It’s a Fairy-tale!

Your last day to childhood and first day to womanhood should be as magical as fairies. So, why not have a fairy-theme for your debut? Remember that fairies are creatures of nature so let this be your guiding element when planning your fairy theme party.

Welcome to Fairyland

You can send out an invitation shaped as wings. With wire, mesh cloth or gauzy fabric and a few glitters, you can create a small fairy wing to set the tone of your party. You can also send a vial of glitters together with your invitation stating that they have been some fairy dust to bring them to Fairyland.
You can also use thick paper and burn the sides to make it look like it is an old parchment or has been made from the bark of a tree. Use a calligraphy pen or Gothic script. Roll the paper and tie it with ribbon. Sprinkle some glitter on the paper before you roll it so when they open your invitation a few “fairy dusts” will escape.

The Fairyland

If you plan to have your party outdoors, pick a venue that has huge trees or full of trees and shrubs. This will add to the ambience of your party. Place some Japanese lanterns on the trees or string some Christmas lights on the trees to symbolize fireflies floating above the venue. For an indoor location, you can also use Christmas lights as decorations. Make sure you string as many as you can to provide an elegant, yet cozy, ambience.

For both an indoor or outdoor venue, line the walkway leading to the entrance with tall lit torches to add to the magical atmosphere you are trying to create. As an added element, tie some small bells or wind chimes on the trees.

As a centerpiece for each table, no need to spend too much on flowers. You can use branches with interesting shapes. Spray them with adhesive glue and put some glitters on it for some sparkle. Place some green moss at the bottom to mimic a tree with grass at the bottom. You can also put some scented tea light candles below your centerpiece.

For an ethereal look, put some butterflies and birds on white cages – preferably love birds. You can also drape some gauzy fabric across the ceiling of your venue to add mystery. It would be great if you can find a harp or other string instruments to be part of your decorations.

Costumes

You can dress up as the Fairy Princess or Queen and have your escort wear a Fairy King costume. Place high-back chairs at the front of the venue as your designated thrones. Do not forget your wreaths! Use small white flowers like aster or baby’s breath for the wreath.

Your guests can wear fairy wings to the party. Pastel colors are great color themes for a fairy-theme party. Pink, yellow, green and blue are some cool colors that guests can wear.

Image sources:
http://digitalart.org/art/52761/fantasy/snow-fairy/
http://www.thefairyshop.co.nz/data/media/images/fairy%20furniture/Gazebo%20sm.jpg
http://www.hostessblog.com/wp-content/uploads/uploaded_images/enchantedfairybirthdayparty_1.jpg

Becoming 18 is like opening up a whole new adventure for you. What’s more adventurous than starting your “adult” life with a mad adventure to Wonderland? So for your 18th birthday why not be Alice and have your party in Wonderland?

Alice in Wonderland and Characters

Travel to the Rabbit Hole with Me!

As an invitation, you can get glass bottle with “Party with Me” on the front. Inside is a scroll that has all the information of your party – the venue, date, etc.

Another great idea is to have big invitations shaped like playing cards. Inside you can write “Meet Me in Wonderland”. You can also send out invitations shaped-like a pocket watch with the writing “Do not be late to a very important date” just like what the White Rabbit keeps on saying.

Mad hatter tea party invite

What to Wear

Make sure you inform your guests to wear their Alice in Wonderland inspired costumes. There are many characters in Alice in Wonderland so your guests can pick from one of those but it is important that there is only one Alice in the party and that should be you!

Annie Leibovitz's ‘Alice in Wonderland’ inspired photo shoot - Jean Paul Gaultier; Blue silk-jersey draped dress by Gaultier Paris (Source: Vogue Magazine)

Click here for Alice in Wonderland costume ideas.

Bring Your Guests to Wonderland

Why not create the same ambience when Alice joined the White Rabbit to a tea party? Instead of using small round tables, why not set up a long table where everybody can seat in one table like that of the Tea Party in Wonderland?

Replace the entry way of your venue with a small door where a waiter is waiting with small vials with the label “Drink Me” on it. The vial can be filled with water or juice. Once the guest drinks the vial then they can enter the party.

Alice-inspired birthday cake! (Source: Flickr)

Decorate the table with different sizes, colors and shapes of tea pots that you can find. The teacups do not have to be a set so you can put in some mismatched teacups and saucers, some can be very large tea pot while others can be like toy tea pots.

Source: Jezebel Charms

Instead of the generic white table cloth use a checkerboard-designed table cloth instead that reaches down to the ground for more drama. For lighting, hang paper lanterns of different colors and sizes on top of your long table. Haphazardly place some pink lawn flamingos (if you can find them) around the area as well as big-size playing cards. Also, place some white and red roses on the table. If you can get any oversize props like oversize paintbrushes, tables, etc., use them for your venue. You can also make use of your trinkets to decorate your venue like mini cups and saucers, mini chest boxes, etc.

