Contrary to what MTV might have everyone believing,
the normal party of a 16-year-old doesn’t run to brand new cars and pop stars
performing. Generally, it doesn’t even feature invitations handed out by butler
or choreographed dance entrances either. There might not even be a tiara or top
hat in sight. If you are organising a sweet sixteen party for your son or
daughter, it’s likely to be a little bit more down to earth, but that doesn’t
mean that it won’t be 100% special. We’ve put together some handy steps to
follow to help you get planning.
Step 1: Understand Expectations
This is the most important step, and
without it, there could be arguments and disappointment on all sides. Your son
or daughter is edging closer to adulthood, and they’ll feel that they should
make a lot of the decisions about their party. On one hand, they’re right. It
is their day after all, and they have their own tastes that might differ
drastically from yours. On the other hand, you are paying for the party, so
what they want to happen, just might not be feasible. Sit down and have an initial
conversation with them about what you can pay for, and the type of party they envisage.
Doing this early will mean that they know what to expect, and they’ll be
thankful that you are treating them like an adult and asking their input.
Step 2: Create a Guest List
This should have come up during your initial
discussion, but your teen will have to decide what’s most important to them. Do
they want a lot of people to be invited but less money spent on the party
itself? Or are they looking a select few friends but a party that has a few
more added extras for them to enjoy? Of course, this also depends on the sort
of budget that you have, so make sure that they come up with a guestlist that
works for you both. Once you know the number of people to be entertained, you can
get on with planning the rest of the party.
Step 3: Choose a Venue
Arguably the most important booking you’ll
make, the venue that you are hosting in will set the theme for the whole event.
Again, your teen should be involved in this and help you to choose the venue
that they like the most that’s within your budget. Perhaps they are looking for
a club where they can dance the night away with friends or maybe they want a
party centred around board games and scary films. Whatever they are looking
for, there are loads of teen party venues for hire in London, so you won’t have
any difficulties finding the one that suits their personality.
Step 4: Consider a Theme
If you do have a limited budget for a
party, why not ask your child if they would consider a themed party? This way,
they can ask all of their friends to come in costume, and it will make the
decoration of the venue and party games much simpler, as it can all be done
DIY. When there isn’t a theme, a lot more attention goes on the party as a
whole, yet costumes and music relevant to a theme means that everyone is going
to be instantly entertained and there’s much less work involved. The theme
itself can really be anything at all so this is where your teen’s imagination
will come in.
Step 5: Physical Invites
In the age of WhatsApp and Facebook, few
teens will have ever gotten a physical invite to anything. Helping your teen to
design them or even make them yourselves can be a great experience. This is
really only going to work if you have a small enough guestlist but is a great
start to give your teens sweet sixteenth all of the hype that it needs. Plus,
the invites themselves will make great mementos of everyone. It’s the perfect
way to not only let them know about the party, but their parents as well. All
of the information will be included, so parents will know exactly when their
child needs dropped off and picked up by, and where it’s all taking place.
Step 6: Entertainment
How the teens are going to be entertained
should be on your mind from the start. If you are having a disco, then this
might be enough, and hiring a DJ will get everyone dancing and enjoying
themselves. Of course, there should be cake at some stage, as well as a chorus
of ‘Happy Birthday’ but is anything else needed for people to enjoy themselves?
This is something you’ll have to ask your teen. A good idea is always a
photobooth so that they can get some snaps of themselves but for the most part,
fifteen- and sixteen-year olds know how to entertain themselves.
Step 7: Chaperones
If you’ve had that initial discussion with
your teen, they’ll know not to try and get any alcohol into their party, but
other adults’ presence is a must. Get a group of teens together, and they could
be polite and well behaved – you are hosting them a party after all, On the
other hand, hormones and the excitement of a night out aren’t always a good
mix. Make sure you have a good number of adults present to keep an eye on everyone
but stay out of the way as much as possible and let everyone enjoy themselves.
Hosting any teen party is a difficult task,
but a sweet sixteenth has its own level of expectations to deal with. Talking
to your teen and working together will not only show mutual respect but will
allow them to go on this journey with you and understand that while organising
a party can be tough, it can also be a lot of fun.
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