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 Eyt,
The 18 roses are given to guys close to you, close friend, friend or classmate. 18 candles are for 18 ladies who have made an impact in your life, who you look up to, who you are closest with so that these are your female relatives, classmates, friends, best friends, etc. The other 18s are just additional and are vague in its meaning. Their names are tweaked in order to adhere to a theme. 18 treasures are also 18 gifts, the purpose of which is to symbolize gift giving during a birthday. 18 toasts, 18 wishes, 18 champagnes, 18 bubbles, 18 wines, cheers, are all for well-wishers. It is good that you are making your guests feel important by giving them a role to play in your debut. However, if you come to think of it, having 18 roses, 18 candles, 18 treasures, 18 toasts and then another 18 would be quite tiring because you and your guests would have to sit up for 18 dances and 72 speeches. I often advice debutantes to veer away from this monotony because it creates the risk of making your party boring. If you want your guests to participate and feel important in your birthday, you can ask them to greet you in your AVP. You can then edit it to create a fun and exciting thing to watch. You can also ask your 18s to participate in an impromptu game to make your party livelier. If you are still up to 5 18s, ask them to make their speeches short. As a suggestion, you may want to have 18 toasts designated for 18 men who will toast and make you a wish and then 18 cheers for 18 ladies who will cheer you on (make a wish as well). The transformation part is a great idea. You can do it in your grand entrance where you will be dressed plainly at first and then your family will dress you up into your gown and high heels and then you can do your grand entrance. Hope this helps and happy birthday.
hello mariah,
usually the debutante gives speeches after the party or the end of the debut program proper and not during the grand entrance. Before your grand entrance, you will be given an introduction by your emcee or host. You can give your emcee information about what you want included in your introduction and she’ll be the one to make the spiel. =)
ok. thanks a lot! i would just stick to the 4 set of 18s. you are such a great help. more power to you! 🙂
Good evening
can you help me doing a program on my 18 birthday?
what things can you suggest so my visitors will not get bored.
hi Germaine!
These links might help 🙂
http://debutideas.com/?p=48
http://debutideas.com/?p=979
Games — http://debutideas.com/?page_id=851
Happy planning!
Hi Tonet,
Here, this page might help!
http://debutideas.com/?p=859
Read this too!
http://debutideas.com/?p=694
Happy Planning! =)
would it be a terrible thing to not have a talent section at a debut? i’m a really shy person, and my debut is next week, there’s really no time to put something together.
Hi Danika,
Having a talent portion in a debut is optional. Most debutantes do this because they want their talents showcased in their birthday. If you are the shy type and would be really uncomfortable standing in front of a crowd even if they’re practically family, then don’t do it. Adding to that is the fact that you’re not prepared would definitely lead to a disastrous talent portion. However, if you can conquer your fear and shyness and sing just one simple song, there is still time to practice for it. Either way girl it is alright. Hope this helps and happy birthday Danika.
Hi Adz,
Since July is indeed a rainy month, it would be safe to choose a venue that is indoors. There are those function rooms that are really right for the budget where you can rent the room for a few hours. How about restaurants where food is already included in their packages? You can also go for three-star hotels that have no-hassle friendly packages that would suit your budget. As for the theme, practically any theme would work for indoor venues particularly white walled function rooms. You can hang drapes of your color motiff. You can adorn it with flowers and leaves all around and it is transformed into a beautiful garden for a fairies, butterfly, midsummer night’s dream theme. You can create a backdrop of the beach at the stage for a beach or tropical inspired party. Hope this helps and happy planning.
my debut is this October, and i’m planning a kiddy costume party for a theme. could you help me plan? i want to make it playful yet liberated party. like a last kiddy party. thnks. how can i make a program with that?
Hi again. Thank you for your ideas. I’m planning to have a Cinderella theme. How about 18 treasures and wishes? What are the good subsitute words for them? Last thing, for the souvenirs, what can I give to my guests that are non-edibles? Thank you so much. You really helped me 🙂
hi!, can i ask how much does a debut usually cost?
Hi! i am celebrating my 18th birthday this coming October. I’m planning to have an “Alice in Wonderland” theme party.
any ideas for the invitations? and what would be the best look for the venue? (my parents have chosen a venue, indoor hall, spacious with grand stairs).
Hi. I would like to ask about the best alternatives for a traditional cotillion. My mom wants me to have one on my debut and, well, it’s actually fine with me. I’m worried that it might be somehow a bore. I’ve heard of debutantes doing a fashion show instead but I wouldn’t want to do that since I want mine to be unique or fun. Could you suggest ideas? My theme would be vintage (not the retro Grease, Hairspray etc. era), btw. Thanks! =) This website has been a great help!
