Sweet 16th Birthday Party Ideas

Is there any party more delightful than sweet 16? If you're stuck for 16th birthday party ideas, then you need to sit back and start counting! It's easy enough if you remember that a sweet 16 party is all about that magic number. How many sweet sixteen balloons do you buy? Sixteen, of course!

Turning 16 can be the perfect time for an all-girls party or for a co-ed gathering. No matter what you choose to do, talk with your sweet 16 birthday girl first for her ideas. She might be hoping for a good old fashioned slumber party or something a bit more elegant that announces she is approaching adulthood.

Sweet Party Ideas

Ideas for an informal 16th party can take advantage of the classic teen foods like pizza, ice cream sundaes, sub sandwiches, nachos, and lots of soda. When thinking about a more "sweet" party, consider sixteen delicate and tiny birthday cakes surrounding one floral arrangement. Another idea is to keep the guest list to sixteen friends.

Need more ideas?

How about a party where the guest of honor opens sixteen mystery boxes to find one final gift tucked inside? Or a cluster of small items like sixteen favorite candy bars, sixteen colors of nail polish, sixteen gift certificates to favorite fast food restaurants or sixteen movie tickets?

What about invitations for your sweet 16 party?

Invitations to your party could be presented on candy bar wrappers for the chocolate fiend. For mystery, you could send out a small key enclosed in each of the sixteen invitations. Once your guests arrive, let them try their luck at opening a small chest which contains sixteen special prizes. Keep in mind that often the most creative and appreciated items are the least expensive!

John Lenaghan writes about party planning and other tips for the Party Ideas 4u website, where he provides valuable tips and advice about Halloween party ideas, birthday party ideas and other party planning topics.

Birthday Invitation Phrases and Wording

Birthday invitations, and the wording and phrases that go in them, can run the gamut from witty and fun to serious and straightforward. The best thing to keep in mind when deciding upon birthday invitation verses and wording is who the birthday party is for. Age, personality, interests, and even profession can play a part. The invitation wording should represent the celebrant well.

Children's Birthday Invitations are typically fun and lighthearted, and usually play a part in a larger theme. Sometimes inspiration for a theme can come just by browsing through some birthday invitations.

Once a theme is in place, you'll want to include birthday invitation wording to match. For a Circus themed party with Circus party invitations the invitation wording might read:

The giraffe stretches his neck to see;
the elephant waves his trunk with glee;
the seal twirls his ball with joy,
in honor of the birthday boy.
Come join Cody in celebrating his seventh birthday
Saturday, April 20th at 1:00 PM
RSVP (509) 123-4567

The older the child gets it may become easier to decide on a theme, or even forgo the theme as the child gets into its teen years. A sweet sixteen, for example, is a theme all its own. For this kind of party, you should pick out some Sweet Sixteen invitations that fit the personality of the celebrant. If it's a girl, something pink and frilly might be appropriate, such as Princess Tiara Birthday Party Invitation, with the following wording:

Steer clear! Brianna's got a license to drive!
Come celebrate her sweet sixteen.
Friday, March 14th
5:00 - 7:00 PM
at Big Daddy's Bowling
2850 S. Ray, Spokane
R.S.V.P. (509)-777-7777

If the birthday person is turning 18 years of age or younger, it is considered okay to include the exact age they are turning in the birthday invitation wording. When considering including jokes about age, do so with much consideration and sensitivity. Consider the formality of the party and who's being invited. If it's a formal dinner for a coworker, you may want to nix any thought of light-heartedness. If it's a backyard barbecue party for a close relative or friend, this may be the perfect time for a light-hearted jab. Generally, the rule is to only make an age-related joke if the person who's birthday you're celebrating would make the joke themselves.

When considering birthday invitation wording when the celebrant is an adult, it is common to point out the joys of growing older:

Some things are better the older they grow.
Antiques, wine and someone special we know!

You should still keep in mind who is having the birthday. You don't necessarily have to throw a themed party, but the wording for the birthday invitation cards should show a glimmer of who the celebrant is. Let's say the celebrant enjoys Gardening. You'll want to get Garden Party Invitations and include matching wording:

Friends are flowers in the garden of life . . .
and we've "picked" a great bunch to celebrate Jackie's Birthday.

