Planning an 18th birthday party for your son or daughter can be pretty challenging if you do not know where to start. What’s more, your children are now fully formed young adults. This means that most of them have a very particular idea of what makes a good party.
Don’t worry. You can do this. Just like any other birthday party, you just need to bear in mind all the usual stuff like the guest list, entertainment, and food and drinks. Since your child is no longer a kid, be sure to include them in the planning process to prevent nasty surprises from surfacing. Don’t forget to use birthday party bus hire to make travelling around the city convenient!
Book a Popular Birthday Party Venue
Yes, you can host a house party and it is not a bad idea at all. However, don’t you think that your loved one’s 18th birthday should be something special? As such, you can consider booking out a different venue for the party. If your teenager is planning to invite a large group of same age friends or all of their Facebook friends, the last thing you want is all of them causing a huge mess in your house. Give your teenager a special venue for their big day and “dump the mess” on someone else!
Arrange the Right Kind of Transportation
Are there 24 or 40 people on your guest list? And are you heading to multiple destinations as part of the birthday party plans? It may be a good idea to charter a party bus. When you need to go from place to place with a large group of people, it can be very challenging to coordinate everyone’s schedules. If one or two individuals are unfamiliar with the locations, then that is likely to cause some form of frustration. With a dedicated party bus, the entire group can gather in one spot and travel to the intended destination in a hassle-free manner.
Involve the Birthday Girl or Boy in the Planning Process
At first, it may seem like a lot of fun to throw a surprise party for the teenager. In this situation, it may not be the best idea to catch the birthday boy or girl off guard. The reasoning is that you should keep them involved heavily when it comes to planning. After all, it is an important birthday for them. This way, they can provide ample input in the event, i.e. expressing their preferences and dislikes.
For example, you will know which individuals or groups that the birthday boy or girl doesn’t want to invite to the party. The initial list of party guests may contain people they have fell out years ago. If you wish to give your teenager a surprise, a more pleasant option is to opt for the services of an entertainer (e.g. comedian or closeup magician) or a special gift.
Pick Up a Fun and Lively Theme
While some young adults may feel that they are too old for a theme, you can still get them to dress up, let go, and just have fun. A majority of party-goers love a fancy-dress party. What’s more, there is sufficient grown-up themes to pick from. How about a secret agent style casino night? Or something quirky like an alphabet theme where every guest wears a costume beginning with the same letter as their name. If the birthday girl or boy has a particular interest, pin the theme around that. Ultimately the night or day is all about them!
Offer Take-Home Treats
Of course, you can make grown up style goody bags. Things like this may seem slightly out of place at an 18th birthday party, but with the correct contents they can work exceptionally well. Try mixing it up with some amusing gifts or glasses that can be worn by everyone at the party. Can’t think of something? Glow sticks are always a winner.
Depending on your party’s alcohol policy, you could include some small alcoholic treats such as vodka jelly shots. Just because your daughter or son has reach the legal drinking age, it does not necessarily mean that all of their friends are the same. Ultimately the party policy on alcohol is down to your discretion. Just avoid being a killjoy parent!
Your party goody bags could also contain gifts such as iTunes vouchers or lottery tickets. Your teenager’s party guests will be sure to never forget your party if they walked away with a couple of thousands or even millions of dollars!
Remember to Document the Party
An 18th birthday is a major milestone in anyone’s life. That’s why it would be a waste not to take some photos or videos to remember the once in a lifetime occasion by. You can assign a dedicated photographer to take candid shots while everyone is having fun. It is true that we have reach the social media age where most youngsters take selfies all the time but just do it anyway! If you have the budget, you could consider installing your own photo booth with props, to allow guests to take their own photos in.
Serve Tasty Food and Drinks
You can’t afford to starve your guests. Food is one of the most important aspects of any party, thus you should get it right from the get-go. 18th birthdays are probably not going to be the kind of party where everyone has to sit around a specific table for a big meal. Hence, you might be much better off getting a variety of party finger food which guests can just nibble on while mingling with one another. Your options include crisps, fries, pizza slices, bite-sized smoked salmon, and more. If you would like to be a little more adventurous, it won’t hurt to include Indian or oriental snacks into the menu. Just make sure that you cover most of your guests’ tastes and preferences.
Throw in Some Entertainment
While some might be happy to just connect their smartphone with some speakers, having top class entertainment is still the best option for elevating a party. If you know that your guests are just going to want to dance the night away, you should hire a band or a professional DJ. To enhance the atmosphere, setting up smoke machines and laser lighting systems will definitely do the trick. Keep in mind that entertainment largely depends on what your guests are into.