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.
hi, i need a debut script, of how the program will flow. the powerpoint presentation, surprise song number of his father, the video messages of her friends, grandfather and relatives, where shall we do it? all those 18 roses, 18 candles, 18 treasures. thanks and more power!
Hi,
I’m the mom of Shane who’s turning 18 come Sept 4, 2010. I just want it to be so memorable, simple but beautiful… Please help as to the program, sequence… whatever…
Thank you in advance… Will look forward to a well planned debut with your help.
Amme
Thank you debut ideas! Last one can you suggest something for the invitations,give – aways and decor?( i was thinking of putting japanese lanterns all-over the place)what more can i add to that?and i cant find any cherry blossoms here in the philipines:(for the 18 cherryblossoms
oohh i forgot. im asking for what to write inside the invitation i hate the “summer turns 18″cliche because thats sooo lame an how to present the invitation.sorry if im flooding your page:(
Hi Summer,
It is our pleasure to answer your queries as best as we can. It is true that it will be hard to get a hold of cherry blossoms here in our country. It is either you go for a substitute flower that looks more or less like a cherry blossoms (go for the carnation pink or pink malaysian mums or buttons, arranging it in a tree branch so that it will look like cherry blossoms) or you could create a flower paper of cherry blossoms. For color you can combine baby pinks with white and chocolate brown to create a elegant and mature feel but still preserving some of that girlieness in you. For your invites, I am thinking of scrolled plain white (or pink, depending on your color motif) paper on chopsticks with a simple chocolate brown font. You can also look for origami designs to fold your paper. For party favors, a bonsai plant would be ideal, but any plant will do. You could also try chopsticks, mini japanese lanterns, chocolates in origami boxes, japanese dolls, etc. Hope this helps and happy birthday summer!
Hi Summer,
Why not try 18 years of Summer, with the movie 500 days of summer as your inspiration, and on your tarpaulin, you can make a collage of your pictures from birth to present. Hope this helps. Happy planning.
Hi Den,
We have a debut program flow http://debutideas.com/?p=48 that I’m sure will be able to help you in making your program. You can tweak it here and there to make it your own. You can do your own variation, you can rearrange the flow depending on your situation. Hope this helps and Happy birthday Den.
Hi i just wanna if you could provide me with some ideas to what i should be giving away for my debut.
Do you have any ideas what would make the best GIVEAWAYS?
good day debut ideas!can you suggest a catch phrase(i dont know how to call it) for the invitation for an alternative for april is 18?I’m thinking of a spring theme like flowers every where, any suggestion how to make a spring theme for the 18’s,decor,invitations,souvenirs.THANKYOU.
thankyou;)
Hi!
My 18th birthday is months away, it’s on October 8, 2010, but I’ll be celebrating it on December 18, 2010. I already picked a motif, which is pink and mint green. I’m not really sure about it, the two olours just look good and pink is my favourite. I also have a gown, and a cake in mind and I’ve got the list on who my 18 roses, 18 candles and 18 treasures will be. But my problem is the theme, I don’t know what kind of theme it would be, so, I can’t decide on what kind of invitations I want. And what’s a tarpaulin? Me & my parents haven’t even decided on where to celebrate it. It’s quite hard for us cause we’re here in UK. Can you help me, please? By the way, here are the photos of what kind of cake I want, and the gown as well. Is it also okay if I won’t have the theme? I’m actually confused right now, even though it will be months away. And I’ve heard that there are ’18 shots’ as well? So sorry if I’ve got loads of questions.
It’s not exactly the cake that I want, it’s just the colour that I’m after.
I want the gown to be mint green and pink, I’m not sure if it’s possible though.
HI
CAN YOU HELP ME TO HAVE A SPEECH FOR THE 18TH ROSES WHAT REPRESENTS EVERY ROSE ITS FOR MY DAUGHTERS DEBUT PARTY.i really need it. thanks
Hi Ma’am Bheng,
As far as I know, the 18 roses normally only dance with the debutante. What usually happens is that each rose (male) is introduced by name and how he is related to the debutante. If he has a message for the debutante, he can probably record it and will be played while dancing with the debutante. Hope this helps and happy birthday to your daughter.
hello debut ideas!!
i will be having my debut this feb. what color of gown would you suggest that will stand out in a motif of red-black-white?
Hi Judinelle,
A debut party need not be so expensive. You can have a party that is right on the budget if you plan it wisely. You can have a theme even if you have a limited budget. All you need is to squeeze that creative juice in you and make you debut party simple but unique. I think you mom’s suggestion is great. If you hold it in your own backyard, you will cut your cost immensely because you don’t have to pay for the venue and you can choose the caterer that is right for your budget. You can even ask one of your titas to cook a viand or two. Money saved on venue and food can be spent on things like decor and give aways. Do it yourself or hire the service of professionals. Pick those that are good and within your budget. Buy flowers at Dangwa for your stage and venue decor and have a floral theme. Have a butterfly release (look for butterfly suppliers at our suppliers page) and have a butterfly theme to go with your flower theme. You can also have a white party. Hang white drapes around your venue, white japanese lanterns and you are all set. Why not try a balloon theme with lots of balloons on your venue. Have clustered balloons on your stage and have a balloon arch at the entrance. (There are also some suppliers of balloons on our suppliers page that might help you with this.)
