How to Plan Your 18th Birthday (Debut)

by - May 21, 2018

Debuts should be the most memorable birthday that a girl should have because it starts the beginning of a girl who turn into a fine lady. Family and friends are all gathered up to celebrate this momentous event to witness the special day of the debutante.  We cannot remove the expectation of our guests when it comes to celebrating debuts so it is better to have some ideas in order to achieve it. So for this blog, I will share a thorough tips on how you can plan your debut party exceptionally. 
THINGS TO CONSIDER IN PLANNING DEBUT PARTY

You need to check-in in a hotel because this place will serve as your waiting area. You will put your make-up, wear your gown, and have a little photoshoot here before you went to your actual venue. Hotel is only an option because you can also do it in your house if you have a tight budget. If your venue will be held in a clubhouse of the hotel then your hotel room will be free but sometimes it’s not.
You will need your hair and make-up artist because you need to look beautiful especially that this event is made for you. You need to stand out among the guests. But, if know how to put a make-up on yourself then it is okay because you can use the supposedly payment for the make-up artist to other things.
Please don’t ever put conditioner on your hair if you wish to use an iron curler because if you do, your hair will not cooperate. I’m natural curl, so when I put conditioner on the day of my party, it becomes a goldilocks hair than its usual look curl everytime I iron it.
Little details can make you glamorous so it is better to wear accessories on your party. You can have a crown and a bling around your hair so that your hair will not be boring, a necklace that matches your gown, an earrings that will make you elegant, a bracelet that gives you an illusion of being slim, and a sandals that will make you taller. 
It is important to have an invitation because this will serve as a guide to your guests. Here, your guests will know the details of your party like the date and the place it will occur, the theme, and their part. Some debutants send their invitations through social media which is a great idea to save money but for me it is better to give an invitation physically because having the actual invites gives you an excitement to attend the party. 
Before the party ends, a simple giveaway is being distributed to the guests. It serves as a simple thank you gift for the guests as they make time for your special event. You can give a souvenir so they can use it as their decoration in their room or you can give something that they can use like ball point pen, tote bags, tumblers, and others. 
Every details in preparing and getting ready for the event is being recorded and photographed so prepare an extra dress for the photoshoot. Some only use a bathrobe but I think a dress is better.
Your gown is one of the important thing in this event so better to have in mind what design do you want and have it made to your known designer or sewer at least 4 to 5 months before your party. Some have 1 to 3 looks meaning 3 different gowns but if you’re on a tight budget but still want to achieve different looks, I suggest you to make your gown a detachable one. Believe it or not, my gown can make 4 looks. By the way, you can also buy or rent a readymade gown if you want.
The venue is where the party is being held at. It can be in a clubhouse, restaurant, garden, gymnasium, or others. The venue should accommodate all of your guests and its proper ventilated so that your guests will be comfortable during their whole stay there.

Decide what theme you want for you party so that your guests will have an idea on what to expect. It can be boho, pastel, travel, garden, Disney, and such base on your liking. This theme will be seen all over the party from the venue to your guests. The colors, concept, and backdrop of the venue will be base there and your guess will match their suits and dresses.
Believe it or not but one of the reason why your guests decided to go on your party is because of the food. The food should be delicious to fill the empty stomach of the guests and we don’t want them feeling down after the party because they didn’t enjoy the food. Also, make sure you have enough food for the guests and it is better if there is an excess so that your guests can go back and forth in the buffet section. Some hire caterers because the family of the debutant don’t want to be hassle in cooking the viands. What is great in hiring caterers is that they provide chairs and tables, utensils, napkins, and servers. But if you will celebrate in a restaurant then this will not be a problem.
Cake should not be forgotten in an event like this because your birthday will not be complete without it. Some wants their cake simple but some want it. Cakes can be really expensive too especially if you want to have tiers so if you’re on a tight budget it is better to buy a one layer cake. Actually, what I suggest is to buy 1 to 3 pieces of one layer cake because you can eat it all than a 2 to 5 layered cake where you can only eat the top bottom. You can have a cupcake but this only an optional.
Music and lights will bring up the mood of the party. Prepare a good music per your activities so that the guests will be hype. The light effects should also be present as it will be give life of the party. Some family rent these lights and sound equipment and the company provides an operator but some party, the family of the debutante is the one who operates it.


