Getting ready for your upcoming debut party? Basics first! Sometimes, debutantes forget even the simplest of things! So before anything, read these super simple guides regarding your debut essentials. This will definitely help you get a step ahead in your debut planning.
Invites
Still sticking to your motif, choose the invitation that is simple, elegant, and proper for the occasion. Do not rely on electronic invites such as the Email. If you are confident however that your guests check their email regularly, you may do so, just be sure to get a confirmation by calling them to ask if the invitation was received. However, a hard copy of your invitation is still the best way to invite people. After all, this is also where you can showcase your own creativity!
Inviting through SMS or texting may be quite impolite. Remember, you are the one asking them a favor to attend your party. Texting should only be used for confirmation purposes.
Carefully prepare the list of names included in your program. Make sure names are not misspelled. And be sure the people included in your program know what to do. Send your invitations at least two weeks before the event itself. This way, your guests will not set other appointments on your big day.
Your Motif
Motif is usually reduced to the color that will dominantly be used in the party. But really, motif is more than just that.
When choosing your motif, you may consider your favorite color, which is the conventional way of doing it, but to make your party much more interesting to become a real event to remember, you might want to think of a whole theme, rather than just a color.
A theme is a guide to what the most of your party will be about. It may range from something romantic like renaissance to something more magical like fairy tales. It’s all a matter of imagination and creativity, and of course, personality, that motif, which you think is you.
Once you have set your motif, everything else becomes easy.
Music
Choosing your music is like choosing the mood of your party. Just remember that it should not clash with your theme. If you have a Pocahontas theme, the most suited music would be Pocahontas Original Soundtrack. But who’s dictating? You are always free to be creative! Don’t stick to conventions. Choose the music you love most. Wouldn’t you want to remember your special day with a beautiful music?
For your 18 roses, you may pick a song for each and every dance. The song should suit the man you are dancing with. You may request a friend to sing your favorite song during dinner or ask the dj to play your most memorable song while parading around your guests.
Program and Entertainment
The program of your party is important in keeping your guests entertained. Remember, it is your party. You’re the star! But you are also the hostess, you have the responsibility to make the night as enjoyable for them as it is for you.
Most often, the right performers, and emcee do it all. To entertain your guests, you can abuse your talented friends into making them sing your favorite song for instance. In this way, you are giving an opportunity for them to showcase their talents. Parts like the Cotillion de Honor require a great deal of preparation however. It may take months of preparation before you can produce a perfect Cotillion de Honor.
It would also make your event more interesting, if you include special segments, or the “not usual” segments. But always take note of your theme.
Dress
Depending on your motif, you pick the dress that you think will bring out your best, that which will make you feel confident.
Most of the time, we feel confident when we’re wearing something that we think brings out our best figure. So consider the whole design of your gown, more specifically its cut. Be sure that it fits you perfectly well.
Deciding if a gown fits you perfectly well or not is more than just checking if it’s tight or loose. It’s really a matter of feeling. When wearing it makes you feel confident and comfortable, then it must be good on you.
It is easier to choose an outfit knowing what you really want. You can shop for ideas and designs in the mall and gather them into a collective of what design suits your taste.
Hair and Make-up
Hair and make-up may be the most crucial little detail, because hair and make-up can definitely transform you.
It is very important that you feel comfortable and confident with your hair and make-up, because how you look would more or less direct your mood the whole evening.
It would be helpful to experiment with your looks before the big event itself. This way you more or less know what looks good on you.
Accessories
Choosing the right accessories would come in easy as soon as you get your dress. Accessories play a big role, especially when you have chosen a relatively simple gown. Most of the time, the right accessories do it all.
If your dress can stand on its own, then simple accessories are best to be used to avoid overdressing and exaggeration.
Most well dressed people are the ones who keep it simple but undoubtedly elegant.
Bag
A bag is important to keep close the important things you need, those, which you think, you cannot last a single night without. However, carrying a bag with you during this very important occasion is just optional.
For some people, a bag is not an important detail. But you wouldn’t want a wrong bag to ruin your almost perfect debut, would you?
Your bag must definitely match your dress. If it matches, then it’s the perfect bag.
Shoes
Your shoes may not even be visible during the whole night of your party, because of your long dress. But it still is important to have the right shoes, just in case.
In picking your shoes, the thing to consider, aside from style, is of course comfort. No debutante would want a hurting foot after dancing with the eighteen roses.
