Throwing a sweet sixteen is a tradition that many girls grow up dreaming of. Sweet sixteens can cost anywhere from $300 to $25,000 or even more in some extreme cases. No matter what the budget is for the upcoming sweet sixteen you are planning, there are some key questions to ask before completely diving into planning your event.
What Kind of Party Do You Want It Be?
Before planning anything, make sure the guest of honor communicates what she wants to see the day of her party. If she is interested in having a small party with only her closest friends and family, planning and budgeting for a one hundred person party would probably not make sense. Ask the birthday girl these questions to narrow down what she wants out of her party:
- How many people do you want to invite?
- Is there a theme you want to follow?
- What is most important to have at your party?
With these questions answered, you are ready to continue planning.
Where Will You Hold the Party?
Many decisions for the day of the party will center around the venue that the party is at. Some venues will have their own rental chairs, banquet tables, and linens available, so you may not need to outsource your rentals. However, if you choose to, for example, hold the sweet sixteen party outside, you will have to think about renting a tent, a dancefloor, and various other rental items that you would not need if you were holding the event indoors. Once you have the venue, you can begin to look at other details for the party.
What Kind of Food Do You Want?
Choosing the food that you will have at the sweet sixteen is very important. If you choose to use a theme, try to include a few menu items that match the theme for a fun twist. Finding a caterer that will take into account guests’ specific dietary requests can also be helpful if you want your guests to be as happy and comfortable as possible.
Think about how you want the food laid out at the party as well. For example, how do you want the banquet tables with food on them arranged? Would you like the food to be served buffet style or served by waiters? Do you want to have the food for those with special dietary needs altogether on one or two banquet tables? How would you will the food labeled?
If you ask yourself all of these questions while planning a sweet sixteen, you will be able to cover many different aspects of planning the perfect party.