Super Sweet Sixteen

Everything from coming adulthood to mark of passage to the more responsible teenage years has been the cause for celebrating your sweet 16^th. If you are looking for a wonderful 16^th birthday party ideas there are quite a few things that you have to consider before starting your party plan and printing out your invitations.

A sweet sixteen can be as simple or as grand as you want it to be, but there are just some things that a good party cannot be without.

If you planning to execute an excellent sweet 16^th , you have to keep in mind that enjoyment is the core of any party. Before going through with any kind of Birthday party details it is important to plan ahead. Putting your thoughts into paper would be a great way to keep yourself organized. Here are some integral things that you cannot be without in every good and amazing sixteenth Birthday parties:

A) Food – any rocking party has to have some grub. If you are out to create an atmosphere of formality, a full-fledged dinner is a good idea. If you are down for something informal, especially if you’re thinking about sixteenth birthday for boys, finger foods or a eat as you go affair is a better option. Always have extra food on hand for guests that like to eat.

B) Drinks – Drinks are “tres important”  feature for parties. Most 16^th birthday party ideas tend to focus on alcohol-free drinks and beverages, and also cocktails, soda-floats, root beer, or even home-made drinks, which follow a certain party theme. There are hundreds of recipes online for different types of fun and delicious party drinks!

C) Music – Music is what livens up the party and sets the mood for some truly memorable nights. More formal affairs usually demand that you have slow, easy-to-listen to music. While this formal air can be maintained all throughout the party, one good tip is to create a mixed playlist which have a variety of songs or tracks. Lively ones, ones for dancing, and ones for tear-jerking times can be choreographed by Deejays which you can hire. Better yet, let one of your family members try their hands at being your DeeJay, thus integrating a little bit of family participation into your birthday and creates a better atmosphere among your relatives and friends.

D) Ambiance/ Theme – A lot of good birthday parties revolve around themes. This can be planned to suit gender, hobby, preference, or religious and cultural belief. The theme is what brings both the entrees and music together, although this can be somewhat overly formal means of celebrating one’s sweet 16. Formality is just not a trend in sweet sixteen. You can be as creative or as unpredictable with the theme of the party..just be sure not to go overboard. Otherwise, it might be the ruining factor you feared for your special day.

E) Guests -  The guest number is just as important as any of the four above mentioned necessities combined, as they amount to the overall amount and cost  of food, drinks, and utensils (cups, plates, cutlery) that have to be served. You have to have a clear list of who is to be invited and who not to in order to calculate the exact number of food and drinks to have. If you want smooth sailing with your 16^th birthday party ideas, be sure to plan the guest-list and invites at least a month prior to the event. Print out the invitations and disperse them at least a week and a half before your big event to make sure that everybody is able to meet the theme (if any)  of the party or to confirm their un-attendance if ever.

These precautions ensure that your memorable day is hassle free! With those five necessary things in mind, it’s time to focus on the party proper. Most 16^th birthday party ideas revolve around the themes. While this helps set the mood for the party, theme parties aren’t always necessary. You can pick a theme depending on your preferences, but here are some themes for both boys and girls that you can incorporate:

For Girls:

Parties for girls have become a stereotypically formal affair often involving ceremonies that mark the young lady’s entry into a near-adulthood. While making a formal party is a great way to do about it, informal sweet sixteen’s can also be fun and just as sentimental! Whether you opt to throw your sweet 16 with friends and family or if you spend it in a little girl’s –night-out at the theater or carnival, there are literally hundreds of different ways to enjoy yourself. Don’t limit yourself to stereotyped themes. Be creative in your ideas!  Seasonal themes or fantasy themes (like represent a country, retro-look , music icons, facebook meme, movie/television show/cartoon character/Disney princess), are also great 16^th birthday party ideas worth trying. Overall, any party should be fun-centric and hassle free!

For Boys :

Parties for boys can be riotous and downright fun affair  where you can go crazy with the planning. You can choose to keep it informal by simply having a get together with food, drinks, and fun games with close family friends, friends and relatives. A more formal and sentimental way to throw a boy’s 16^th party is if you bring together family and close friends for a full-course dinner over which you get to recount the moments you’ve had with the celebrant. Still better, going out for a full dinner course at an excellent resort and having fun rounds of go-carts or bowling afterwards will guarantee you a smashing good time!

I hope that with these simple tips , you enjoy your sweet 16^th!

Compiled by:

Isha R Ganatra