Your shoes should blend with your dress. It should be in harmony with your gown’s color or detail. If not, it should match your bag. Be sure to ask opinions from your family and friends about your whole outfit so that during your debut you wouldn’t worry about it at all.
Souvenirs
Souvenirs are remembrance, memories, reminders of your event. To achieve the real purpose of souvenirs, do not just give away something that has always been given away. Pick something special that matches your motif. Pick a souvenir that you think will remind your guests of your memorable day with them. Think of something even more creative to give your friends or family who have helped you a lot in organizing your debut. They will appreciate this token so much that they wouldn’t get tired of helping you at all.
can you please help me in choosing a theme for my 18th birthday?
i am planning to celebrate it in a bar..and i don’t want the usual fairy-tale like debuts..i want it to be simple and modern..and instead of the 18 candles, roses and gifts, im planning to change the usual 18’s..(e.g. 18 songs…)
can you help me? thanks a lot!
I’ll be celebrating my debut on May. What party themes can you suggest? thanks.
Hi Abigail,
Thanks for visiting our site. We have a topic regarding party themes that I believe will be of great help to you. It depends on who you are as a person and what you want to achieve with your party. Would you want the conventional debut with the works or are you more of a rocker chick? How about a butterfly theme? That would be super neat… We also have unconventional party themes that you and your friends would surely enjoy. Also, since your birthday is only three months away, I would suggest picking a party theme that you would not have a hard time planning. Happy planning and let me know what you come up with.
hi there. i will be having my debut on august. it may be months away but im already starting to plan about my party’s theme. i have always wanted the traditional debut party and all that but i want to add a little twist to it. i was planning a renaissance theme of that sort but i have no idea how to pull it off with the invites, set up, my dress, and etc… please help me. thanks! -cass
hi cassandra,
First of all, thanks for visiting our site. Since you’re a debutante, consider this your site too. It is nice that you are already in the planning stage of your debut. The ideal time to start planning would be six months, so you are pretty much on the right track. You picked a very extravagant and elegant theme and since time is really to your advantage, i believe you will be able to pull this off. For your benefit, we will be putting up an article about your chosen theme which is the Renaissance theme in the weeks to come. For starters, might I suggest that you scout for venues fitted for your theme. Venues in the Intramuros area for instance, would more or less fit the theme that you are aiming for, but any hotel that has a grand staircase or an elegant facade would do just the same. I would not recommend an open venue such as a garden without roofing or tents as August is rainy season and “rain on my parade” seems not the way to go. You wouldn’t want to get wet and spoil your most awaited day, would you? Book your venue as early as now (most especially if you are aiming for a weekend party). They may be hard to book once the months roll by and THE DAY gets nearer. I guess this is all for now. Watch out for our article on Renaissance theme. Happy planning and keep us updated.
hi. i will be having my debut on july. but im still not decided on what theme will i be having. im planning to celebrate it in fernwood gardens, any suggestion what theme will fit the venue?? tnx :))
hello princess,
For your venue Fernwood Gardens, we can suggest these themes:
– Butterfly theme
– Renaissance theme
– Green Earth Party theme (http://debutideas.com/?p=33)
Since Fernwood gardens is a classic venue, with a horse-driven carriage and a grand staircase, you can play around the renaissance theme and make a grand entrance, giving your guests a spectacular sight. This venue also boasts of many plants and flowers, which makes it also perfect for a Green Earth theme, for which you can also become an advocate and make your guests aware of how much help our mother earth needs.
A butterfly theme can also be good for garden venues like Fernwood because this venue is open-air, making it a perfect place to release the butterflies that you can avail from http://www.butterflies.com.ph/2007/10/live-butterfly-confetti.html
You can explore everything from there. Your theme may also depend on your personality. If you are a beach bum for example, then perhaps you can start from there. But of course it is also important to make the most out of your venue. Have you thought of any other theme that may be perfect for you?
Hi! I am Eunice Ching. I will be having my debut on September. It may be away pa but I’m starting to already plan for it. I want to ask help about how can I choose a theme for my debut. Since I love playing the piano and music, I want my debut’s theme to be related to it. I want to have that kind of music theme but I also want to relate it to a fairytale theme. 🙂 Please help me… thanks! 🙂
I am considering the venue Glass Garden in Pasig city.