Outdoor set of the movie

Alice in Wonderland movie set

If you plan to have your party in an enclosed place, hang up different kinds of clocks all stopped at the time of your party. The chairs do not have to match as well! Place different sizes and designs of chairs so that some guests seem taller than others. However, remember to place a huge armchair at the head of the table where you will seat. Remember Wonderland is all about imagination!

Wonderland Games

Play lawn croquet. Paint the balls pink as a representation of the flamingos. You can also set up on a corner a “Decorate Your Own Tea Set” and the one who is closest to the theme wins.

Hide some very small top hats, pocket watches and the face of the Cheshire Cat grinning around the area and tell the guests to look for them. The guest with the most number of top hats and pocket watches wins. Special prizes can be given for those who find the Cheshire Cat face so make sure you make only a couple of those.

Source: http://burymeinthisdress.com

(Home page photo courtesy of Disney)

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Debut party budget planner

If you want to have a debut party with minimum hassle, consider a cocktail party. Cocktail parties are usually short and sweet but sophisticated at the same time. They are a great way to celebrate your very special 18th birthday!

Things you need for a cocktail debut party:

Simple invites
Scented candles
Flowers for decoration
Ice
Wine / beer / cocktail drinks
Nonalcoholic Drinks
Cocktail Glasses
Cocktail Sets
Cocktail Shaker
Table Linens
Folding Chairs
Large and small tables

First, send out invitations, whether electronic invites (E-vites) or the actual physical invitation itself. Don’t forget to include the nature of the party – COCKTAILS – because through this, your guests will know how to dress up for your debut party! Include the occasion (your 18th birthday party), the date, start and end times, which is usually from 6 to 10pm or from 6 to 8pm (for a simple party with no debut program whatsoever).

Make arrangements with a caterer and bartender if you are holding a party for more than 25 people and if you have a budget for it. Otherwise, you can prepare a cocktail menu and plan out how you will get everything ready.

For drinks, you can include wine and beer as well as several types of cocktails. But include options for non-alcoholic beverages as well. Of course you don’t want to get any guest drunk, so make sure that your guests know their limits. Make sure also that you have enough ice.

Set up 2 large tables – one for the drinks and one for the appetizers or “pica pica”. Put these two tables a good distance apart, preferably at the opposite sides of the room to cut down on traffic around them.

Set up chairs and small tables around your venue. Cocktail parties usually don’t have huge tables where guests eat on huge plates. In cocktail parties, you eat finger foods, so that’s a space saver indeed! You just need a smaller table for your guests here. Don’t forget to decorate your tables with linens, candles and floral arrangements!

Organize some party games to break the ice. By doing this, you encourage your guests to mingle.

Of course you can also insert a debut program. After all, it’s your 18th birthday celebration. Just make sure to make your party budget-friendly and as simple as possible to make it hassle-free!

Image Credit: http://www.thegreenhead.com

Debut Ideas recently took interest in accessories especially headpieces that can turn any outfit into something fabulous. A dress may look too plain and simple for a special occasion like your debut, but this does not mean that you can’t make it work! Sometimes all it takes is a little creativity and innovation to make any outfit unique.

Our featured designer Tracy Dizon believes that headpieces make outfits a little more special. She says that style is not just about the dress you wear, but the overlook you can achieve. Tracy has just launched “Tiara”, a line of hats and headpieces inspired by both period and contemporary themes.

To keep up with the trend, we asked Tracy to suggest a matching headpiece from her Spring-Summer 2010 Tiara Collections to some celebrities.

Celebrities:

1. Amy Adams – I chose a Tiara headpiece from our Cocktail Cruisers Collection named “Absinthe”… It’s a classic pillbox velvet hat with net veil… It’s perfect for her short cocktail party look… She still looks dressy but a little bit casual but with a little vintage vibe into it.

2. Anna Kendrick – I chose a Tiara headpiece from our Jane Austen Brides Collection named “Emma Woodhouse”. This cute little fascinator accent has a sot texture of sinamay material that matches the soft shear texture of her off-white outfit.

3. Audrina Patridge – I chose “Plum Blossom” my favorite Tiara headpiece from the Oriental Overtures Collection. Teal and black is a very stylish color combo nowadays and by that, of course Tiara won’t be missing a combo color as such. This fits her outfit perfectly well with a little print detail to accentuate the headpiece a little .

