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.
Hello Amme!
Simple, memorable and beautiful — these are what we want our parties to be indeed! If you want it simple, you should avoid having too much of something. There are debutantes out there who want everything included at the same time — 18 roses, 18 candles, 18 treasures, 18 shots — the ultimate result of which is usually boredom. Some guests may opt to go out of the venue for some fresh air instead. This is why you have to make sure that your program is rich but concise.
Here is a link to a technical script we made. You can change the order or perhaps eliminate some elements. Your flow may really depend on your daughter’s party theme and how many guests she has. =)
Debut Technical Script
Debut Program, Flow
Happy planning and happy birthday to your daughter!
Lizette and Jam
Hi Jenix16,
The answer is at Debut Programme, Flow. http://debutideas.com/?p=48. You should choose first what type of vintage you want and then we can give you some ideas about that. This is all for now and happy planning.
Hi Anne (ladywarm0504),
Red is a very strong color to have so if you are going for a statement, red is really the color to have. You can mix it up with gold for a more royal effect, much like a princess’ gown with gold trimmings. You could also go for red and black for a night of elegance. If you combine red with pink, baby pink or fuschia, or any lighter shade, you will be able to make red a little subtle.
In terms of the theme, when I think of white, black and red, it reminds me of this Tim Burton inspired cake that I saw on the internet that was really very lovely and strange at the same time. It is colored red, white and black. So you may wanna try that. It is very elegant indeed and a little formal.
Source: cakecoquette.blogspot.com
You can also have a roses theme where you could decorate your venue with lots of red and white rose bouquets, red and white petals scattered on the stage and table tops. Clusters of red, white and black balloons would also be a nice decor. Red, white and black motif also makes me think of Moulin Rouge. You could also go for a masquerade theme and it will also be perfect for a red, black and white color combination. Hope this helps and happy birthday.
Hi Debutideas! I’ll be having my my debut on April this year and it will be held on a Ballroom and Bar venue. I chose BLACK AND WHITE party as for my theme… it goes like this, there will be a program proper then after that is a disco party with an open bar, since it is really good or it fits for the event place. The food, set-up and mobile and DJs are really great there. I really wanted it to be a UNIQUE and ONE OF A KIND party, starting wih the invitations-program-games-dress/outfit-centerpiece-souveniers… I still have the 18 traditionals such as 18 roses, candles, and treasures… However, I still have a lot of problems and maybe you could help me with this…
– Could you give me a tag line for my party or the one in the invitation: Ryzza@18: ._________
-any alternatives or “pakulo” with the 18 rituals(roses,candles and treasure)?
-could you suggest me a unique yet fun game/s.. )
-any suggestions for centerpieces and souveniers..
-lastly, i don’t know how to make a flow of the program.. (where to put the intermissions(3) part,games and the sequence of rituals..)
i’m hoping you would help me out on this… THANK YOU! and more power to you!
anyway, i chose black and white party because i thought of it as a chick and elegant party… wherein guests will be wearing either black or white or black mixed with white cocktail dress and suits. i was thinking if it will be a black and white rave party?however, i wanted to maintain the essence of 18 rituals in a modern and unique way…if you still have any suggestions of a theme to match up with the black and white motif, i’ll be glad to read those suggestions.. THANKS again! )
Hi Ryzza,
I think a black and white theme for a party is a great idea. It’s a classic! Some debutantes do that also to stand out by wearing a dress with a different color other than black and white. Anyway, your party will be elegant, and if you want to add fun, you can always give away some glow sticks to add flavor to the monotony of the theme, since you’re planning a rave party afterwards anyway.
We have a list of games that can be found here: http://debutideas.com/?page_id=851
For your centerpieces, you can opt for white and black flowers, but you can also accent them with a RED flower. If you are adding an accent, RED would be the best one to do that. Or instead of flowers, you can go for shallow black bowls, with floating white candles, or instead of black bowls, you can go for a transparent one and place both black and white floating candles. With a clear bowl, you can see the effect of the black and white candles better. you can also decorate the tables with black silk cloth and scatter some white flower petals on them. You can also visit this link for some ideas:
http://entertaining.dinnerwarecenter.com/classic-party-theme-black-and-white/comment-page-1/
For your tagline, I really don’t know you well to say something that reflects your personality, but since your theme is Black and White, which has a modern, stylish and mature feel, I began thinking of some serious statements like: “Ryzza at 18: A coming of age affair” or “Ryzza: Ebony and Ivory and everything else at 18” –> symbolically this means “Your nights (ebony/black) and days (ivory/white) and everything else that matters in your life” or in other words, your life’s ups and downs and everything that matters.
