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.
Hi Caren Jan,
Having a theme would surely make your party planning easier. There are actually many themes that are simple and elegant. For instance, you can do a black and white party. How about a white party with white drapes, white Japanese lanterns and white rose petals scattered around your venue. A butterfly themed party would also be fun and exciting most especially with the butterfly release at your grand entrance. The theme that will work best is something that you love, know and care about. Something that you will have a lot of fun doing. If you love parties, then a Rave theme would be a good idea. If you like to pretend, then a costume party would be great because you and your guests can dress up in a costume of your favorite character. If you want mystery, do a masquerade ball instead complete with masks for all your guests. Pick a theme first and then everything will follow. Party planning will be a breeze once you have a theme in mind. This is all for now and happy planning.
hi debut ideas!!
i have read over and over the ideas you have shared here and i am really thankful for all the tips i got. my 18th party will already be on the 6th of March and i will hold this at one of the bars in Makati. i have decided to adapt the rave party theme. however, there are a few questions/items that i need you to help me with:
a) i don’t know how to decorate the place… i don’t know if i need to decorate the place!! since its going to be a rave party, do i still need decorations? if yes, what would be the most appropriate and easy decor to use? OR is it ok not to have decors?
b) do i still need to have a centerpiece? what is the best centerpiece that i can use?
c) i have decided to have 18 glowsticks instead of 18 candles – how will the set-up be? will they just hold the lighted glow stick as they give their wishes? will they give it to me after giving their wishes? OR will they wear them as bracelets?
d) what is the normal duration of the entire 18 dances? is 30mins for the entire 18 dances too long?
pls. pls help!! pls. pls reply!!! 🙂
Hi Clair,
We have an article on the Rave theme that you may want to read on for more cool ideas. I think the bar ambiance is just perfect for a rave theme so you need not really decorate the venue. What you can do probably is to surround the venue with glow sticks so that it will add to the ambiance of a dance party. Have a fog machine for effect most especially on your grand entrance. A laser show would also be a cool idea for entertainment as well as creating a rave ambiance. If you want to incorporate a white party, you may do so by placing white drapes around the venue and some white Japanese lanterns as well.
For the centerpieces, it depends on whether you will serve dinner. If you are, make candles as centerpieces instead of the usual flowers. For the 18 glow sticks, do this with a dim light, the first 18 candles will then break the glow stick and then make her speech. This will make the 18 candles more dramatic because only the light coming from the glow sticks are seen. You can then introduce by name your 18 candles in a lighted stage after everybody has finished so that the audience will be able to see their faces. You can also ask your 18s to break the glow stick, place it in a container in the stage with a dim light and then go over to a more lighted part of the stage to make her speech. For the 18 roses dance, usually they edit out the song to include only the chorus part or probably the first two stanzas and then the chorus which would be at least 1 to 1.30 minutes long. So I guess 30 minutes or less is enough for the entire 18 roses dance. Hope this helps Clair and happy birthday.
hi. its me again. thank you for the answer last time. now, i still have a problem. we are still changing themes and concepts even though we have a reservation yet it is not final. no problem with the guests and place. the last time we checked, we had GREEK MYTHOLOGY inspired debut with a white and gold motif. i also got that idea from you. but now, we’re changing it to an AWARDS NIGHT concept in which my guests would wear long gown for female and coat and tie for male. how do we spice up the venue and the program too? i want it to be simple yet memorable because it would only come once in a lifetime. i also want to get ideas of how should we make the invitations and what token to give.. thank you for your time. we are so lucky to have you. by the way, i’m planning to have my guests strike a pose before entering the hall. can you suggest more about how to decorate? THANK YOU and more power!
hello again,
i would like to ask for your help again. im having trouble on a design for my invites and my debut programme. i need your help?
hi.. I’m having my debut this coming April and I want to change the name of my 18’s because I have this ” Princess theme”. I have 18 roses,candles,gifts…and can you suggest a song for my entrance… hope you answer this… tnx…
hi, i need help for my upcoming debut.. can you help me please to design my invitation and what will i wear if i have theme of “dress to impress”, like cocktail and the theme color is mint green? please help me..???? (“,)
Hey:) I’m going to celebrate my debut this august already, but the problem is that I still dont have theme. but I think of a theme that is very classy ?Like, I want to feel like that I’m a lady already, what appropriate theme could that be? and other problem is that, What alternatives for the 18 roses and 18 candles? pleasee help me..:) thanks..
Hi Cla,
Debutantes choose their themes based on their personality, their favorites, their likes, etc. Also they take into consideration if they can pull it off, if it can be achieved given their budget and time frame. A masquerade themed party is a formal and classy party to have. Wearing a ball gown and being a princess for this day would certainly make you feel like a lady. A black and white party also is a nice theme. It offers sophistication and maturity. You can also go for a zen theme or a japanese inspired 18th birthday party with pink and chocolate brown as your colors. I think every theme can be classy in their own right if it is done in good taste. Color combination plays a big part in this as well. Your alternative 18s usually is based on the theme that you choose. We have an article on 18s that may help you (click here). Happy planning.
Hi Leslie,
For a princess theme, I’m thinking that a waltz instrumental would be great. Roses from the South by Strauss as an example would be a great grand entrance for a princess themed debut party. You can also try some Disney songs like Go the Distance in Hercules or another animation picture Anastasia’s Once Upon a December. Here are some more songs that can be used as well. click here
For alternatives for 18s, check out our new article, Traditional 18s Ideas. Hope this helps and happy birthday.
hi! I’m planning to have a Greek inspired party for my debut tho i read all your articles about the said theme it helps a lot! thanks! but I kinda need more help. help me please! thank you so much!! 😀
Hi! This site is amazing but, I am lost on what to plan ahead for. I’m starting to plan my debut 2 years ahead of time, and I have no clue where to start. can you help me think of what to decide on first?