You need an emcee that will guide your guests to the flow of the party. Keep in mind that your emcee should be good in speaking and can actually persuade the listeners, through being lively, so that they will not be busy mingling to others and doing other things while the party is going on.

Projector and white screen is only an optional. You can use these if you want to show to your guests your pictures and videos when you’re still a toddler to present. You can show this clips while your guests are waiting for your arrival, opening of the party, or even during dinner.
Every single minute of this event is worth cherishing so it is better to have it photographed and recorded. You can contact companies that offer this kind of service or if you are budgeted you can ask someone you know that are good on these things.

You can put a photobooth section in your party. Your guests pose for the camera and do some silly shots, the printed copy will be given to them as a remembrance. You can contact companies for this service but some company that offers photography and recording include this offer on their lists.
In a party, it is a must to have an intermission number because this is also a way to keep your guests entertained during the party. We don’t want our guests to be bored so this kind of performance will surely make them alive during the whole duration of the party. I asked my friends to sing and dance during the party and luckily, they agreed to my request. (Thank you Cesar, Cian, Chai, Maxine, Patricia, Mikaella, and Dianne!)
The 18’s part is the most memorable part of the event where some of the guests are part of. You can make your own category whichever you like. As for me, I have 5 eighteen and those are roses, candles, gifts, bills, and wine. Believe it or not but some debutante have 18 different categories, so just imagine how long their party lasted.

The 18 roses is where 18 man sways you to the beat of the music. The roses you can use here are the commonly red roses or if you want you can use your favorite rose. With the music, the debutante can choose what type of music will be use. As for me, I let my escorts choose 2 songs, one with the upbeat kind of genre so the first dance will be funny (to keep the guests entertained) while the second song is the commonly melo type. 
The 18 candles are the wishes and messages from the eighteen people of your life. This are usually your closest friends and relatives that you share your darkest secrets. I don’t want this to be ordinary giving message so I asked them to deliver their messages to me through poem with this I can make sure that they really prepared this to me and not some spur of the moment message. I really love poems and it really makes my hurt flutter so expect that I did cry during this part. 
The 18 gifts is the usual giving of gifts to the debutante. The one who are part in this category usually have a hard time in guessing or choosing what kind of gift they will give. So as for me, I gave them a clue card that indicates my wants and don’t want to received. With this kind of strategy, I can assure that they are properly guided and the gifts that I will received is based on my liking. I am not a type of girl who will say, “anything is okay” because I am very a picky kind of person.
The 18 bills is where your relatives and family friends gives you cash. Since my father is Batangueno, we adopted their idea of money dance. The money givers attached the amount of cash using a pin on my gown. Sadly, the big amount of money that I got wasn’t given to me as my parents said this money is the return back of the expenses for my party which I agree and didn’t think of giving any side opinions.
The 18 wines is where your chosen eighteen people will drink wine with you. For me, this is the ender part of the program because this toast symbolize for the good life and lot of love from family and friends in my near future. You can choose whoever you want in this part but I specifically choose the people who are near in my heart and also a legal people because I don’t want minors to drink even if this is only a wine.
The 18’s part is the most memorable part of the event where some of the guests are part of. You can make your own category whichever you like. As for me, I have 5 eighteen and those are roses, candles, gifts, bills, and wine. Believe it or not but some debutante have 18 different categories, so just imagine how long their party lasted. 
Thank you for reading this long blog of mine. I hope I filled you some ideas for your upcoming 18 birthday or debut party. Enjoy your party and have a blast!

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14 comments

  1. This one is a blast! Great tips for debutantes 👍💯 taking notes of your helpful ideas will make their celebration an amazing one!

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  2. Maybe I can give a planned debut for my son when he grows up.

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  3. Super helpful ang ganda!

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  4. Girl, you are on fire with that red dress!

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  5. Nikki Bonifacio18 April 2019 at 21:12

    Ganda ng gown mo!! Super lovely :)

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  6. For sure a lot of girls will find this content helpful

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  7. Ganda ng gown mo!! ❣️ Super helpful this blog btw

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  8. Love it! Love the details and the gown!

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  9. Wow! How nice of your celebration!

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