For the flow of the program, we have articles in our Party Guide section that can help you with that:
http://debutideas.com/?cat=6
For the intermissions, you can place them in-between the 18s. for instance:
18 Roses
Intermission 1
18 Candles
Games
18 Treasures
Intermission 2
It’s better that your 18 roses be in color RED so that the flowers stand out among those black and white decorations of yours. For the candles you can also choose another color other than white (and definitely other than black ’cause that would be creepy).
Anyway, I hope that i was able to help in a way. 🙂 Good luck with your debut and happy birthday!
can u please suggest anything that will be anne@18: ._________
and any words that will i put on my invitation?
and can i know what is the best souvenir nowadays?
Hi~Can you please help in choosing my theme?My debut will be in next month
Until now,I can’t decide what theme would I pick.I want to have a korean theme since I’m fond of korean cultures/traditions.
what would be the best invitation for a girl who likes koreans so much..lol:)
what would be the best souvenirs?thanks~
THANK YOU SO MUCH DEBUT IDEAS FOR THOSE SUGGESTIONS!!!!!!!!! You’re really a great help! :)))
Hello DebutIdeas, my sisters debut is THIS Saturday. It’s a joint birthday party of my 16th, my dads 50th, and her birthday.
I’m just wondering, is it necessary for the 18 candles to give a speech to the debutante?
I hate public speaking, which means I’m one of the 18 candles.
Thank you in advance n_n.
Hi Lisha,
I think mint green and pink go well together. I have attended an event where the motif is green and pomelo pink and it looks adorable. I think mint green and pink go well together. Your colors remind me of the Spring season where every plant is in bloom and at its finest. You can have a Spring themed debut party. http://debutideas.com/?p=853. How about a Butterfly themed party? It is also fine if you don’t have a theme altogether as long as you have a color motif so that your party will still look cohesive. A tarpaulin, by the way is a large sheet of waterproof material, a cloth or plastic that is used for printing ads and banners. For parties these are used as a sign in front of your venue for your guests to see. They usually print your photo in it and then a tag line like “Lisha @ 18. Pretty like a Butterfly.” or something like that. With regard to the 18s, the usual ones that debutantes use are 18 roses (dance), 18 candles (females make a speech) and 18 treasures (18 well-wishers usually adults greet debutante and then hand over a gift). Some debutantes also throw in 18 shots or 18 toasts (these are usually male well-wishers who will make a speech and then give a toast). It depends on how you will arrange your program. Remember that these are four sets of 18s which is 18 people you will dance to and 54 people making a speech. This might lull your guests to sleep, so arrange your program in a way that it will be balanced. Hope this helps and happy planning.
Hi Carmie,
I believe it is important that you give a speech for your sister. Choosing you as one of her 18 candles must mean something. It is not just because you are her sister. It also means that you are a person that is important to her. She needs your help in this new journey in the adult world and I’m sure if it is your turn to turn 18, she will be there for you too. What I would suggest is you prepare your speech beforehand. Tell her how special she is and how lucky you are that she is your sister. You can also quote a line from a song or a poem that would summarize what you feel or wish for her and then read your speech clearly on that piece of paper glancing at your sister for a more personal effect and never looking at the guests as this might cause you to faint ;). After all, it’s your sister you are talking to, so don’t mind the people. Focus on your sister’s face and just do it! Hope everything turns out for the best. Happy birthday to you, your dad and your sister.
can u suggest a garden venue near manila??
am having hard time to know where am going to celebrate my debut, it is on may.
thanks.
Hi debut ideas! My debut is this month and im wondering how to use the theme masquerade with a pool party… My venue is in our condominiums clubhouse with a swimming pool… And I dont want the party to be too formal because of the theme… Could u help me with the attire to wear with a masquerade themed debut without wearing gowns.. And the motif too… Plus decorations since its a pool side venue.. Please help meee 🙂 thank you and more power to ur site 😀
Hi debutideas!
I need help with my theme for my debut (which is in 2 weeks)
My theme is Masquerade, but I want to also have a pool party since my venue has a pool side. Also I don’t want my debut to be sort of formal because of the masquerade theme. I also need ideas on what motif is best for a masquerade/pool part theme. I also need help with the decorations because I can’t decide on what decors to put up since my venue has a pool side.
THANK YOU 😀
jey its me agian.sorry to disturb you again my mom won’t allow me with the party i proposed to her which is the japanese party so im turning it into a purple party?any suggestions how to call the 18’s ?