4. Keira Knightley – For Keira Knightley’s gothic-avant garde look, I chose a Tiara headpiece from our Cocktails Cruisers Collection named “Cosmopolitan”… This loopy piece is fitting for her strappy avant garde look. It adds up to her dark feel of the look she’s trying to pull off while still being glamorous walking the red carpet.

5. Katy Perry – Katy Perry is my favorite celebrity among these bunch of A-listers. She’s edgy and quirky. With her statement “Dollar Dress” I chose to match it with Tiara’s more casual collection our Tiara Bow Candy Collection… “Black Licorice” is a houndstooth wool bow that definitely matches Katy’s bold personality. She could definitely pull-off a print on print action going on with her look!

6. Leighton Meester – Blair won’t be Blair without her Bows! For Leightonn, I chose a funkier Tiara Bow design from our Candy Collection named “Dark Mint”. This black with green polka print makes Leighton’s green ensemble a little quirk kick for accent while still keeping her “Blair” character.

More about the designer:

Tracy Dizon took her major in BS Clothing Technology in the University of the Philippines . Tracy has worked as a designer for local apparel retailer Kamiseta and as head stylist for a top billing television fantasy series, while celebrating the joys of being a mother. She has also done design and styling for a wide array of clients – from television networks MTV Philippines (and London) and GMA-7 to various commercial products such as S.T.A.M.P.S. and Tanduay.

While in college, Tracy had already won and participated in a number of fashion design competitions. Until recently, she was the Philippine representative to an international fashion design competition held in Tokyo , Japan . She also participated on Season 2 of Project Runway Philippines, the local adaptation of the reality television series Project Runway.

Tracy’s personal style combines the candor and spontaneity of a child with the experience of a true fashion savant.

(Text by Karol Ilaga c/o Tracy Dizon)

Add Tiara by Tracy Dizon on Facebook
Check out http://march30store.com

You may be more mature now that you are turning 18, but you can’t deny you are still that fun-loving girl! You’re now a debutante and more ready for adventures than ever! So for your eighteenth birthday celebration, why not explore a lavish festivity and have serious fun through a Renaissance inspired 18th birthday celebration?

The first thing you should do is to RESEARCH and explore the possibility of having a Medieval and Renaissance Debut Party. A Renaissance themed birthday celebration is the opposite of simplicity. In fact, a Renaissance party is a luxurious and majestic celebration that has everything in excess except dullness. So make sure to give it your all once you settle for this party theme.

Background: What is the Renaissance Period?

The Renaissance is known to be the historical period in Europe from 1400’s to 1600’s. This era has been a cultural interest in different places for decades, which is how Renaissance fairs became popular. Renaissance fairs showcase entertainment by costumed actors to inform the people about the everyday lives of Renaissance men as well as their art and battles. All things during the Renaissance period can be described by the word “lavish”, which is simply synonymous to the fun you will be having during your themed 18th birthday celebration.

A Renaissance themed birthday party is a time to let loose in such a way that you can offer so much diversity. The costumes that your guests can wear vary from the simplest to the most extravagant and exaggerated ones. If your budget allows it, you can offer unlimited punch drinks in barrels and use some old utensils and goblets for dining. If you have limited resources, you can still make the illusion of excessive food and drinks by using props. Medieval and Renaissance is a good theme you can move around in especially if you want to have all sorts of things in your debut celebration. So let’s get started.

Come Hither to our Fair Maiden’s Carouse!

The most obvious idea for your party invites is to make them into a scroll. Look for some brown burnt-looking scroll paper to print your invitation on. Then, burn the sides for some finishing touches.

For your Renaissance Faire debut celebration invitations, remember to include some Renaissance phrases such as “Hear Ye!” or “Hark Now!”
For some Renaissance Fair wordings or “Renspeak” ideas you can apply in your party invitations, visit these links:

http://home.wwdb.org/atkinsonk/public_html/Basic_Faire_Speech.html

http://www.cloudnet.com/~renfest/renspeak.htm

Example of a Renaissance invitation would be:

“Lord Juan and Lady Celine dela Cruz request the honour of thy presence for the 18th birthday of their daughter, young maiden Katrina dela Cruz..”
Do not forget to state in your 18th party invitation that your debut party is a costume party. You can include some outrageous ideas like levying taxes for those who won’t come in a costume. To guide your guests, you can include ideas and suggestions for costumes – court jester, peasant farmer, a merchant, a lord, a dashing knight, a bar maid from the local pub, a lady in waiting, a gypsy, virgin maiden, a washer woman, nobility, etc. The more diverse your guests are, the more fun your party will be!

If you are going to include some obscure Olde English term, be sure to include a glossary of terms so that your guests can understand what you’re saying.

