Crafting a balanced program for you dream debut party is not really as hard as it sounds. All it takes is a little imagination. There are endless possibilities in creating a program for your dream debut. A program can be as short as two hours or as long as until wee hours of the night. You can go as crazy as making everyone involved and participate in different aspects of the program.
The following is a basic Debutante’s program:
- Introduction of the Debutante, her Escort and her Cotillion Court
- Toast in Honor of the Debutante
- Welcome Remarks (by the parents)
- Invocation or Prayer
- Dining
- Father and Daughter Dance
- Grand Cotillion Waltz Dance
- 18 Roses Dance
- Presentation of 18 Candles
- Singing of Traditional Debutante’s Birthday Song
- Blowing of the Cake Candles
- Cutting of the Cake
- Presentation of 18 Treasures
- Games
- A Word from the Debutante
- Time to Party!
The debutante’s program can also flow like this:
- Arrival and welcoming of guests – guests are ushered to their designated seats
- Cocktails are offered to encourage guests to mingle – this takes your guests’ mind off waiting for your grand entrance
- After everyone settles in their place, the host makes mention of important people who graced the occasion (if there are).
- Drinks and appetizers are served
- Parents talk briefly about the debutante (about her achievements, goals, ambitions, etc.)
- Audio Visual Presentation of the debutante’s life from infancy to present
- Grand entrance of the debutante
- Parents talk some more about the debutante (optional)
- Toast in honor of the debutant
- The debutante makes a short opening remarks encouraging guests to enjoy the party
- Prayer
- Guests start their meal
- AVP of well-wishers
- Father and daughter dance (This may also be incorporated in the eighteen roses. Fathers are usually the first or last dance of the debutante)
- Eighteen roses (audio of speech while dancing)
- Eighteen candles (speech)
- Singing of birthday song
- Cutting of birthday cake
- Games
- Introduction of the debutante, her escort and her cotillion court
- GRAND COTILLION WALTZ DANCE
- Debutante’s thank you speech
- Party time!
Other variations may be the following:
* The host will have a talk, more of like an introduction and a short summary of the program, a little talk on what is in store for the guests so that they would be enticed into finishing and staying for the duration of the party and making the party a success. The host need not mention the juicy parts (those surprise numbers and whatnots)
* For parents who are shy to talk in front of a crowd, the host will do the introduction about the debutante. There will be a little talk before the debutante is introduced. Probably the host may interview some guests and probably ask them some unforgettable moments with the debutante.
* For the eighteen roses, each guy can give a note for the host to read while they are dancing. This can also be recorded and played together with the background music while they dance.
* Cotillion can be danced at the end of the program after which everybody may dance and which may mark the start of the dancing.
* The father or parents of the debutante will talk about the celebrant (you can make a Powerpoint or Flash presentation for everyone to see that has baby pictures or some important milestones of the debutante’s life)
* Father dances with his daughter as a separate part of the program.
* Escort/ bf takes debutante for a dance then everyone dance after some time
* Some also incorporate 18 wines, 18 treasures, 18 gifts as a variation so that most of the guests would be able to greet the debutante.
* Games are inserted on different parts of the program.
Here is a more detailed flow of program but the arrangement can be tweaked here and there according to preference.
- Registration / arrival of guests / receiving of gifts / cocktails
- Guests settle on their seats
- Introduction of the 18th birthday celebrant by the emcee
- Acknowledgment of the parents and other VIPs
- Introduction and entrance of the grand cotillion
- Grand entrance of the debutant and her escort (optional)
- Welcome remarks and toast by the parents
- AVP of debutante (pictures from infancy to present)
- Grand cotillion
- Invocation / prayer before meals
- Meals and pictorial
- AVP of well-wishers
- 18 Roses
- Father and daughter dance
- 18 _____ (any 18s here – 18 wines, balloons or whatever you like!)
- Games
- 18 Candles
- Singing of birthday song
- Blowing of 18 Candles
- Cutting of birthday cake
- Debutante’s thank you speech
- PARTY / Everybody on the dance floor!
So remember, in making your program, list first what part of the basic program you want to retain or delete and then you can make your own rendition according to your liking. Don’t make it too long but don’t make it too short either. Create a balanced program and be imaginative in adding your own flavor into it. A debut party well thought of is a debut party well remembered.
