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 Iara,
Have a working budget first. When you have determined that, it will be easier for you to choose your birthday party suppliers. When you are planning your own debut party, you are like starting from scratch. You got to have a blank sheet of paper first to work on. Your venue is your blank sheet of paper. From there, you can start planning all the details of your 18th birthday celebration. Remember though that your birthday is still 2 years away, prices may still go up. Ask the place you are opting for if you can get a reservation with the current price. When talking to a venue supplier, ask them if they have freebies. Most caterers nowadays add an emcee, or chairs and tables to their menu of services. Be sure to take that into consideration. Have a birthday theme too because it will be easier to get souvenir items, invitations, etc. with a theme and color motif.
Hope this helps and happy planning!
i want the 18 candles to be the ones that i blow when its time to blow the candles on my cake, but can you suggest ways how to do that? like after they have given the wishes, where can they put the candles so i can blow the altogether? because i was thinking that maybe if they just put it on the cake, they might accidentally destroy the cake or the wax of the candles might cover up the cake. can you please help me?
Hi! So, I will be having a debut celebration without a grand cotillion. I will have roses and treasures, and the color theme is purple. What is usually written in the debut program? And do you think it is necessary for the debutante to have a special solo performance? Do you have any ideas on what I can do aside from that? Thanks.
Hi Chill,
Definitely that will happen if they place the candles on top of the cake especially if you will be using big candles. What I would suggest is to put three candelabras which can hold probably 6 candles, place them near the cake and arrange them in a manner that you can blow them all in one breath.
Source: http://www.lushersilentauction.com
Another option is if your cake is placed on a circular table, put 18 stylish drinking glasses for your 18s to put the candles on. You can also ask your caterer to extend the cardboard a little more than the cake so that your 18s can dip a little wax for the candle to stick on. The candles however will be a little harder to blow because you need to circle the table to cover all candles. But that will also be totally exciting. Hope this helps and happy birthday.
Hi Monica,
The answer is in the Traditional Debut Planner page 😉
Hi Jaycie,
The answer is in here 😉
Hi there. I’m planning to have a Glam rock Theme party for my 18th Birthday, can you give me a suggestion on the
program flow, also i crossed out the traditional cotillion on my list, but planning to have a Band which is me & my friends will going
to performed, do you think it is a nice idea?.. Thanks!
Oh hey ! This website is the boom ! Grabeh, am so thankful to kasi this website
is a big help. Pinoproblema ko kasi ang debut ko. It’s because I’m in UK and I’ve
decided to celebrate my 18th in Philippines. It will be on December pa but siyempre,
ayoko namang palpal ang aking debut.
So anyways, ayun nga, am really thankful to this website. Tapos lahat pa ng
posts dito eh sinasagot 🙂 Keep up the good work and continue helping others
for free 😉 LMFAO ! More powers ! \:D/
Hi Betsy,
We have here in this page a sample debut script that you may gain some insight on. Many debutantes really have a sort of talent portion where they showcase their talents for their friends and loved ones to see. They grab this once in a lifetime chance of being a star even for a night and then sharing their God-given talents to those they love. If you are kind of the shy type, ask your friends to help you by dancing or singing with you also. They can be a back up dancer or a friend may play the guitar while you sing, something like that. This sort of divides the attention of your audience. Hope this helps and happy planning.
I’ve read some of the inquiries in your website and its very helpful, what’s more important is that the author answers all the questions and gives fabulous ideas for the occasion. Anyway, my daughter is attending a 7th birthday party and now it is also tagged as debut unlike in my days…., she’ll be participating in the 7 candles, I guess these parts of the debut for a 7 yr old are the same as in 18-yr old debut. Can you hep me prepare a speech for one of the 7 candles, my daughter can memorize but I think due to lack of time it would be wiser to shorten the speech……. thanks….
Hi Rosieroze,
You can just follow the debut program that we have, omit the ones that you will not be doing like if you’re not doing the 18s, remove that, or if you’re not going to do the cotillion part, remove that as well and then substitute it with your Band’s performance. If you’re band will have many songs to sing, you can divide it by two sets. For instance:
Intro
Grand Entrance
18 roses – dance? optional
Band’s first set, 3 songs perhaps
18 candles- speech
Band’s second set, 3 songs
Dancing
It is okay that you are performing on your birthday so that your loved ones will be able to see your talent and be entertained by it. Many debutantes perform on their debut party. Hope this helps and happy birthday.
