Make your daughter's sweet 16 something she'll remember for years to come.
All birthday parties when we're growing up are special, but a girl's sweet 16 party is arguably the most important. This is the age when she is becoming a young woman and her friends are extremely important in her life. Throwing a good, well-organized, fun party will show your daughter how proud you are. Work closely with your daughter to decide the decorations, invitations and other aspects of the party. Does this Spark an idea?
Theme and Decorations
There are many possible themes for a sweet 16 party, and it's a good idea to choose one to give the party a sense of continuity and help you and others plan for it. A tropical luau, with lots of flowers, inflatable palm trees and tiki torches, is one idea that works especially well in the winter for guests needing an escape from the cold. Under the sea is another popular theme, and you can decorate your home or event space in the style of "The Little Mermaid." Whatever theme you choose, try to incorporate it into every aspect of the party, including the music and food if possible. Remember that it's a birthday, so you'll want tons of balloons, confetti, streamers and other party decorations.
Activities
If there's one activity that 16-year-old girls enjoy, it's dancing. Hire a professional DJ if you can and make sure there's plenty of space for a dance floor. Your daughter will probably take care of the music, picking songs that she and her friends know the words to. One way to engage all the guests is to have a dance-off. In a dance-off, guests dance constantly until the music stops, and if a guest stops dancing she is eliminated from the game. Hand out prizes for the longest dancer or silliest dance moves. Karaoke is also very popular at sweet 16 parties. You should encourage your daughter's friends to dedicate special songs to her.
Invitations
Your invitations should ideally correspond to the party theme if you have one. One invitation idea that works great is the movie or concert ticket design. This kind of invite clearly states the birthday girl's name, location of the party, date, time and other essential information in a fun, creative way. Another possibility is the driver's license invite that features your daughter's photo and all the party info. This is an appropriate invite as most girls in the states learn to drive around that age, and it's an important milestone. Careful, though, if she doesn't pass her test, it could be embarrassing, or it could be good for laughs. Judge well.
Party Favors
Pass out party favors that will help your daughter's friends remember the party, and maybe give them good ideas for their own. One possibility is CD mixes that feature your daughter's favorite songs or the song selection from the party. Disposable cameras can also be great party favors that provide guests with photos to cherish for years to come. Include some bite-size candies or inexpensive jewelry with the party favor.
Tags: your daughter, daughter friends, favors that, idea that, idea that works, party favors, party favors that