Hello, Don’t you have any idea in a pirate theme? I want to know how can i pursue in that concept/ theme.
Hi !.. my debut will be on june 24 and my theme will be ‘Stylish Glam Party’ which they can showcase their own style and their own sense of fashion.but how can i convince them to do that?. and my guests are came from different groups/ different circle of friends.. and i dont know how will i set a program that nobody will be out of the place.. how will i make a party that everyone could enjoy..? im also thinking to include games on the program.. i have lots of idea to choose from but i dont know any consequences or punishment that i could give for the losing team or for those persons who gave wrong answers.. can u give me some list of punishments/hilarious or funny punishments that i can use so that i can make my party more enjoyable?.. PLS HELP.. and any advice to do on the party so everybody could enjoy it.. how can i convince them to stay longer and participate in every part of the program..??? how can i convince them to go on the dance floor and feel the hit of the party..? my venue will be in a bungalow house.. im gonna rent from somewhere and design it.. can you give me some ideas on how can i design an empty house to a glam..???? i want a simple but a glam party,.. and can you give me some simple dishes to prepare.. i want it more on appetizers and desert,..
I Hope You Will Help Me on This Matter.. 🙂
thanks so much in advance and more power !..
i need a debut program for my debut.. there are 4 sets of 18’s which are roses cndles, shot and treasures.tnx
Hi Kat Duayan,
Some would show an AVP of the debutante’s pics from childhood to present and then an intro speech by the emcee then make their grand entrance. You can go ahead and do your grand entrance without the introduction of the cotillion court. You can also ask your 18s to fall in line near the stage to shower you with confetti as you pass by during your grand entrance. Hope this helps and happy birthday.
hi issa!
here is a link to our article about debut programme and flow =)
Debut Programme, Flow
Debut Technical Script
Thank you for visiting our site! 🙂
Lizette and Jam
Ahoy Dianne (diannezalameda)!
If you want to go for a Pirate theme, you have to go all the way. Let’s say only one guest is in pirate costume, he’d look like a crazy guy. You should ask your guests to dress up in Pirate (wear an eye patch, or a hat). Hand out Large Jewel Rings, Eyepatch & Earring or Pirate Bling Necklaces so your guests won’t look out of place. To give you an idea, look a these guys from Pirates of the Caribbean:
I think the essential elements are hats and bandanas. Here is an article about how you can create a Pirate Costume.
http://www.howtodothings.com/family-and-relationships/a3955-how-to-create-a-pirate-costume.html
For your souvenir, you can provide a loot bag, which are actually Red Bandanas wrapped up to contain an eyepatch, earring, large jewel ring, gold coins, pirate tattoos, etc. Fill these pirate loot bags with a bountiful of goods and your guets will surely go home with a smile on their faces.
Make your debut cake a treasure map cake. Then decorate it with large stone bracelets, pirate necklace, king’s crown, bling blings, assorted jewelries like bangles and puca shell necklaces, etc. You can also have a treasure chest cake. You can go creative with this as long as you know what you want to go for.
You can add a face painting feature on your party so that your guests will have crossbones, scars and skulls on their faces!
For your games, you can go for “Hunt My Favorites”: For example:
“It has always been my favorite movie, go to the DVD rack and give it to me.” (your guests will go to the DVD rack and bring you your favorite film)
“It’s my favorite color from the rest, bring that balloon to my treasure chest.” (your guests will choose one color from a set of balloons and bring it to you)
It’s sort of a “bring me” game but in this game, they have a lot of choices. only those people who know you well can answer them.
Or you can go for a Treasure Hunt Game, where all things are literally hidden in a certain place. The guest who finds it will get a prize.
For your invitations, an obvious design would be a treasure map. Write your invitation in Pirate Language.
http://www.tide-mark.com/pirate_dict.html
http://yppedia.puzzlepirates.com/Pirate_language
A pirate theme is really a fun theme especially if you want to avoid a serious atmosphere in your debut party. So have fun planning! 🙂
can u give me other terms for 18 roses shot treasures and candles?
Hi Issa,
18s are sometimes dependent upon a theme that you have. For instance if you have a butterfly theme, you can have 18 flowers, 18 daisies, etc. because butterflies love all flowers in general and not just roses. For you 18 candles, 18 fireflies. For 18 treasures, try 18 seeds where it symbolizes the virtues that you need to have in your journey through life. For 18 shots, try 18 wines, 18 toasts or 18 champagnes. Hope this helps and happy birthday Issa.