Hi Eunice,
The Glass Garden in Pasig City is truly a very elegant venue to have your debut. A fairytale theme would really fit right in there. I can just picture you on a very extravagant ball gown entering the hall. You have also stated that you love playing the piano and hence would also want some sort of a music theme into your debut party. My suggestion is that you choose a fairytale theme and then incorporate the music theme by having a splash of it here and there. You can have musical cards as your invites. That would be so cute. You can showcase your talent in playing the piano by rendering a song or two during the program. If you are into classical music and have a certain favorite, for instance, Beethoven who lived in the 1700s to early 1800s, you can also research about fashion during that era and try to incorporate that in your gown. I’m sure it still would look like a fairytale since I believe popular dresses during this era are those ball gown dresses that Cinderella and other princesses in fairytales wore. That is all for now. I would be posting other ideas so as to help you with your theme or themes. Happy planning and do let us know what you come up with.
Hi, DebutIdeas!
My debut will be on !st day of August (saturday). I’m planning to have a rave party, that’s the theme actually.
So it’s something like barhopping, that everybody seems to be dancing, drinking, and toasting.
I’m planning to rent a bar near my place or if not, I will rent a venue and set it up into a bar-like.
Please gimme more ideas! I have only 3 months left to prepare 🙁
Hope to hear from you soon!
Thanks!
Hello there Cheeky,
Wow, you chose a sort of rave party theme as the theme for your debut and I am sure it is gonna be exciting. First off, emphasize in your invites that this is gonna be a dance party so that your guests would be putting their game face on when they attend your party. The success of this theme depends on your guests. You have provided them with a place to party with you on your special day and I do hope that they would be able to feel that vibe and be crazy and have fun. Rave parties are easy to setup because there is not a lot of details in its preparation. All you need is a good DJ, excellent sound system with good techno music, a dark venue large enough to accommodate raving party goers and glow sticks. It would be a joy if you could rent a bar since these venues are already set up for this type of theme. However, if you would not be able to rent a bar, don’t fret. A little pinch of imagination would do the trick. The venue that you would be renting can be transformed into a raving atmosphere. The place must be dark enough to emphasize the lighting effect that you have set up. Aside from the things I mentioned above, here are some of the things that you may need in order to transform that plain venue into a raving It place: Strobe lights, black lights, laser, and a fog machine for effect. That is all for now. Happy planning and do let us know what you’re up to.
hi..
I’m angelica..
I’m having my debut on october,
but I’m planing it know,,
I’m planing to change the 18 roses and 18 candles..
can you help me to think another 18 things that may do to replace it..
thanks..
oopzzs…
my themes nga po pala is pArty that rocks!
and please help me to choose unsual games for my friends..
thankyou..
hi angelica,
There are so many ingenious ideas for replacing 18 roses and 18 candles. This, however, would depend on the theme that you are aiming for. An example would be if you were to choose Pirates Theme, for instance, 18 roses and candles can be changed to 18 swords, 18 treasures, 18 islands, etc. When you have a theme in mind, planning the party would seem a lot easier. Please do check our articles about ideas and themes http://debutideas.com/?cat=5 so that you may have a better idea. Happy planning and let us know how you’re doing.
hi angelica, party that rocks is a nice theme to have. You can substitute 18 guitars, 18 songs, 18 albums, 18 favorite bands, etc to your 18 roses and candles. As for the games, you can print out lyrics of your favorite rock song on a piece of paper and stick them on your guests’ chairs. If they can guess the title of the song or the artist who sang it, they get a special prize. Another one is have 10 or less guests form a circle in the middle of the room. Pass out a doll (an elvis presley or your favorite singer doll would be great) and have them kiss the doll anywhere (lips, cheeks, arms, legs, etc.). After everyone has kissed the doll, announce to them that they will then kiss the one next to them the same way they kissed the doll. This will bring forth laughter among the audience and contestants especially if some of the contestants kissed the doll in unexpected parts. In keeping with the spirit of your theme, which is a rock and roll theme/punk theme, have your guest sing happy birthday in the rockest/punkest way they could. Any game will actually do as long as your guests cooperate to make it fun and lively. Happy planning!
thank you very much!
it will help me a lot!!..
god bless..
hi debut ideas,
can you please help me with the theme of my debut? I want it to be simple and casual but I want it to fun and memorable at the same time. I like the idea of a Kiddie party but my friend already had a debut just like that. Can you still give me other ideas? I also don’t have any idea about the venue..
hi chelle,
The venue will depend on the number of guests you will have. Will you be having a big party or a small one with just a bunch of friends and family. A kiddie party is very cute indeed. It should not hinder you from having that kind of theme just because your friend already had that kind of debut. You just need to be creative in a lot of ways to make it all your own. A friend of my sister celebrated her 18th birthday in McDonalds so you might want to consider that as your venue. McDonalds is a good venue because i think it can work on your budget. However, if you have more budget for a venue, i would suggest Big Red Barn in Fun Ranch just because this venue is already setup for kiddie parties. I will try to look for more venues for you in the near future. In the meantime, happy planning and let me know all about it.
hi,
I will be having my debut on May 31,2009, as early as now almost everything is set.