Hi debutideas,
My debut is coming up in a month and everything is all ready. I’m just wondering about the father/daughter dance, do we have to do it twice or only on the 18 roses dance? Thank you so much for everything. I got so many ideas from this site. God bless! 🙂
Hi Stela!
There’s this old song by Mandy Moore called Candy, check it out, it’s a cute song!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e4e-eXWbbs
For your guests’ attire, you can ask them to wear something very colorful! If your guests wear multi-colored outfits, that would look so cool in your pictures!
Happy Birthday!
Hi. im turning 18 next year,and i have 6 months to plan it . and im planning how my debut will be. i want to have a “moulin rouge theme” and i dont know how to start. i want something that is really different. instead of 18 roses,18 treasure,18 candles etc.i dont want my party to be a traditional debut. i want it more different. do u have any suggestions? please do help me. thank you .
Hi Eunice,
You can either include the father-daughter dance in the 18 roses or do it separately.
If you include it in the 18 roses, you can either have him as your first dance or your last. If he’s your first dance, this symbolizes that your father is allowing the rest of the 17 boys to dance with you and that he’s giving you the freedom to do so. If he’s your last, this may symbolize that you are a daddy’s girl, he’s still the most special man in your life at the end of the day.
You can also do it separately with the emcee announcing that it’s time for the father-daughter dance.
We think it may be overkill if you do it twice (separately and during the 18 roses). Just have the father-daughter dance once to make it very special.
Cheers and have a happy 18th birthday! 🙂
Debut Ideas
need your advice…
my party is coming soon.
i would like to ask … what 18 balloons represents for?wil dey hav 2 wish?
please respnd…tnx…hope you read this
hi..I’ll be having my debut next month(july 2010) and i still dont have a theme for it..im a music lOver and i want to use it as a theme..i just dont know how..
by the way these are my 18s:
-chocolates (instead of roses)
-candles
-18 thousand
-18 words of wisdom( quotations/verses in the bible)
is it ok??
i hope you could help me..tnx
Hi Bianca,
Well, themes are usually thought of by the debutante. Themes usually reflect her personality and her passion. Since you love music, why not have a rave party? Given your time constraints, this will be a more feasible option. You can just rent out a bar and hire a DJ and presto! You have an instant rave party. If you have limited budget, you can throw it in your own house, transform your house into a bar and play your favorite music during your party.
Rave Party
If you are into musical, you can choose that as well. For instance, you might want to have Phantom of the Opera or Cats or Moulin Rouge. However, these themes require months to prepare (because of the props and all). How about a piano themed party where your color motifs are black and white. These represent the black and white keys of the piano. You can have white and dark chocolates as party favors. Black table covers with white table runners and white table napkins. That would be so elegant. Themes are supposed to make party planning easier because having a theme would give you cohesion and focus. Hope this helps and happy birthday.
Hi Belle,
I have a friend who had her debut at McDonalds! Her giveaways were lootbags and toys and it was such a fun party! I suggest you just follow your instinct. You can have the 18s but a fun kiddie one. You can have 18 Toys, 18 Cartoon Characters or 18 Balloons. You can also have 18 Candies! Just follow your heart and look for the kid inside you and you can definitely make your debut party memorable and relaxed! You can still pattern your program on the normal debut program and modify it in a way that you think children will enjoy. Of course, don’t forget the mascots and the pinata and the candy giveaways!
Happy planning and we hope this helps! 🙂
Hi Beverly,
For me, a traditional cotillion is not a bore, but that’s just me. The only problem with that is if your friends can have time for rehearsals. Maybe you can opt for modern dances instead of the traditional waltz. As long as you can make the dance entertaining, then a cotillion will not be boring. A fashion show is a good idea but personally, I wouldn’t replace cotillion with anything that don’t include dancing.
Anyway, here is an article about Cotillions that you should read about 🙂
— http://paperpichay.blogspot.com/2009/06/filipino-cotillion.html
Hope this helps!
Hi Paola,
18 balloons is just a variation. You can ask your 18 balloons make a speech and write it on a piece of paper, place it inside a balloon. They will then get their balloons, pop it and read the speech that they prepared beforehand. Hope this helps and happy birthday.
Hi Trixy,
AVP is audiovisual presentation. It usually is a collection of clips of videos from your loved ones greeting you or describing you, or even just a collection of your pictures from since you were young up to present. It is edited in such a way that it will be interesting to watch.