How To Throw a Sweet 16 Birthday Party

For many girls, having a sweet sixteen party is second only to their plans for a future wedding. Whether you are planning a sweet sixteen party, or a Quinceanera, here is a guide that will allow you to make it a day to remember.

1. Deciding on a date and time for the Sweet 16 birthday party: Depending on when the actual birthday is, scheduling a date and time for the party can be a challenge. Consider holidays that may keep friends and family away. Find out if anyone else is planning an event during that time and take it into consideration. You can choose between the weekend before, and the weekend after the actual birthday, any day of the weekend from Friday to Sunday, and between an afternoon or evening event.
2. Deciding on a venue for the Sweet 16 birthday party: This party is a large event in a girl's life, but you need to be budget-minded, too. You should try to be creative when it comes to picking a location for the sweet sixteen party. Besides the usual party hall, which you can get for a bargain if you can be flexible with the time and date, you can choose many other places. Consider using your home and yard (rent a tent), a church banquet hall, a local park, community center, or restaurant. You can also call your local parks and recreation office to find out about little-known facilities that may be in your community.
3. Who and how many people to invite: Some birthday girls want a big party, some want a small. Take into account your budget and the girl's personality. If she is normally shy, do not invite everyone she knows and the entire family. If she is outgoing, you need to invite more than a few close relatives and her best girlfriends. Try to think of good sweet sixteen party favors that are appropriate to give to the guests.
4. Sweet 16 Invitations: Once you know when, where, and how many to invite, you need to purchase or make invitations. Making the invitations will save a lot of money, and unless it is a surprise party, it is something the birthday girl should do. You don't have to be an artist to make quality invitations, just do something that suits the birthday girl's personality. It can be as simple as a cheerleading pom-pom with a note on it, or as intricate as an invitation with calligraphy and cut-outs. Make sure you request RSVP's as soon as possible in the sweet sixteen party invitations.
5. Theme: Picking a theme for the party will make the party more memorable, and perhaps more fun. Be creative, be outrageous, request the guest wear a theme-appropriate outfit, or change of clothes for the optional second half of the party. Just make sure you get permission from the birthday girl so the sweet 16 party themes are things she approves of for her party! Let the birthday girl dictate part of how the sweet sixteen party decorations will be chosen. 
6. Scheduling the details of the party: When will you dance, when will you eat, and how long do you wait for guests to arrive before you get started? Do not leave the details of the party up to chance - the most important part of the sweet sixteen party are not the ideas, but the planning.
7. Food: This is where the budget counts most. Almost anything is acceptable from a seated catered event to a home-cooked buffet, or just finger foods. You just need to be sure the kind and style of food served, and the way it is served flows well with the party. If you plan a menu with a homemade buffet, you will want to do a more casual party, perhaps in the afternoon.
8. Honoring the girl: A Quinceanera often involves a church service, but a sweet sixteen party is rarely a spiritual event. Consider inviting clergy to bless the girl, or have a sweet 16 candle lighting ceremony with the guest honoring the birthday girl by saying something special about her.
9. Dancing: It is a party after all. Make sure you set aside some time for dancing. If you choose, you can keep it formal, or you can do a mixture of formal and popular dance music.
10. Ending it: Don't schedule the party from 5 pm until... Set a closing time for the party and include it in the invitations. The longer the party goes on, the more it will cost, and the bigger chance you will have of something not going according to plan.