Does your lot, by any chance, have a roof? Is it covered? Remember that June is a rainy month so if you are going to hold your 18th birthday party there, have a back up plan like renting a tent so that if it rains, you can just mount it and go on with the party. Hope this helps and happy planning!
Hi Nica,
I think if you want to soften your color motif and make it a little girlie, go for the pinks, baby pink or pomelo pink but if you want a more mature color, you can have fuschia or burgundy. Hope this helps and happy birthday!
Hi April,
You’re theme is actually very interesting to play with! I’m thinking of: “Spring has come.” as your headline and then “April blossoms at 18!” your sub-head. Spring theme is quite easy because you just have to put flowers everywhere. Your venue can be an outdoor garden so you don’t have to decorate a lot. You can have a tiara made of flowers (i’m sure your hairdresser and make up artist will have a lot of ideas for a Spring themed make up).
You can have a simple flowing dress or your can check out the dress on the right:
You can read this article too about how to decorate based on this theme:
http://outdoor-backyard-entertaining.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_decorate_a_spring_party
Good luck planning and happy birthday! 🙂
Hi Joy,
These are some freebies that caterers give depending on your chosen package. Some would give a free dessert bar of five to six types of dessert. Some would also include in the package free services of an emcee. Cakes are usually included in the package, but if it is not, ask if they would be willing to give it for free. You can also ask that they give you a bottle of wine (for toasting) for free and this would also include the glassware (some caterers ask for a fee for additional glassware). For your grand entrance, you can try having a butterfly release to make your grand entrance dramatic. Hope this helps and happy birthday Joy!
thanks!hey its me again any suggestion for the 18’s? souvenirs and the invitations?.thanks:D
hi, thanks. i got so many ideas from this site. its really a big help. anyway, im celebrating my 18th on march and i decided to have a greek mythology theme, the idea also came from your site. it is nice since i found mythology a very interesting one. id only like to ask, what kind of souvenirs will i give that’s relative to theme and not too costly. and should male guests wear the freaky greek god/soldier costume? thanks a lot and more power!
What ideas can you suggest for a Vintage-themed debut? For the 18s? On the whole program actually. Please help me, I’m sort of clueless.
Hi Kat,
You can give away any item that really looks antique. You can also buy some small flutes and have them personalized with your name and some details about your party.
Another idea for a Greek party souvenir is a Greek photo frame that have Greek columns as its design.
You can also give out laurel crowns, which you can either buy or create by yourself.
As for the male guests, that really depends on how shy or how brave they are. when inviting your male friends, you can tell them that a prize awaits the best guy in costume. if they don’t feel like wearing a costume, they can instead wear a laurel crown. Have some cloth / sash and laurel crowns ready to give to your male guests in case they’re not in costume and hand these items out to them so that they won’t look out of place.
Happy planning and happy birthday! 🙂
Lizette and Jam
my debut is on may.
im having a hard time picking the best theme that will fit in my red,blak and white motif.
can u suggest please?
I REALLY NEED HELP:)) please. haha.. i dont know what to do on my debut party. .please suggest a theme .
ahmm lemme speak in taglish:))
i have a lots of ideas ksi on my mind e.. nagguluhan ako kung ok b o hnd.
first thing n kailngn ko muna is venue:) ung my mga debut packages n sgro mga around 100k ung price gud for 100 – 150pax
next, a theme for my party.. gsto ko simple pero elegante..
ahmm for my invitations , anu kayang mgndng design? please help
for my gown . gsto ko ng balloon effect.. wat do u think?
kung pink and white party kaya? para girly much hehe:)) ung floral decorations e pink and whyt.. prng ang gnda lng s pningn ksi.. and imbs n red roses wat if pink roses? ksi parng cntrast s pink and wyt motiff ko ko if i will use red roses e
ung cake dn, pink and wyt design. the invitations.. souvenirs.. and pati ung gown
i am planning to have 1 elegnt gown, 1 dress for i dont know cgro prng after the formal party like after dncing with the 18 roses. i will change outfit haha,, and a performance outfit..because i like to share my hidden talents to my guests. haha.. im planning to have a song and dance no..
ahmm kung after the dance with the 18 roses kaya e bblik clang lhat tapos they will sing for me.. gsto ko ksi knthn nila ung song n my girl e. parng iddvide ko ung song for them..hehe . watcha thnk?
and i will also ask my friends to perform entertain the people.
mjo mgulo ata ung mga cnb ko hehe..
so please response..thank u very much…. :)) and i love this site . haha. it will really help so many debutantes..
Hi Mary!
Thinking of a souvenir is actually very exciting. If you want to veer away from the usual figurine type of souvenir, you have to think of what your guests can use or what they may want to keep for a long time. Interesting items may range from small stuffed toy that they can display to bag tags that they can use everyday. Sometimes you may get torn between souvenirs that can be eaten, and souvenirs that last for a long time. For that matter, this article may help =)
Party Souvenirs: Consumables VS. Non-edibles
Our list of Giveaway / party favor suppliers (categorized according to type of giveaway 🙂
Debut Party Souvenir Suppliers
Happy planning! 🙂
Lizette and Jam