Hi!
I’ll be celebrating my 18th birthday this July and I’m planning to have a party. I want it to be extraordinary. I don’t want it to be like the traditional ones. Can you suggest to me a program flow that doesn’t have 18 roses, 18 treasures and 18 candles? And since I want it extraordinary, can you also suggest to me some gimmicks that I can add to the program? Thanks. :))
Hi Herriah Rhinah,
It seems that you will have a very formal party to have a theme of “dress to impress.” You invites should say the type of party you would want to have. Since you are aiming for a sort of formal event, it follows that your invites should also be formal. You can go for a clean white or mint green unscented paper. Print your wordings in black or chocolate brown ink in simple readable font. Naturally when you say dress to impress, your guests will come dressed in all their glory. It will be an awesome sight. The problem with this idea is you might get lost and fade into all the awesomeness around you. You should therefore have a dress that can standout in every possible way. It needs to shine and carry you through. Go for ball gowns like this mint green gown:
Source: http://www.style.com
You can also go for elaborate bead work or floral accents like this click here
Hope this helps and happy birthday.
Hi Jamie,
You can stick to the program flow and then remove all the 18s and in its place, put intermission numbers. If you have friends who know how to sing or dance, ask them to render you a special song or dance for your birthday. Some debutantes have a sort of talent portion where they sing or dance (depending on their talent) or play an instrument. This is the time for you to showcase your God given talent and show them to your loved ones. If you are into fashion, have a fashion show themed debut and do a runway show with your 18 candles. I’m sure all of them will willingly walk the runway like super models. Adding some games into the program usually makes the event more alive as it fosters audience participation. If you like Pirates of the Caribbean, why not have that theme and then have a treasure hunt where your guests will look for hidden items inside the venue. It will be easier to plan your party and program if you have a theme in mind so you might want to consider having a theme for your party. Hope this helps and happy birthday.
can i have a zample introduction for a debut? i waz azked to be d emcee, dat’z y..thankz mz. author=)
Hi Aira,
We have a sample of a technical script that may give you an idea on how to go about your intro speech for a debut. Here it is
http://debutideas.com/wp-content/themes/mimboPro/files/Program_TechnicalScript.xls (copy this to your browser).
hi.. i just want to ask,, what symbolizes 18 balloons, 18 wines and 18 candles???
thanks
Hi Tin,
The original 18s are 18 roses and 18 candles. As years passed, there came the addition of 18 treasures. The 18 roses symbolizes the 18 men in your life who has made an impact in your life. They may be a family member, a friend, a classmate or a relative. The 18 candles symbolizes the women in your life who are close to you and who you look up to as a role model in your life. 18 treasures has been added to showcase the gifts that the debutante will receive from her loved ones. The 18 balloons and 18 wines are just variations of the 18 roses and 18 candles in order to adhere to a theme.
hi ! i just want to ask if what theme will fit in to a motif of black and pink? and what 18s are better to use aside from roses,candles,and treasures? thanks in advance !
Good day 🙂
I will be celebrating my 18th birthday real soon. I’ve opted for the ‘Arabian Nights’ theme 🙂
I will not be having the traditional cotillion – do you have any suggestions what I can do instead? Debuts noawadays consist of the debutant presenting either a song, dance or even both number. However, I can’t sing nor can I dance 😀
I hope you’ll help me out 🙂
Oh! And another concern, what about souvenirs? My planner was suggesting the onsite photo from the photobooth we will be having. Do you think that’s enough? 🙂
Thank you!
?
Hi KC,
Arabian Nights Theme sure is a very unique theme to have. For your talent portion, you can have a belly dance with your friends. This is in keeping with your Arabian Nights Theme. Or you can also have an interpretative dance with A Whole New World as your music (Aladdin). Either way, I’m sure the experience you get from practicing those dances with your friends is worthwhile. You can learn to sing and dance and you are enjoying it in the process. Also the importance of having your friends with you when you perform is that the attention is not focused on you alone, therefore, you won’t get super nervous and thus you will perform better. For souvenirs, I think the photobooth will suffice. I’ve been to debuts where that is the only souvenir they gave out and I’m quite happy with what I got. Hope this helps KC and hope you rock your Arabian Nights theme.
Hi Khim,
For a black and pink color combination, a theme that would be perfect for it is the Glam Rock theme. It is sophisticated but fun at the same time. Taylor Swift even used it in her 18th birthday party. For 18’s substitutes, read on our article on Traditional 18s (click here)
Hi,
I will be celebrating my 18th birthday in November. I just wanna ask what theme suits well on the kind of debut I am planning for. My debut would probably be a “birthday concert” but the kind of songs I’ll be singing are the like of Don’t rain on my parade and New york, new york. So those are not the typical pop music. I’d like to fit what I am gonna sing to the theme of my debut. Also, most probably, I am gonna have additional 18 thousands and songs to the typical 18’s. What words could substitute those that go with the theme? I am thinking old hollywood would be a better choice or movie-ish or masquerade party. Do you have more themes to suggest that may suit well to my party? And oh, may an aphrodite-grecian party be incorporated with it?
Thanks a lot! 🙂
Hi debut ideas! I’m planning to have my 18th bday party this june and i chose candy princess themed party. I would like to ask what song can we play for my grand entrance and what kind of attires will my guests wear? Thanks a lot! 😀