Organising a Party for 13-18 Year Olds at the Perfect Birthday Party Venue (Sixteenth Birthday Party Included)
Of course, every birthday party is important - but for some reason, 16th birthday parties in particular have a little extra pressure to them. But contrary to what MTV might have everyone believing, the normal party of a 16-year-old doesn’t run to brand new cars and pop stars performing. Regardless, we’ve put together some handy steps to follow to help you get planning the birthday party of your teen's dreams.
Step 1: Understand Expectations (maybe they don't want a basement birthday party of big birthday blowout at all)
This is the most important step, and without it, there could be arguments and disappointment on all sides. Your son or daughter is edging closer to adulthood, and they’ll feel that they should make a lot of the decisions about their party. On one hand, they’re right. It is their day after all, and they have their own tastes that might differ drastically from yours. On the other hand, you are paying for the party, so what they want to happen, just might not be feasible.
Sit down and have an initial conversation with them about what you can pay for, and the type of party they envisage. Simply by talking to them and doing this early will mean that they know what to expect, and they’ll be thankful that you are treating them like an adult and asking their input. If they don't want a birthday dance or celebrate at birthday restaurants, you have to respect that.
Step 2: Create a Guest List
This should have come up during your initial discussion, but your teen will have to decide what’s most important to them. Do they want a lot of people to be invited but less money spent on the party itself? Or are they looking a select few friends but a party that has a few more added extras for them to enjoy? Here all of their unusual birthday ideas or suggestions for cool birthday outings, decide on the number of guests, and work from there.
Step 3: Choose a Stylish Birthday Party Venue at a London Location (Kensington? London Bridge? Covent Garden? Popular Areas along Brick Lane?)
Arguably the most important booking you’ll make, the venue that you are hosting in will set the theme for the whole event. Again, your teen should be involved in this and help you to choose the venue that they like the most that’s within your budget. Perhaps they are looking for a club where they can dance the night away with friends or maybe they want a party centred around board games and scary films. Whatever they are looking for, there are loads of teen party venues for hire in London, so you won’t have any difficulties finding the one that suits their personality.
Step 4: Consider a Theme (Sweet Sixteenth? Thames London Theme? A Theme to do with Escape Rooms?)
This way, they can ask all of their friends to come in costume, and it will make the decoration of the venue and party games much simpler, as it can all be done DIY. When there isn’t a theme, a lot more attention goes on the party as a whole, yet costumes and music relevant to a theme means that everyone is going to be instantly entertained and there’s much less work involved. This could also work out to be a little cheaper.
Step 5: Physical Invites to the Ideal London Party Space at the Perfect Venue
In the age of WhatsApp and Facebook, few teens will have ever gotten a physical invite to anything, let alone to a sweet sixteenth party (or thirteenth, or fifteenth) at an iconic venue where they can really have a London adventure (crazy activities potentially included). Helping your teen to design them or even make them yourselves can be a great experience. This is really only going to work if you have a small enough guest list but is a great start to give your teens sweet sixteenth all of the hype that it needs. Plus, the invites themselves will make great mementos of everyone.
Step 6: Entertainment for a Flavourful Birthday Celebration (A Birthday Dance in a Basement Bar, Perhaps?)
How the teens are going to be entertained should be on your mind from the start. If you are having a disco, then this might be enough, and hiring a DJ will get everyone dancing and enjoying themselves. Of course, there should be cake at some stage, as well as a chorus of ‘Happy Birthday’ but is anything else needed for people to enjoy themselves?
Step 7: Chaperones at the Little Party Oasis
If you’ve had that initial discussion with your teen, they’ll know not to try and get any alcohol into their party, but other adults’ presence is a must. On the other hand, hormones and the excitement of a night out aren’t always a good mix. Make sure you have a good number of adults present to keep an eye on everyone but stay out of the way as much as possible and let everyone enjoy themselves.
Step 8: Enjoy Celebrating at a very Groovy Birthday Party Venue!
Hosting any teen party is a difficult task, but a sweet sixteenth has its own level of expectations to deal with. Talking to your teen and working together will not only show mutual respect but will allow them to go on this journey with you and understand that while organising a party can be tough, it can also be a lot of fun.
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