What to Wear

The best part of a Medieval / Renaissance inspired debut party are the outfits! Just as you want to look your part in your Renaissance themed debut celebration, you should also urge your guests to dress accordingly. If you don’t have their cooperation, you’ll lose a huge percentage of the essence of “Renaissance” in your debut.

There is a wide variety of Renaissance party costumes for men and women. Here are some looks that your friends and family can explore:

IMAGE GALLERY
(Click image to see details and sources)

To see more Medieval and Renaissance looks and costume ideas, visit this site:

http://www.renaissancecostumesclothing.com/

Party Decorations

At the entrance to your venue, put a sign welcoming your guests to “The Pub” (your venue) and include your name and the celebration you’re having in Calligraphic font (Example: “Barrels and Goblets Pub –Welcome to Diana’s 18th Birthday Bash!). You may not be able recreate a Renaissance pub completely but this welcome sign may say it all at the first impression.

Visit http://www.nacarrousel.com/pub.html for signage styles.

Create your own streamers too! Cut as many 1” X 12” strips of colored scrap fabric as you want, then tie every piece in a knot onto a long piece of cord or rope. Space each strip several inches apart and let the edge dangle. These streamers can be hung around windows, doorways or they can also be used to enclose an activity area. The more personalized or home-made your decorations are, the more authentic your Renaissance fair themed venue will look.

If you have the budget, set up a Medieval / Renaissance fair atmosphere by setting up service booths, food stands and even an arts and crafts area. Booths that offer face painting, photo op booths, and henna are a great way for your guests to enjoy their time while waiting. Food stalls are also wonderful additions as they prevent your guests from getting cranky because of hunger. Then put up old stylized banners that label these services. This Renaissance fair atmosphere will excite your guests as they move around to see what’s in store for them. These booths however should only open at a certain time – you wouldn’t want your guests wandering around while your debut program starts, would you?

Hang tapestries on the walls and rent out armor suits to stand at your entryway. Put a signage at the comfort rooms that say “Ye Royal Chamber Pots”.

If possible, replace drinking glasses with big wooden or pewter goblets, steins, drinking mugs or beer mugs. Replace plates with oversized plain white paper plates, and napkins with paper towels.

Cover your tables with muslin, then hem the edges with ribbon to add color. You can also use linen tablecloths in earth tones like gold and forest green to provide an authentic finish.

If you are planning to throw a party like the “royalty”, use royal colors like royal red, black and purple. For your materials, use satins, velvets and other heavy fabrics that are known for their elegance and sophistication.

Party souvenir ideas

• Feathered pens
• Elegant-looking fans / feathered fans
• Wooden fans with tassels
• Feathered hair pieces
• Scented candles
• Masks
• Miniature Goblets
• Loot bag with gold coins
• Medieval looking charm accessories like bracelets and cellphone trinkets
• Celtic molded soaps or chocolates
• Honey jar

Renaissance Faire Activities and Entertainment

Make your entrance a grand one! As you enter the venue, have your trumpeters play a grand tune. Then have your emcee read an announcement from a rolled up parchment in a bold voice – Example “Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome are dear debutante. A very fair maiden who will dazzle any gent with her beauty….”

A true renaissance party usually has magicians, mimes, jugglers, court jesters, and minstrels playing the lute. See if you can get your friends to volunteer as these characters! You can integrate brief entertainment from them throughout your debut program such as a live performance of classical music, brief sword fighting exhibit, juggling, magic and belly dancing.

Or you can also have these entertainers scattered around the venue while your guests are waiting for you to arrive. The key here is to keep your guests entertained all the time. You may also want to scatter a few gypsies, mystics and astrologers to read palms and do tarot cards.

Tell your emcee to study a bit of Renspeak, which she can include in her introductions and spiels. Visit  http://www.renfaire.com/ for more valuable information about the Renaissance culture.

Sources:

Front page image courtesy of Scrap Book Parade

It’s usually “think pink” right? But this time, color forecasts for fashion tag turquoise as the color of the year. So you might want to consider being pretty in this trendy hue for your grand debut.

Why you may ask is turquoise the “it” color? Simply, turquoise is bright yet serene. The combination of these two moods reflects the optimistic view of the fashion industry on world events. Perhaps, you might want to view your own event, i.e. your transition to adulthood the same way.

It is not as cliché as Barbie pink or as loud as hot pink. Turquoise is a good balance of a strong, youthful color offering sophistication. Turquoise, after all, is a gemstone.

Think Turquoise. Think of the possibilities.

