Having a party to commemorate a teenage girl’s path to adulthood is called her Sweet Sixteen.  In many locations, a very formal party is thrown to welcome the teenager into the next step to maturity.

Turning sixteen is an essential part of a girl growing up.  Many consider it just behind her wedding.  So, planning a Sweet Sixteen party is something that should be taken seriously.  This is not just another birthday, this is a very important step for the young teen.

Mothers should put together their To-Do list.   Depending on how extravagant you want the party to be, you’ll want to plan far enough in advance in order to be ready for the party.  Let’s make that To-Do list so we know what to plan.

1. 1. When is it?–  You don’t necessarily have to have the party on the teenager’s exact birthday.  Usually within a week of the actual day should be fine.  It would be a good idea though to think about what holidays are around the same time.  You don’t want to be competing with other holidays.  It might affect attendance.
   2. Choose the Venue– One of the most difficult things on this list might just be choosing a place to have this party.  Things to consider are budget, and of course how many people you’ll be inviting. Depending on the time of year, you can have this party at a park, your backyard, or even in a rec center. Keep in mind though, if you are in the wedding off-season, there are many Long Island Wedding Venues that will be available for your choosing.  And since this is the off-season, generally Wedding Venue’s on Long Island won’t charge as much as they would for a wedding. This gives you the option to have a very elegant and extravagant Sweet Sixteen party.
   3. Who’s Coming?– Some teens don’t like the spotlight as much as others.  Therefore maybe they’ll want a very small intimate party.  They may want only their closest friends and family there.  Others might want to invite the world to their party!! A few months out, have the teenager write down her guest list so you’ll know who she is wanting to invite. That way you’ll know how many of your own friends you’ll be able to bring to the party.  Make sure to take a good look at the list so you know how huge this party is going to be, or how potentially empty it may be as well.  Do your best to regulate the number of people coming. An extreme on either side could cause the party to be too much, or a dud.

• Save The Date- Since you’ve done all this planning ahead, most likely the party isn’t for a few more months.  That’s great! Because of this, you’ll be able to send out some Save the Date cards to your guests. This is similar to any Long Island Wedding. Once you get those out, you’ll be sure that guests will mark that date down for the Sweet Sixteen party, and won’t plan for anything else.  You may want to make your save the date card a magnet so they can stick it right on their refrigerator.  That way they’ll always look at it, and will be sure to make the event.  

Invitations- Similar to scheduling a Wedding on Long Island, your Long Island Sweet Sixteen party is going to need some invitations to be sent out.  So once you’ve found your venue, the date you want to have the party, and have your guest list in order, it’s time to send out the Sweet Sixteen invitations.  Make sure you ask your guests to RSVP.  We want to make your Sweet Sixteen planning smooth and successful.  So if you follow these initial steps, you’ll be on your way to a great party.