Sweet sixteens have gotten more and more sophisticated these days. A lot of mothers are finding it hard to keep up
with modern-day sweet 16 trends. Gone are the days when a successful debut consists mainly of going to a club, a few fruit punches and dancing all night long. Moms, I know you know what I am saying! “Generation X” clearly expect more from a sweet sixteen nowadays. Usually it’s more elaborate, extravagant and costly too. Yes, modern-day sweet 16s can be a bit expensive, so what can you do to cut down your costs?
Ask your daughter the basics
Take note, just the basics and not everything. The best way to approach your daughter’s sweet 16 is to ask her what she wants. Simply ask her though and don’t let her indulge on decision making too much. Why? Because that could simply derail you and your budget! Manage your daughter’s expectations, yet let her know you’ll make things work. Anyway, the best modern-day sweet 16 is all based on your daughter’s taste and how much love you give the whole ordeal.
Capitalize on Social Media
Most of your guests would surely have a Facebook account, or even two. So why not cut down the cost of invitations by limiting them to those that you deem fit to receive one? These people are likely older relatives or your child’s godparents who finds a nick in receiving traditional invitations. For the rest of your guests though, especially your daughter’s friends, Facebook will suffice. In fact, Facebook is a must. Send a non-electronic invitation to a teenager and prepare to flush money down the drain.
Seek help from friends and their children
Let’s face it, your friends’ children are usually your daughter’s friends too. So why not ask them to pitch in their ideas and put their hands to work for the benefit of the party? I’m sure it won’t be too much of a hassle if they truly care about your daughter. They would in fact even be the first ones to ask about what they can do to help. So brainstorm with them, especially the teenagers. Their input would definitely do you good as they know more about modern-day sweet 16s being the young ones.
Witty souvenir items
Souvenirs are not too important but they are almost usually expected of any event. To cut down on your souvenir costs, you might want to consider crafting one yourself. If this should appear to be impossible, then one thing you can bank on are photo booths! People, regardless of age, just seem to go crazy about them! You can always source out affordable deals for this and print outs from photo booths are the best personalized souvenirs your guests could ever receive.
A child born of chocolate
A sweet 16 without a cake is totally unlikely. Unless you are battling tradition. But all sweet sixteens, and almost every kind of party has one. Two to three-tier cakes are no longer that big a deal during parties. In fact, the trend has transgressed to a one-layer cake and some children of that cake in the form of cupcakes. Not only are cupcakes truly yummy but they could also serve as a souvenir for your guests. More of a treat actually. But cupcakes are most definitely adored in every event. So have your baker just personalize its look a bit, and I tell you, your guests would battle others to take one home.
Hire an expert
Hiring an expert in modern-day sweet sixteen parties would surely make your life easy-peasy. Sure, this may cost you some bucks, but think about all the time and hassle you’d save? An expert that would execute your plans and ensure things are in order before and during the event is totally worth it. Besides, you are the mother of the celebrant, you have to be looking fresh and enjoy every second of the event. Doing things on your own can definitely take a toll on that.
Moms, do not be pressured by what’s “it” and the modern-day sweet sixteen standards that people expect. Remember, an event such as your daughter’s transcendence to adulthood would only be meaningful with love. No amount of decorations, food or music could compare to your love for your child.