Also referred to as azure, sea color and lagoon, turquoise is a flexible hue, complimenting a wide range of color. It can go with chocolate truffle, woodbine, endive, living coral and yes even lipstick red! All of these actually pervaded in fall runway collections for this year. For a safer set, turquoise can be easily mixed with other blues and greens, and with taupe colors. Pairing it with warm colors is much bolder but you may be delightfully surprised with the outcome.

Get the Pantone Fashion Color Report (Fall 2010) here.

Pick your inspirations for this color from the sea and sky: Wonderful shapes and patterns you saw when you snorkelled a cove, orchids by the beach, cloud and wave formations, shells you picked up by the shore… You may also take your cue from a piece of turquoise jewellery you hold dear, a postcard of an exotic location like Istanbul or even the eyes of your pet cat.

If you’re worried about your skin tone, don’t fret since turquoise varies from pale to bright to dark. Turquoise need not lean towards the primary pigment cyan, which may not go well for the darker skinned debutante. Try the more airy, softer ones which would go perfect for a flowy ensemble, and perhaps a lady of the lake theme.

Turquoise is a fun color seldom explored in debuts. Its vibrancy truly expresses enjoyable moments like a beach outing and exploring the outdoors. But beyond the happy mood that the color brings, turquoise is truly about imagination as it is one of nature’s more stunning and stimulating colors. LVGA

Reschundzartzugleich
Tanakawho
Lakewentworth
Docman
Kotomigd
Art.com

Designer Ideas!

Spring-themed Debut:
A Splash of Embellishments and Imagination

There’s really nothing wrong with off-the-rack.  But spare yourself from shiny silk satin slip-on dresses with some sparkle somewhere on the bust area.  Admit it.  You’ve seen those so many times and may have bought some for a function you had to attend to.

Your debut is your day and you deserve something more imaginative.  Not avant-garde either.  Not everyone can pull that off.

Debut ideas asked designer Aan Pineda to sketch us a debutante’s gown set in a garden or a spring-themed celebration.  Aan, an instructor at the School of Fashion and the Arts is a master of beadwork and embellishments and a Filipino designer with years of experience in the Middle East.

Here’s what he came up for us and a quick Q&A about it:

DI:  Given the spring theme, any title and story behind the debutante’s gown?

AP: Yes, My title for this piece is “Maalindog” I envisioned the birth of Maganda from the Philippine tale: Si Malakas at Si Maganda. She was born with her beauty and charm.  I have this vision that once a girl turns 18 on her birthday, it is also her birth of adulthood. Everybody is there to celebrate her splendor and maturity.

DI:  How would you describe the personality of the young lady wearing this design?

AP: I am not a fan of stereo-typical dresses nor a fan of the avant-garde, I always make sure that there is something strange but magical about my work.High-fashion but wearable. Perhaps, the person I have in mind is a lady full of surprises and makes sure she sparkles above the rest with her zest. A lady that looks very expensive and eloquent but not looking quite eccentric.

DI:  What are your reasons for the color choices and embellishments?

AP: I do like customizing my own colours and prints on the fabric depending on the requirement of the occasion and of course the client. In this case, I have my base fabric ivory. It was splattered with hues of magentas and fuschias. Also, it is accented with lime embellishments of cut leatherettes, stones, crystals, muranos and sequins. The only reason I can think of is because everything tells a story about the girl I have in mind plus how I express my taste in aesthetics and love for the arts.

DI:  What is the gown made of?  Are there any detachable parts/ “special features?”

AP: The gown is made of cationic chiffon, silk taffeta and cut leatherette appliques. The only detachable parts are the corset top, skirt and the flower brooch. It is a two-piece dress that’s surprisingly looks like one piece. I am thinking more of the practicality and being able to mix and match each part with other garments so at least the gown can be worn with other ensembles such as plain pants, plain colored bustiers and any other garments that will make it look like a new piece in a snap.

DI: Which body type best suits this gown?  How would you modify the gown to fit another body type?

AP:  I think the silhouette of the gown will fit almost anyone because the V-shape in the front part of the corset highlights the face and creates a slimming illusion. Also, since it is corseted, it will conceal all the irregularities in the figure leaving the waist look smaller in an instant. The skirt however, is perfect for girls who want to look taller due to the length and the sleets in the front that will showcase their legs. More so, the drape of the skirt will make them shapelier and will give them an almost hour glass figure without the bulk of the petticoats and paniers. The dress is too light and will allow the debutante to move around where ever she may want to go and whatever she may want to do.

In cases that the wearer would want to conceal her arms, we may place thin straps that may dangle along the shoulder but not really covering it. Common mistake of the ladies is that if they have big arms, automatically they will go for off-shoulder right away. In reality it gives more emphasis to the fullness of the arms because the small sleeves highlights the biggest part of it specially if she’s using shiny materials such as satin, two-tones, lamé and other shiny materials.

