Birthdays - The Big 21 Part II
In this second part of our 21st birthday celebration we're going
to continue with our discussion of how to plan the event.
If you're going to have the party outside of your home then one
thing to keep in mind is if you want to have the party on a
Saturday then you better book in advance. Most venues fill up
their Saturday slots very fast and getting a Saturday date can
be difficult at best. Don't be too shocked if your date is
booked even one year in advance. If you're planning an evening
party, make sure there is enough room for your guests to dance.
Most places don't allow outside caterers. You are most likely
going to have to use theirs and they are not cheap. The biggest
cost will be the food and drinks. Drinks are especially
expensive. The common foods for these events are cheaper but
also predictable, so give your menu a little thought. It may
cost more but your guests will appreciate it.
As for a photographer, hire a professional or let a friend do it
who at least knows something about photography. Remember, after
the evening is over the only thing you're going to have left are
your memories, which include your photographs. Make sure they're
done well.
For your invitations, try to remember that your invitations
create the mood of the party so try not to make them bland and
boring. Try to be original, both with the theme and the look of
the invitations themselves. They may end up costing a little bit
more but it will be worth it. If, however, you have an
invitation program at home on your computer and are fairly
creative, you may want to make them yourself. They will
certainly be original. Try to think outside the box when making
these as many of your friends will probably be turning 21 as
well and have gotten tons of 21st birthday invites. Be different.
As for the decor, try to pick a theme as mentioned in the first
article in this series and try to keep that theme consistent
throughout the place. So if you pick a comic book hero theme you
don't want the walls decorated with modern art. Everything
should look like it belongs. Also make sure that everything is
set up well in advance. The hall should have no trouble allowing
you to do this early in the morning.
Your music is the maker or breaker of most parties. In this case
the music should be easy. Most of your guests are going to be
your friends and they're all around the same age as you so they
should pretty much have the same tastes as you. However, if you
are going to have some older people there try to pick a good
number of selections that they can enjoy too. Either hire a
professional DJ or band for this. Don't try running the music
yourself or let your friends do it. The night will turn into a
disaster.
Let's face it, birthday cakes are clich