought that was too much (for my wallet anyway). The most popular package is $11.95 per child with an hour of bowling and an hour in the party room, shoes, slice of pizza or hot dog, drink, ice cream, chips and 10 game tokens.

 

[jel0511]

I just had my DS's 5th birhday party, and probably spend $500 on it. When my DD turned 5, I think I spent almost $1k, so I'm getting better. If I had the money, I would have rented a carnival for the backyard, those look cool!!!!

 

[Bunchkin]

Three weeks ago we went to the 10am movie at a local theatre and there were moms dropping off 4-5 yr old boys for a party. They were in our theatre to see the movie. After the movie they were lined up by the door, maybe 20 little boys, and waiting outside to pick them up was a stretch Hummer!! My DH says to the mom as we walk past, "How are you going to top that one next year mom!". Then he says to the driver outside "Good Luck!!!"!!
Where in the world could that Hummer have been taking them next??

 

[momrek06]

MY DS' are 23 & 20 but I will say I did spend BACK THEN (haha) about $250.00 between hiring clowns, face painters, ordering invitations, party favors, all the decorations, food and not to mention all the gifts DH & I would give them for their bday....= easily $200.00 (if not more)!!!

Some years we rented restaurants out and paid for lunch and bowling always hiring some character to entertain the kiddies.

BUT renting a hall and hiring a DJ when they turned 5yo....naa, never did that BUT I will tell you this, IF I had the $$$$$, I probably would have....EASILY!!!

Now for h.s. grad I did. Rented that hall ($$$) hired that DJ ($$$) and had it catered ($$$) ordered invitations etc etc.....

 

[Papa Deuce]

Three weeks ago we went to the 10am movie at a local theatre and there were moms dropping off 4-5 yr old boys for a party. They were in our theatre to see the movie. After the movie they were lined up by the door, maybe 20 little boys, and waiting outside to pick them up was a stretch Hummer!! My DH says to the mom as we walk past, "How are you going to top that one next year mom!". Then he says to the driver outside "Good Luck!!!"!!
Where in the world could that Hummer have been taking them next??

I see all of this as an extension of that Sweet 16 show on MTV. You know, where bratty 16 year old girls whine and complain that the $40,000 car that they got as a gift is the WRONG COLOR......

EDIT: May I add, that they tried to talk me down in price because it was " a kids party, not a wedding"......

I wouldn't budge on price because it was on a Saturday in early June.... prime wedding season and I can probably book a wedding that day.

 

[Honu]

I wouldn't for a kids birthday, but I would for a milestone adult birthday, like turning 50. It would be easy to hit $5000 for a party with 125 people, even without lobster.

 

[Papa Deuce]

I wouldn't for a kids birthday, but I would for a milestone adult birthday, like turning 50. It would be easy to hit $5000 for a party with 125 people, even without lobster.

Oh, yeah, I would do that too, but no way for a kids birthday party.

 

[Charade]

Who says the economy sucks.

 

[Mishetta]

I think these b-day parties are just getting ridiculous!

Now, when you invite kids to a b-day party, you've got to feed them (not just cake), & give THEM presents. Party ends up costing so much. My DH says "heck, just forget the party & we can get him whatever he wants with the money we'll save!" I feel differently because when I was a kid, I didn't have any b-day parties so I want to give my kids a memory to relive once they get older.

I see around here though that the neighbors all try to out-do each other. We've gone as far as a bowling party for DS & also a SMALL party at Dave & Busters (always food included)....but that's as far as we go. We do give favors (try to keep it less than $5 each) too. But some of the neighbors hire magicians, clowns, those air jumpy houses, the best one was a TRAIN! It was a little locomotive train & it loaded up the kids & took them up & down the side streets. Unbelieveable!

What kind of music are they requesting Papa Deuce?

 

[marybet]

This just blows my mind. Why do parents do this. When my kids were growing up we just had the family for cake and ice cream. They each had one big party when we invited some of their classmates. This was in the 70's, but there is no way I spent more than $150 and that was probably for about 25 people.

And no one else did it then. My kids did not go to a lot of birthday parties. Maybe we just didn't know the right people .