If the client is too conservative and wouldn’t want her legs to be seen, we can probably make a floor-length trapeze skirt for the inner part. She can still get the same effect without sacrificing the design.

For interested debutantes (and other clients), you may reach Aan at 0916 2118791 and chesa16@yahoo.com.

We has displayed some party color motifs / color schemes we have come up with based on pink and red hues. Remember that in choosing a color scheme, choose only one primary color – the other colors will be for support and accent.

For instance, your gown can be made in light pink, then you can accent it with a darker shade of pink or whatever combination you want. Don’t place all the colors equally, especially if it won’t look pleasing to the eye. Seek some help from friends and family who have an eye for design.

Don’t forget to print out the colors you like if you are going out to look for materials. Most colors and shades have no name, except for HEX color codes, which can be understood by your Adobe Photoshop.

The following images have the codes on each color (look for the one with 6 digits/letters. Look for this HEX code in the color palette of Adobe Photoshop. You can also adjust such certain color if you please. Then, print it out for your reference.

Screen cap from: http://www.visibone.com

Sophisticated Pink

Barbie's Favorite Wardrobe

Stand out Barbie

Bayo

Faded Reds

Pomelo

Purple Innocence

Purple all the way

Pink to Purple Elegance

Girly Rock 'n' Roll Glam

18 Generic traditional 18’s to use:

• 18 Roses
• 18 Wishes
• 18 Candles
• 18 Treasures
• 18 Shots / Wines / Toasts
• 18 Cheers
• 18 Balloons

Butterfly themed debut party

For 18 roses, you can try 18 flowers because butterflies love all flowers in general and not just roses.

For your 18 candles, why not try 18 fireflies where before the 18 candles ceremony, you could dim the lights and ask you 18 candles to let their lighted candles dance mimicking a firefly taking flight. You could also put wings on your candles to make it look like a firefly.

For 18 treasures, you could have 18 seeds where it symbolizes the virtues that you need to have in your journey through life. Make sure no virtue is duplicated.

For 18 wines, you could have 18 toasts or 18 champagnes.

Casino-Inspired

For your 18s, try the following:

18 Black Jacks for your 18 roses.

Substitute your 18 candles with 18 rolls of dice or 18 lucky rolls of dice. This symbolizes your guests wishing you luck in every endeavor. It is also like telling you that whatever life gives you, you would be able to handle it.

For 18 treasures, you should try18 Poker Chips,  18 Vegas casinos, 18 Vegas Roulettes, 18 Jackpots and 18 Casino Royale.

Fairytale Theme

Regarding your theme and what to do with your 18 candles and roses, it depends on what fairytale you want. For instance, if you are supposed to be sleeping beauty, then 18 kisses (on the cheek) would not be a bad alternative for the 18 roses.

Or instead of having different songs for your 18 roses dance, you could just have a grand waltz song for all 18 roses and call it The Royal Dance or The Grand Waltz. They would be circling you and would dance in a waltz, each of them cutting off every few stanzas of the waltz song.

Fashion Show / Runway Inspired Party

For a fashion show theme, you can replace your 18 roses with 18 fierce poses and 18 wacky poses, where each of your 18 roses will strike a pose at the center of the stage and then dance afterward.   The poses can be funny or fierce – just talk it out with each one of your 18 roses and make each totally different. This will essentially be a photo-op so that you have a picture of all of your 18s.

You may also incorporate the fashion show when you are going to do your 18 candles where your friends are going to walk the stage (or a runway if you will be having one), strike a fierce pose and then render their speech.

For the 18 treasures, you can have 18 snag this style, 18 styles, 18 shopping bags where each 18 candles will describe why they chose that style for you or why they thought of you when they bought that gift, etc.

Grecian Theme

For your 18s, you can try these:

18 Torches for 18 candles (reminiscent of the Olympics).

18 Priestesses can also substitute your 18 candles.

18 Wines (because Goddesses love wine)

18 Heroes can also replace your 18 roses

18 Dieties, 18 Gifts to Troy (you being Helen of Troy), 18 Gift Bearers, or 18 Laurels to substitute your 18 treasures.

18 Goddesses can also be used to replace 18 treasures. You can have a different goddess for each. This list of goddesses can help you.

Copy and paste this to your browser if the link doesn’t work:
http://www.goddess-guide.com/greek-goddess-list.html

18 Guardians for your 18 toasts

Hollywood / Grammy / Oscar’s Awards Night

Since Hollywood is all about awards and movies, you can substitute 18 Awards or 18 Statues for your 18 candles (where each will make a speech on why this award was given to you, etc).

For your 18 candles, you can have 18 Clappers where they would say “Lights, camera, action” before they make a speech.