Hi Maezzie,
I’m pretty sure your 7th birthday was a success and Barbie theme seems like a fun theme to have during that time. I think since you’re already 18, you should have a theme that allows your personality to shine. An elegant theme to have would be a period theme like back in the 1920s where people are dressed to the nines. The more serious and elegant white and black party is classy but it might be boring for a debut party. The best theme though is a theme that you would be able to personalize and make your own. Let your creativity shine through. You should ask yourself first what you really want you and your guests to experience. Do you want to have a fun but still classy party? Do you want it to be whimsical? Why not have a fairies theme instead? Do you have any movie that you love so much? How ’bout a Moulin Rouge theme (red, deep purple and black colors)? Do you want to add some sort of mystery to your party? Why not try a Masquerade Ball theme where everyone will wear masks. How bout a pirates theme perhaps where games consist of a treasure hunt? If you are into fashion, try having a Runway-inspired theme where you can have your own fashion show. A Hollywood awards theme perhaps where glitz and glamour are the order of the day and paparazzis loom the place? There are lots of themes actually to choose from and all can be classy. It depends on how well it is planned. Asking your guests to adhere to the theme would also make your party a success, so choose wisely Maezzie. Hope this helps and happy birthday.
hello its me again i would like to ask about the debutant speech and song that she will sing.. because we are having a hard time making one.. please help us. thanks.. can u suggest some songs that she can sing that means thanking the guests espcially our parents.. thanks miss
Hi Jayson,
These are songs that are very inspirational which your sister can sing on her party.
Sometimes (Carpenters)
Thanks to you (Tyler Collins)
Journey (Lea Salonga)
Wind Beneath My Wings (Bette Midler)
UNWRITTEN (Natasha Bedingfield)
BEAUTIFUL SEED (Corrinne May)
The debutante’s speech is a a speech that should come from her heart. It can be as simple as thanking your parents’ unconditional love and thanking all the people who have made a positive impact in her life and asking them to never stop believing in her. Or she can probably tell a story of a significant event in her life that changed her life for the better. Or an event where she saw how her parents love her unconditionally. She can also mention her dreams in the future and asking everybody to help her achieve that dream, especially your parents, to always be there by her side, ready to catch her when she falls, never once doubting her ability to stand again and fight as her loved ones cheer on to the fulfillment of her dreams. Being 18 means taking on more responsibilities, thinking and acting as an adult, making sound decisions and having more respect for people around her. There is so much to learn and she needs all the help she can get. Hope this helps and happy birthday to your sister.
hi! i’m having my debut on may. 🙂
i don’t really have a theme for my debut but i want the 18 roses, 18 candles and wishes and 18 shots to be different.
can you help me revise those things? thank you! 😀
Hi Anne,
Sometimes, it helps to have a theme when renaming the 18s. For instance, for a tropical inspired theme party you can have 18 bonfires, 18 torches or 18 tiki torches for 18 candles. For 18 roses, you can have 18 leis, 18 garlands or 18 corals. You can have 18 toasts or 18 wines for 18 wishes and then 18 treasure chests, 18 gems or 18 pearls of the Orient for your 18 treasures. For a Masquerade Theme or a Princess theme, you can try 18 candelabras for 18 candles, 18 royal dances for your 18 roses, 18 jewels for 18 treasures and 18 wines for 18 shots. Hope this helps and happy birthday.
PLEASE :((
Hi Marriel,
First of all, I like your idea of asking your guests to dress in their own style because that will give them a more comfortable feeling in coming to your party. You can probably ask them to come in their best outfits and you can have an award for Best Dressed so that the ones who made an effort to dress up will actually be rewarded. With regards to the thing about making them stay, sometimes an appeal can work wonders. Ask them personally or have the host say something like “The debutante has painstakingly prepared so much for this party so that you could all enjoy it with her and it is very nice that you have given her your time tonight. But she asks one more thing of you, that you stay for the duration of the party. Many exciting things await all of you and the night is still young.” or something like that. It is really hard to actually make everyone feel a part of your party or make everyone enjoy your party but having games actually does the trick. You can incorporate games into your program and have it equally spaced in between events so that your guests will not be bored. You can have games for the teenagers, for couples, for the older ones ;). You can devise a way to actually make them come to the stage without them knowing that they will be part of a game afterward. With the dancing part, I think you need to have a track that would appeal to both young and old or insert some old danceable songs in there for your other guests to enjoy. Some songs that are too fast may not appeal to your other guests so make sure that your track list is balanced. For the decorations part, a stylish glam party can be a white party like the ones celebrities throw in at Hollywood. With a white party, you can have white drapes hang around the venue, some white balloon clusters on the entrance, some white round Japanese lanterns at the center and then hire a lighting effects supplier for some strobe lights effect and you have an instant rave party to go with your stylish glam theme party.