How do they top this? Can you imagine what they must spend at Christmas and how much they owe in credit card debt. It's just .

 

[Papa Deuce]

I think these b-day parties are just getting ridiculous!

Now, when you invite kids to a b-day party, you've got to feed them (not just cake), & give THEM presents. Party ends up costing so much. My DH says "heck, just forget the party & we can get him whatever he wants with the money we'll save!" I feel differently because when I was a kid, I didn't have any b-day parties so I want to give my kids a memory to relive once they get older.

I see around here though that the neighbors all try to out-do each other. We've gone as far as a bowling party for DS & also a SMALL party at Dave & Busters (always food included)....but that's as far as we go. We do give favors (try to keep it less than $5 each) too. But some of the neighbors hire magicians, clowns, those air jumpy houses, the best one was a TRAIN! It was a little locomotive train & it loaded up the kids & took them up & down the side streets. Unbelieveable!

What kind of music are they requesting Papa Deuce?

All kinds, but mostly I am there to lead the kids to play games like Musical Chairs, and other DJ games for kids. There is a cake eating contest. I don't think they really expect dancing, but will be ok if it happens.

My company policy is that I will NOT play anything that is too explicit for any party.... so not much hip hop!

 

[RadioNate]

Kids parties here are big business. First you need to invite the entire class (in my case 24 kids) who each bring along at least 1 parent. Here very few people have them at their house but if they do they rent a bouncer and hire face painters or some other sort of entertainment like a clown or magician. Most people rent out party locations. My ds's 5th birthday is next month so I've been researching. Most places start at $200. You can get some for $150 but that is for a max of 10 kids.

They say the school turnout is about 40% so I'm guessing we'll get 10 kids plus parents. Then we have 5 children of family friends. Plus us and our 10 friends. We are looking at close to 40 people!

And we need pizza and drinks for everyone, cake, gift bags. It is totally out of control!

 

[bettyann29]

I wouldnt spend more than $150 on my childrens birthday party.. when they get a little older I wouldnt mind spending a little more but not even near $1k... To me that the Jones' competing with the Jones'..

 

[madalynns mom]

I'm sorry but kids birthday parties are WAY out of control!! What ever happened to cake, ice cream and pizza?? It seems like every toddler/ kid / teen has a big extravagent ( sp? ) party every year! What do these people do for work where they can afford this?

Milestone birthdays are one thing but when your child turns 5 I don't think they need a wedding sized party.

And that sweet 16 show on MTV makes me ill. Who the heck do those snotty little kids think they are? None of them ever seem very greatful to me. Sorry to rant

 

[bettyann29]

But some of the neighbors hire magicians, clowns, those air jumpy houses, the best one was a TRAIN! It was a little locomotive train & it loaded up the kids & took them up & down the side streets. Unbelieveable!

I actually rented one of those air jump houses and it actually cost me $95 for like 8 hours.. That was the big expense of the party.. Decorations were to a bare minimum.. I made the cake myself and bought a few pizzas.. We waited until all the kids left then it was time for the adults to go out there and bounce..

 

[Beth76]

What kind of a 5 year old knows 125 people? Seriously. Sounds more like a party for the parents than the kid. My son's turning 5 in 2 weeks and his party will cost us around $200. That's just so I can have it somewhere else so I don't have to clean. It's at The Little Gym and we get an hour use in the gym and 30 minutes in the party room for cake. The place costs $175 and the only other cost I need to pay for is the cake and goody bags.

 

[Free4Life11]

If I feel like splurging, we do a pinata.

OMG you probably didnt' mean that to be funny, but that cracked me up!! Thanks though, this has been a long day and just what I needed!

 

[clh2]

DD's b-day (12) is coming up in a few weeks. I will probably be shelling out a whopping $100. Now,she hasn't had a party since she turned 9.

She wants to go to the movies with 4 friends (5 tickets @$6 ea, $30 for popcorn & soda) and a couple of papa murphy pizzas (probably $20 here) and some Sprecher Root beer and Orange Dream Soda ($14) then they'll sleepover. DH and I will also catch the movie (another $15)

Nothing fancy. However, this is what she really wants to do.