You can also have 18 Awards to replace your 18 Treasures. Your 18’s will have to think of this. For instance, Award for being Miss Congeniality or Miss Talent, or Award for being a very good friend, with reasons why they chose it.) Make sure no award is duplicated. Have Oscar statuettes as props for a total award-winning moment.

For 18 roses, try 18 Movies / Films, 18 Movie Theme Songs or 18 Best Musical Scores where you will be dancing to their respective soundtracks. Songs to be played will be dependent on the movies that you pick. You could also go for the blockbuster movies from the year you were born up to present (making 18 movies in total) and dance to their theme song.

You can also substitute your 18 Roses with 18 Toasts to celebrate your 18 years on earth.  The guy will first make a toast, have a speech, then dance with you.

Just for fun, before each dance, pose with your 18 Roses partner in front of a number of extras (actors) posing as paparazzi for the effect that you are a Hollywood star being followed by media men.  Of course this can also serve as a photo opportunity for the both of you, so have your photographer take your “stolen” picture as well before dancing with your partner. It would be fun to think of different poses beforehand so that each picture you have with your 18 Roses has a different character from the other.

Movie house inspired debut party

For a movie themed 18th birthday celebration, you can replace 18 Treasures with 18 Popcorn Buckets. These 18 popcorn buckets will contain the gifts or treasures that your 18 Treasures want to give you.

For your 18 Candles, you can do 18 Movie Quotes. These quotes can either tell something about your personality or give you an advice about something. The traditional 18 Candles of a Debut is usually given to the debutant’s closest friends who can give an advice to “light” her path. The 18 Movie Quotes  can serve this purpose very well.

Just like in the Hollywood theme, you can substitute your 18 Roses with 18 Musical Scores or 18 Movie Theme Songs to dance to.

Moulin Rouge

Replace 18 Candles with “18 CAN-CANdles”. Ask them to imitate a can-can dancer with legs flailing up and down before they make their speech or make them line-up and do the can-can first for a spectacular dance number. Making them wear a can-can costume wouldn’t hurt. This party will definitely be anything but boring.

For 18 roses, you can have 18 sitar players where you will be dancing with the accompaniment of a sitar player (guitar if a sitar is not available). You can also make use of songs from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack for the 18 roses dance.

Masquerade / Phantom of the Opera

“18 Candles” is still appropriate but candles in a candelabra would add more flavor to it. You can call it 18 Candelabras instead.

You can also use 18 Masks, which is sort of a surprise for the debutante.  Each person would approach the stage concealed in a mask and then remove it to make a speech. This is going to be very dramatic and exciting because the 18th birthday celebrant doesn’t know that these people are part of the program.

On the other hand,  18 Masks, 18 Princes and 18 Music of the Night can also be used to replace 18 Roses. Each guy will approach the debutante with a mask on, and reveal himself to the audience by taking off the mask before dancing with the celebrant to classical or opera music.

You can opt to have the 18 grand royal dance where you will have just one waltz song to dance to and the men will have a stanza each until he is replaced by another man.

Pirates

For the Pirates theme, your 18’s can be 18 Swords, 18 Treasures, 18 Islands or 18 Jewels of the Sea.

Pool Party

You could have 18 floating candles where each of your 18 friends will place a floating candle on the pool and as it floats hopefully towards you. After placing the floating candle on the pool, they give their speech.

Rave and Glam Party

For 18 candles, try 18 Glowsticks. For your 18 Glowsticks, each of the person holding one will break the glowstick first to light it up before making a speech. This can create drama if you dim the lights. Try also 18 lighters instead of 18 candles.

For 18 roses, try 18 Tequilla Shots, or 18 champagnes where each of your 18 roses will toast before dancing with you. You can also have a TOP 18, (instead of the TOP 100 in music countdowns), where you and your 18 roses will dance to a favorite song of yours.

For 18 treasures, try 18 Keepsakes, 18 Mementos, 18 Fabulous Finds and 18 Glam Styles (in keeping with glam theme as well).

Rave in the 80’s

In the 1980’s, they used “jams” to mean a collection of songs or music. If you want your dance to be more upbeat, you can replace it with “18 Jams” where you have 18 different New Wave songs to dance to with the 18 special men in your life.

For your 18 candles, perhaps instead of using candles, you can use 18 Glowsticks since NEON was very significant in the 80s. You can replace your 18 candles with “18 Neons” or “18 Glows” or “18 Lights”.

American Idol Themed Birthday Party

For your 18s, you can go with 18 favorite rock songs, 18 electric guitars, 18 rock bands, etc. If you want to have an American Idol inspired birthday, you can list 18 famous American idol contestants and use that for your 18s.