My only problem now is how to set the venue my theme is Hollywood Glamour and I don’t have souvenirs yet.
Can you help me? I hope my souvenirs can go well with my theme and of course affordable.
What to you think of statuette similar to oscar’s statue?
hello roxette, you have a nice theme – Hollywood Glamour. It’s actually a theme that’s easy to play with. The Oscars statuette is a cool souvenir because when you have your photos taken, your guests will look like they won the Academy awards! I bet your guests will be as excited as you are when you give them their keepsakes. I know, I will be!
anyway, about the set up… for sure, a red carpet is a must! you’ll be making a grand entrance walking on that striking red carpet. Try sticking to the colors red, black and gold for your main decorations. You can place movie posters all around with balloons. You can also add movie / Hollywood elements like megaphones and clapboards, whether real or just made up ones. Name your tables with actors’ names or perhaps your favorite film titles. Sprinkle the tables with confetti, but not so much that they look like a mess.
You can also have a wall (a tarpauline printed with your monogram or logo all over) — outside, perhaps near the reception area where you can have photos with your guests (i emailed you a photo). This is the “paparazzi” spot where your guests can have their own picture taken. they will surely feel like celebs while posing as the photographer asks them to turn to the left or to have one more picture taken. To add fun, you can add more photographers (not necessarily functioning as one, just actors or the ushers themselves) and have them flash their cameras all around the place to make your guests feel how it is to be flocked with the paparazzi! I’m sure your guests will feel like celebrities!
Maybe you can also play around with the “Walk of Fame” stars — perhaps you can have your guests’ assigned table number or table name printed out on a star and have your receptionist or usher give this to your guest to identify which table she or he should be.
That’s all. Just play with all the elements of Hollywood and you will be on the right track! Good luck and Happy Birthday! 🙂
hi im nhadz i’m celebrating my debut on june 27,09.. im celebrating my party at the bar. can you give me some ideas about my themes,souvenirs,and the flow of the program..
tnx.. hope u can help me.. ^^
hi nhadz,
It is good that you already have a venue for your party and a bar is not a bad choice. You need to choose a theme that you like in order to make the planning easier. Choose from among our themed party articles. However, for you to be able to utilize, to the fullest extent, your bar venue, I suggest you use a Rave Theme to your party. A rave- themed party is easy to set-up most especially if you already have a bar as a venue. You don’t need to setup anything really but you could probably just add lighting effects and a laser show. Include in your invites a glow stick which will also serve as your souvenir and ask them to bring it to the party. That way, they will have a clue on what theme your party is about. A typical program may not be used in this case because most rave party goers would just like to get on the dance floor and strut their stuff. However, this should not hinder you from focusing their attention to you (the debutante). Have a short program before the dancing begins. Make your grand entrance spectacular by using a spotlight. Substitute 18 candles and roses with 18 favorite songs, 18 wines, etc. Play a game or two while your at it, and after that dance the night away. Hope this helps nhadz and happy planning.
hi. im having my debut on july and im so frustrated that i havent fix improtant things until now. the only thing settled was the venue and caterer. im really so sad because at first my parents was the first one who insisted the party. but today, they didnt even give time to plan or arrange the said event. we dont have enough money to hire an event coordinator, so im keep on looking for the THINGS neeed by MYSELF and with some friends. hm..
i would like to ask:
–TIPS so that this rush preparation wouldnt turn into a mess…
–some suggestions for “FUN ACTIVITIES” that could be done on the formal event like this.
–songs to be played on 18 roses
Another thing that makes me worry is the special number that a debutant must do on her debut. Unfortunately, im not good in singing as well in dancing.im afraid that my friends will tease me after i performed that number.
last… want to thank you for posting the PROGRAM FLOW for a debut. thanks =)
hello. im kimberly, im celebrating my debut on august 8. im thinking of a masquerade theme. can you suggest some ideas? souvenirs, invitation, program, set up of the venue, cake, other names for the 18’s, etc.
thanks. thanks. thanks.