For the food, you could have just cheese sticks, nachos, french fries with dips. Keep hot foods to a minimum. Serve cold foods instead like fruit shakes and popsicles. Fresh fruits cut in slices are also good especially with a chocolate fountain nearby. While your at it, add some marshmallows on the side to create a totally cool dessert bar.
Hope this helps and happy birthday Marriel.
hello, I would be celebrating my debut on march 26, 2010 and i don’t have a theme yet. I was thinking of having a pink and black party where my guests are supposed to where pink or black but i don’t know what color to wear to stand out. I’m also thinking of having an autumn-themed party. I’m totally confused. I just want a simple debut (short program, with intermission numbers. It would be held in a garden.) Can I ask some theme suggestions where I don’t need much decorations for the venue?
Hi Pia,
A pink and black party will be splendid. It will be elegant and fun at the same time. It will be like Taylor Swift’s 18 birthday party where she rocked a hot pink outfit. What she did was to ask her guests to dress in black and she wore this hot pink number:
Source: http://storage.people.com
You can do that too. You can also incorporate a Butterfly Theme into your pink and black party since your venue is in a garden and have a dress that has different hues of pink in it. You can wear wings as props for your grand entrance. You don’t need to decorate much since your venue is in a garden and it would be perfect for a butterfly release during your grand entrance. Hope this helps and Happy Birthday Pia.
thanks a lot! I’m inspired of having like that of taylor swift’s. Can I ask another opinion? How about an element-them party where guests should wear depending on the element assigned from them (example: earth, wind, fire, air). Then, I would have an easier way of finding souvenirs because i’ll just think of things that would best represent these elements. Thank you again for your time. =D
Hello again. =D I’ve decided already. I think I’ll go for the pink and black theme party. Actually I’ll call it first a black and white party because I’ll let my guests wear black or white. My invitation would also be black and white. But it would be a surprise for them in the party since my decorations would be in hot pink as well as my dress. I think it would be like taylor swift’s. Can I ask any suggestions like what else would I add for my party (example: photobooths). What other suggestions could you add for my program? My party is just a semi-formal one. Not the traditional. I’m still thinking of what souvenir to give. Thanks for your time. =D It would be a great help.
hello!
my names caren, i will be celebrating my debut this june 11 2010. i dont have a theme for my party but i want it to be simple and not that extravagant. i wont have 18 roses but i prefer 18 treasures i cant have a dance with my father and im having trouble with the programme and invitations since this is the first time that i heard of debuts. i need your help please!
hello again
i would like to ask what kind of song can my neice, who will sing at my debut sing at the party?
Hi Caren Jan,
How old is your niece because the song that she will be singing should be appropriate for her age. I guess she should choose a song that is inspirational. Anyway, we have a list on our debut songs page that she might consider. http://debutideas.com/?page_id=847#top Here are some of them:
Time of my Life, Unwritten, Journey, Somewhere over the Rainbow, Rainbow Connection, etc.
Hope this helps and happy birthday to you Caren.
Hi Pia,
If you will have a photobooth in your party, the picture that your guests will take home will serve as your souvenir. You can probably make heart shaped (or any shape you wish) white and dark chocolates and then have those pink ones too. You can arrange it in a table which will be so lovely. Give them away after the program. I’m sure your guests will enjoy seeing them as much as eating them. For more ideas on party favors, click here.
hello
thank you for the advise. my niece is already turning 12. i want to ask what kind of theme i can have for my debut? i want it to be simple yet elegant. not that much expensive and fun. i plan to have 18 treasures and a few games but what else can i add?