Your music for your 18 roses dance can be songs that have been played in American Idol. You can pattern your stage to that of American Idol’s and have a singing showdown with some of your 18s after which you will emerge as the winner. You can also do an AVP similar to what is being shown in American Idol when they are introducing the contestants.

Rock Glam Party

You can substitute 18 guitars, 18 songs, 18 albums, 18 favorite bands for your 18 roses and candles.

For your 18s, you can have your 18 favorite rock songs played while dancing with your 18 Roses.

Sports

For your 18s during your debut celebration, you can replace 18 candles with 18 Touchdowns in which you, the debutante, will use some sort of ceramic football to put off the candles.

18 Torches can be used to replace your 18 Candles. Each of the torchbearers will make a wish for you before passing the torch to the next one (or passing the flame to another small torch being carried by another person, if you have the budget for 18 torches). The last torchbearer will be the one to light the flame cauldron, just like what they do when opening the Olympics.

18 Three-Point Shots can replace 18 roses in which the boys will have to shoot the ball first before dancing with you, debutant.  Also 18 Toasts and 18 champagne can also be used for your 18 candles reminiscent of popping a champagne after a victory.

Finally, to replace 18 treasures, you can have the 18 MVP awards.

Starry Starry Night

For a Star-themed debut party, you can replace 18 Candles with 18 Twinkles where you can stick some paper stars on each candle for effect.

You can have 18 Magical Silver Dust where you can have your 18 wishes, make a speech and blow silver dust for a magical effect.

You can substitute 18 Sparkles for your 18 roses where the guys will make a toast first before dancing with you.

Season – Spring

For your 18 Candles, have your friends talk about 18 different important things you need. Since Spring is a time for rebirth, ask your 18s to make a list of important things you need in order to grow and be the best that you can be. It can be a virtue, a person, or a material thing — for example, LIFE, LOVE, FAMILY, HAPPINESS, FRIENDS, FUN, HONESTY, etc.

For your 18 roses, you can have 18 Flowers of Spring or just 18 Daisies. You can also replace 18 Roses with 18 Balloons where each of the balloon is tied to a flower. Just make sure that the flower is light enough for the balloon to carry towards the skies. Before dancing with you, your 18 roses will let go of the balloon with the flower.

Season – Winter

A Winter – themed birthday party can have a White and Silver motif. With this theme, you can still have 18 Roses, although instead of red ones, use white roses.

You can also have 18 Sparkling Wines (use white wines).

For 18 Candles, adorn your candles with silver and white ribbons in order to adhere to your theme.

Season – Christmas

You can replace your traditional 18 Roses with 18 Mistletoes, where your 18 Roses will kiss you (on the cheek) before dancing with you.

For more feel of the Christmas spirit, decorate your 18 Candles by placing red ribbons on them. You can also have 18 Balloons for that festive feel. Each of your 18 friends will pop each balloon as they make a wish for you.

Season – Whimsical Spring/Summer

You can substitute 18 Roses with 18 Blooms of May or 18 Flowers of May. It can also be replaced with 18 Summer Serenades, where you and your partner will be dancing to some happy tunes.

Tropical Birthday Bash

You can replace your 18 candles with 18 Bonfires, 18 Torches, 18 Tiki Torches or 18 Seashells, where you can decorate the candles with small shells or put them on huge seashells for a beach effect.

For your 18 Torches, you can simply just decorate the candles so that they look like torches. You can also have 18 Campfires, which your friends will light as they join together and bond. For your 18 Bonfires, your friends will get a lighted log from the bonfire as they make their speech.

For your 18 roses, you can substitute them with 18 Leis, 18 Balloons, 18 Garlands or 18 Corals.

For 18 treasures, try 18 Treasure Chests, 18 Jewels or 18 Gems. You can also have 18 Seashells where inside the seashells are wishes written on paper for the 18 treasures to read.

For 18 gifts, try 18 Cocktails where your 18s will make a speech, give a toast and then give you the gift.

Vintage Debut Party

You can use 18 old songs instead of 18 roses, 18 candelabras instead of 18 candles and 18 nostalgias or 18 historical facts, in which your 18 treasures will share 18 fond memories about you.

White Party

You can have 18 Favorite Things substitute your traditional 18 Treasures, but you have to make sure these things are all in white.

For your 18 roses, you can have 18 white roses or any favorite flower of yours.

You can have 18 Balloons so that your friends can present your 18 precious memories. For this, you or your friend can pop or prick the balloon (just like popping a thought bubble) to reveal a message or a story that you can reminisce about.

Other options can be 18 stuffed toys (white) and 18 white lanterns (to guide your journey through life).

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