My kids are obviously not teenagers, so when my friend Melissa from church asked me to help her plan her daughter Hailey’s surprise Sweet 16 party, I was admittedly a bit nervous.
She wanted something girly and sophisticated for Hailey’s Sweet 16 party. I had never planned a 16th birthday party before, so this was all new to me, but it turned out beautifully and I think Hailey had a great time with her friends.
Planning a Sweet 16 party is similar at the base level to planning a kids birthday party, but it’s different in some ways too. Today I’ll share the basics of throwing the PERFECT Sweet 16 party. Let’s get to it!
How to plan the perfect Sweet 16 party
1. Pick a theme or color scheme
Be sure to make sure it doesn’t fall on the childish side. There is a fine line between kitschy and classy, so be careful with what decorations and sentiments you decide to use. Melissa decided on pink and gold for Hailey’s party and we rolled with it!
For the backdrop we decided to use these , adorned with pink and gold paper flowers and strings of photos hanging all the way across. Melissa had several photos of Hailey with her family and friends from when she was a little girl to now. Friends are everything to teenagers, so I thought this was a sweet touch.
2. Decide on a menu
3. Pick the perfect cake
4. Invite lots of her friends and have something fun for them to do
Melissa had set up for them to play those fun youth group games that teenagers love to play. Those games that I used to love to play on church retreats but now I don’t remember how to play because I’m old. (ha!)
We also had a photo booth set up with props to take pictures. I made this photo booth backdrop out of ribbon we found on clearance and old bed sheets torn into strips. Super simple and pretty!
5. Don’t forget the oversized balloons!
These are of course optional, but they’re so fun and all the rage right now!
Tip: Spend the extra money and get good quality balloons from Party City. We ordered cheaper ones off Amazon and the seams busted as soon as the lady at the store started to blow them up. Melissa had a friend who came in clutch with these rose gold 30” balloons from Party City (they look gold in the pic but they were rose gold and so pretty!)
So there you have it! It was a blast planning this party. Whenever I’m asked to plan an event that I’ve never done before I always get a bit nervous, but it ends up being so much fun. Although it can be nerve wracking, it’s always good to get out of your comfort zone. Of course it’s not comfortable out there, but that’s wear you grow and learn.
Thank you, Melissa, for asking me to help plan this party!
Enjoy this party? You may also enjoy:
How To Plan The Perfect Party (Without Losing Your Mind)
Kate Spade Bridal Shower (where you’ll also find tips on making paper flowers)
Enchanted Tea Party Baby Shower
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So beautiful! Well done, Heather!
Thank you, Caitlin! This was a fun one to plan!
Thank you for sharing all the Sweet 16 Party tips! I’m a single mom on a budget and this was really helpful! I also am a GodGirl.. God bless you and your family!??
Thank you! I’m so glad you found it helpful!
Thanks a lot for the tips. My niece’s birthday is next weekend, and we didn’t have any idea of how we were going to do it.. Thank you so much ?
You’re welcome! I’m glad you found it helpful! Good luck with your party!
Thanks for the tips my daughter sweet 16 coming up so it’s a big help
I’m so glad you found it helpful! Good luck with her party!
Can I ask how you hung the white ruffle curtains? And did you make the paper flowers yourself? I’m planning my daughter’s sweet 16 party in October and have to admit I’m stealing quite a few of your ideas!
Hi Lauren! That’s awesome! Steal away ?. I have a stand built out of PVC pipes that I use for my party backdrops. I just hung the white curtains through the PVC pipe just like a curtain rod. I did make the paper flowers myself! I found tutorials on Pinterest. They were quite time consuming and more tedious that I expected though. I don’t have a full tutorial, but I’ve got a few pointers in this post!
https://poppyandgrace.com/2017/05/kate-spade-bridal-shower-tips-for-making-giant-paper-flowers/
Good luck with your party!
Thank you for this extensive guide on how to plan the perfect sweet 16 party! My niece is about to reach that age and I wanted to help her parents plan for it. The idea of picking one central theme for her birthday is indeed a must so that everything falls into place. I should share these tips with her parents since they get the final say for everything.
Thanks for all the tips. Do you remember what games they played?
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Hello Lauren, I’m from Belgium. Sweet sixteen parties are really coming up in Belgium. My daughter Maud will be 16 soon and she dreams of having a sweet sixteen party.
I’am kind of organizing one as a full surprise for her. So I came across your great ideas. The tip for the balloons is very usefull. The desserts look amazing too. Maud wants to do a bbq wit her friends in the garden. And spend some time around the fireplace outside. She has no idea that we are organizing a party. We told her that we would consider it.
Thank you for the inspiration, I now have a better idea of how to throw a sweet sixteen party.
Nadine
Great ideas! Could you tell me where you got the candle vase that are displayed with the macaroons? Thank you!