Hi Joanne,
I think the speech should at first introduce the speaker (your daughter) and her relationship with the celebrant. “I’m _speaker__ and __celebrant__ and I have been best friends since kindergarten.” Next is tell moments they have shared “We always do things together like play our Barbies and read and study for an exam. ” Next is tell some good traits and characteristics of the celebrant “The __celebrant__ is __qualities of celebrant_(talented, intelligent, etc)_. That is why I love her so much. I will promise to be her friend forever. Happy Birthday ___celebrant__ “” or something like that. Make the speech simple, short and concise (children have such short attention span) so that children would easily understand. Hope this helps.
hey. i need some help, i don’t have any idea on how to start my speech? can you help on this? can you give me some samples of a debutant’s speech? i’ll be having a party this may 16. hope we can work on this as soon as possible… 🙁 thank you!
hi i’ve read ur page hir and it seems so interesting and u help so many people like me and having their wondeful bday to b the best one..my youngest sister is celebrating her debut this coming july3,2010 since she’s the last sister who wil celebrate her debut i want to make it unforgettable for her of course with the help of gud people like you..we dont have much budet and we cant decide yet the venue bcoz i think july is rainy season..can u give me advice wat to be the theme for the perfect season..?nung ng debut kc aq umulan all in cocktail dress..so mdami d nkapunta..i hope nd pray n wag mngyari sa party ng kapatid q un..thnx..nd more power
Hi Kristine,
You can start off by saying good evening, mentioning a few facts about yourself for the benefit of those who don’t know you that well (optional), dreams and aspirations in life, you can share some stories or some good example of the way your parents have helped you grow into a young adult. Avoid inserting personal jokes that only a few will be able to get. This would leave your other guests feeling left out. Next, thank everyone for coming. You should also thank the people who have made your event possible like your suppliers, friends and family. Thank your mom and dad who have always supported you and love you. And Lastly thank the Lord for all your blessings and for making you a wonderful person inside and out. Hope this helps Kristine and happy birthday.
hi 🙂
i need your help badly. i would like to prepare a beach party/ Hawaiian inspired debut for my cousin this august. can you please help me find some unique ideas for it ?? thank you so much :*
hi!im planning to have a masquerde theme party for my 18 birthday..eh im having a hard time with my giveaways..gusto ko po kasi yung something unique, pretty yet affordable….thank you po!God bless!
Hello! I’ll be having my debut on December and my theme would be Tropical/Beach.
1.Can you give me a format in creating an invitation?
2.What kind of souvenirs can I give to my guests that is related to my theme?
3.I can’t find a perfect summer dress:(
What is AVP? Thanks;)
Hi, again! Can you please give me a sample of what the emcee can say when introducing the 18 treasures? What is the significance of it, etc.
hi! i already have a list for my 18 candles, roses, treasures and toasts.. but i need another set of 18s because I want to give part to my other guests who are also close to me.. someone told me to add 18 wishes but it would be redundant since I already have 18 toasts. please help me. thanks! 🙂
hi again!
i want a sort of “the transformation” part as the highlight of my debut. what i mean is that sort of “ritual” wherein my hairstyle, dress and shoes will be changed by my parents and grandparents as a symbol of my transformation from a girl to a young lady. example,.from flipflops to high heels..
i just have this idea but i am not really sure how it would be.. what do you think? please help me construct my idea. it seems so abstract to me right now. what would this part be called?
Hi there. I’m Trish and I’ll be celebrating my 18th birthday on August. I’m starting to prepare all the needed stuff. My theme will be fairytale. Can you help me with my invitation? I’m thinking, I’ll substitute 18 candles, roses, treasures, etc into something “princess-ish” like 18 royal dances. What can I substitute to 18 candles, treasures? Thank you!
Can you please give me a sample speech for the grand entrance thank you so much!!! i love your website, its very helpful……keep it up!!!!
Hi Trish Lua,
For your 18s, it depends on what fairytale you will be having. For instance, if you are supposed to be sleeping beauty, then 18 kisses (on the cheek) would not be a bad alternative for the 18 roses. Or instead of having different songs for your 18 roses dance, you could just have a grand waltz song for all 18 roses and call it The Royal Dance or The Grand Waltz. They would be circling you and would dance in a waltz, each of them cutting off every few stanzas of the waltz song. For your 18 candles, try 18 pixie dusts where your 18 candles will blow a pinch or two of glitter and then make their speech. You could also have 18 wands where your 18 candles will wave their wands and them make a speech or grant a wish. For your invites, a scrolled invite would be great. It is like you are inviting them to a ball, reminiscent of Cinderella. Hope this helps Trish and happy birthday.