Hi Anna,
A Masquerade theme is a great theme to have especially if you like to dress up and have a fun-filled, informal and exciting party for you and your guests. Use the pool as a prop or a decor for a more posh evening. Fill it with petals of red roses and floating candles to create an ethereal ambiance which is great for a Masquerade theme. I’m afraid it can’t be mixed with a pool party because that would be totally ridiculous. If you are actually planning on using the pool, it might be kind of difficult because your guests will come in cocktail dresses or probably ball gown dresses (depending on what you ask of them) in keeping with a Masquerade theme. They would probably have make up on and hair spray on their hair. It will be tedious to have a swim after the program since they have to shower for a long time to remove their make up and hair spray. If you want to use the pool, have a different theme instead. Why not try a Bohemian themed party. A debutante once asked about it and I think it is a great idea.
For your outfit, you can go for the maxi dresses Boho style:
Source: http://vogueidea.files.wordpress.com
And ask your friends to wear Bohemian inspired dresses too. It is pretty cool because once the program is over, your friends can just remove their maxi dresses and with their bikinis on, dip in the water for some pool activity like games and stuff. The Boho style is so funky and unconventionally fashion forward that I’m sure your guests would love to actually adhere to the theme.
For decor hang drapes of bold colors and place metal lanterns and candles around the venue. This will create a very Bohoish effect.
Hope this helps Anna and happy birthday.
Hi April,
For the 18s on a Spring theme, you can have 18 blossoms, 18 blooms, 18 flowers, 18 daisies or any flower you wish
as a substitute for 18 roses. Retain the 18 candles or you could also use 18 seeds or 18 virtues (symbolizes a virtue that you will need in your journey of life). For 18 treasures, try 18 gems, 18 jewels or 18 gifts. If you have another 18, like 18 toasts, try 18 new beginnings, 18 fresh starts, 18 memories, 18 wines, 18 wishes. For the souvenirs, a plant or seed is a nice party giveaway for a Spring theme. Also flower shaped chocolates are good. For the invites, flowers in bloom or fresh leaves is reminiscent of Spring so you may want to have a photograph of a flower in bloom or you could have your picture taken outdoors with lots of flowers in bloom and have that as your front cover. Hope this helps April and Happy Birthday!
Hi Janina,
Have you considered some themes in our Ideas and Themes section? There are lots of themes to choose from which are really elegant. You should have a theme first because once you have a theme, everything will flow smoothly. A pink and white party is a cute theme to have. I think you can pull this off. For decor, you can have pink carnations, pink roses and white roses for table centerpieces. Have pink and white rose petals scattered on your stage. Hang pink and white Japanese lanterns around the venue for a very cute but elegant ambiance. A ball gown is also a nice style for a dress. This will make you look like a princess on your grand entrance. Choose a different shade of pink from your decorations so that you don’t fade in the background of pinkness that is happening all around. Maybe you can have baby pinks as decor and have a more deep and darker pink for your dress.
Usually debutantes have dress changes for different parts of the evening so you can do that as well. And yes, debutantes usually showcase their talents during their party. That would be totally cool. Hope this helps and happy birthday to you.
Hi Nina,
Some garden venues I know in Manila are Baluarte de San Diego, Father Blanco’s Garden, Orchidarium, Puerta Real Gardens, San Diego Gardens and Teatrillo. Hope this helps Nina and happy planning.
i just read your reply @janina wouldn’t it be a good idea if i ask my guest to wear purple while im also wearing purple because im planning to have a purple party?or should i ask them to wear a different color, i want the guest to wear the same color.
can u suggest a very popular or unique souvenirs?nowadays.
🙂
Hi Summer,
Sorry for not replying sooner. I think a purple party would be okay. If you are serious about the dress code, make your invite the purple that you want so they can bring it when they look for their dress (because I’ve realized that there are different hues of purple that people actually know.) Purple is that color in the middle of magenta and violet. They can wear different hues as long as their in the purple family, if you’re not that particular about them being in the exact same hue. I don’t think any color would work for a purple party. It would defeat the purpose of having a purple party if they wear a different color so ask them to adhere to the dress code and wear a purple dress.
Since it is a purple party, you should also wear a purple dress. In order to stand out among a sea of purples, pick a dress that has an elegant style to it, probably a deeper shade of purple, some bead work perhaps or glitter so that when the spotlight hits you, you will literally sparkle.
With regards to the 18s, you can have 18 candles (purple) or you can have 18 balloons where your 18s will pop a balloon (purple balloon) to reveal a piece of paper with their written message (placed inside the balloon beforehand). For 18 roses, why not try 18 wines, where your 18 roses will give you a toast and then dance with you. You can also make purple leis made of japanese or crepe paper and rename it 18 purple leis. For 18 treasures or 18 gifts, ask your 18s to give you 18 purple things which they will reveal when they make a speech. Hope this helps and happy birthday Summer.
thank you that was very helpful 🙂
Hi! Me and mom are planning for my debut in December. I picked white and black as the color motif, and I will be wearing red.
Can you suggest a theme that will go perfect with the motif? And what will be a good substitution for the grand cotillion.
Thank you!