Sweet Sixteen Party Ideas & Invitations
Sweet sixteen parties signify a milestone in a young girl's life, a type of coming of age since she can now legally drive and often sees herself as closer to an adult than a child. While the MTV show "My Super Sweet Sixteen" highlights extraordinarily expensive and over-the-top galas, you can throw an impressive party on a moderate budget. By choosing a theme that resonates with your birthday girl and incorporating thoughtful details, such as coordinating invitations and décor, you can give her an unforgettable birthday celebration.
Formal
If your daughter enjoys dressing in her best attire and dancing the night away, host a formal Sweet Sixteen celebration. Consider dubbing the party "Mary Jane's Sweet 16 Ball" and renting a party room or ballroom at a local restaurant or hotel. Invitations can be made of ivory or white card stock with decorative printing and an overlay of vellum. Tie them with a matching bow. Encourage guests to wear formal dresses and tuxedos or suits. Offer guests punch out of a crystal bowl along with a catered sit-down meal or a hors d'oeuvres buffet.
Princess
Every girl loves to play princess-whether they are 6 or 16. Indulge your daughter's princess fantasies with a princess-themed birthday bash. Purchase princess invitations at your local party store or cut gold card stock into crown shapes and decorate with stick-on jewels. Print party details on the back with wording such as "Princess Mary Anne Is Turning 16" or "Sixteen Candles on the Royal Birthday Cake." Sprinkle some glitter inside of the envelope for a special touch. Encourage guests to dress up for the party. Decorate the party area with pink and silver balloons and ribbons. Offer female guests tiaras and feather boas when they arrive for the party. Purchase or make a princess sash for the birthday girl and a special tiara or crown. Drape pink tulle across the tables and scatter glitter and foil-wrapped chocolates throughout the room.
Candy
Play on the "sweet" part of sweet sixteen by organizing a candy-themed party. Print (or write) your party information onto labels affixed to large lollipops. Place these in envelopes and hand-deliver them to your party guests. Decorate the party area with gumdrops strung onto garlands and lollipops hung from the ceiling on ribbons. Glue two paper plates together and cover with a large piece of cellophane tied on each end to resemble a giant piece of candy. Place these decorations along with balloon lollipops (a Mylar balloon wrapped in cellophane and attached to a cardboard tube) throughout the room. Set up a "candy bar" for dessert-bowls of many different types of candy that guests can scoop into small paper sacks.
Car Theme
Celebrate the fact that the birthday girl can legally drive a vehicle with a car-themed birthday gala. Send a photo invitation (easily created at digital photography sites like Shutterfly.com or Snapfish.com) of the birthday girl driving a car. Decorate the house with car-themed posters and weigh down balloon bunches with die-cast toy cars. Create street signs for the house out of poster board that say things like "Mary Jane Avenue" or "Sweet 16 Boulevard." Bake a car-themed cake (see the Resources section below for ideas) or purchase one from your local bakery. Make a music playlist of car-themed music, such as "Route 66" or "Drive My Car". Send guests home with key chains as a party favor.
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