Another avenue you might pursue is the surprise party. In your invitation wording, it should be expressed clearly that the celebrant doesn't and shouldn't know details of the party. Here are some examples:

Shh! It's a surprise party!
Please join us in celebrating
Holly Roberts 30th birthday
On September 2nd
At 7 o'clock pm
The Smith's House
1201 S. Wesley
Madison, WI

Our good friend Jerry is turning the big 5-0
We're throwing a party, and you're invited to show.
If you can make it, here's a word to the wise,
Keep it under your hat, 'cause it's a surprise!
July 10th at 6 PM
At the Rock Bottom Brewery
560 Main Street
Seattle, WA

Please join us in celebrating
Tina Clarks Birthday
on May 22nd
Cocktails - 6:00pm
Dinner - 7:30pm
Scratch Restaurant
345 W Ivy
It's a surprise!

Overall, your birthday invitation wording should not only convey the details of the party, but should also be a good reflection of who the celebrant is.

Check out our entire collection of Birthday Party Invitations. Our cards are printed on high quality 100% recycled stock utilizing eco-friendly processes.

Tom Bross is a co-owner of http://www.MyGoodGreetings.com. MyGoodGreetings sells photo birth announcements, greeting cards, and party invitations, printed on eco-friendly 100% recycled paper.

Party Supplies - What You Need For the Birthday and Theme Party

The success of a party depends on whether the host has planned out the party to the best or not. Planning will include all the necessary things needed to make the fun happen. Getting the right gears for the party is important so the rest of the article is dedicated to give you to this most intriguing question on earth.

A celebration that is simple and among closest family members will not require too much effort when compared to the one where you have to invite almost the whole neighborhood. For a massive event, you have to carefully plan because it will involve larger funds. To avoid wastage or unnecessary spending, you ought to figure out way ahead for the party. You need to identify the types of supplies you will need and make sure it varied and within your budget. This also includes catering.

Birthday parties can be a straight forward one or a themed party. They will need similar types of supplies but different in a few ways.

The birthday party supplies you need are:

- Invitations. These are strictly optional although they are pretty common at children's parties as it adds to the excitement of an anticipated good time.

- Cake. This is the integral part of the celebrations, no matter the age. Somehow, a birthday party without a birthday cake seems incomplete.

- A party pack is something for the guests to take home. They are usually filled with delightful and adorable stuffs like hats, small toys and candies. The reasons why people are given party packs are to remind them of the great time they had at the party.

- Party props are only required if you are holding a themed birthday party. The most common props you will find are poppers, hats, confetti and streamers.

- Tableware. Whether or not to use casual or formal tableware (as in disposable paper plates and cups versus porcelain ones) is a personal choice and depends on the elaborateness of the celebration.

- Food and beverage will depend on the age of the guests at the party. You will have to decide whether your guests will be comfortable with a small buffet, sit down dinner (usually for small number of guests) or finger food served. There should always be alcoholic beverages when you are catering to adults. Never forget that you should include plain water as it helps with digestions and dehydration.

- Decoration will cover a whole lot of matter. They include ceilings, walls, entrance, tables, chairs and for outdoor parties, locations. What you will need are banners, flowers (with arrangements), balloons, furniture, plants and the list goes on.

Its easier to shop for general birthday party supplies. You need not stick to a specific theme or color. All you need to do is customize the things according to the age of the person celebrating the birthday.

Party with a theme will require you to put a little more effort into. For making Hawaiian Luau, Halloween Nights, Military Nights or Celebrity Evenings come true; you will need the other themed supplies besides the usual. You need your creativity and resourcefulness to play their part in making this party happen.

To make a themed party come more alive, the apparels should not be ignored. Hats, helmets, bell bottom pants will contribute to the air of the theme. Without apparels for a themed party, the party will seem mundane. The host can also play a part in keeping the theme alive. As a host, you can give out a few theme party supplies for the theme like pumpkins, cowboy hats or even grass skirts.

Another important theme party supply is themed decoration. No matter what the theme, the appropriate décor will make the event a success. A Hawaiian luau, for instance, will require an Aloha banner while Retro Nights will need the shiny disco ball to create the right atmosphere. This helps put everyone in the mood to really get into the swing of things.

Giving a great party is priceless. It is undeniable that decorations and party ware are important. Nevertheless there is still another thing that is more important than throwing a successful party, a safe party.

Raymond Plona is a leading expert in party planning and his store provides all forms of birthday party supplies for all your party needs. Some of his products includetheme party supplies, birthday party pinatas [http://www.partysolver.com/pinatas.html], birthday party balloons and many more.