Sweet Sixteens: 4 Party Style Trends

With formal invites, top-notch eats, and a cutting-edge soundtrack, your child's Sweet Sixteen is shaping up to be way more than the typical coming-of-age party. But how can you be sure the Sweet Sixteen will be memorable? Take a cue from these top four Sweet Sixteen style trends guaranteed to wow your guests.

Trend 1: Personalize Your Theme
By channeling your child's interests, you can create a theme to unify the Sweet Sixteen. Draw inspiration from her personal hobbies: Does she like to shop? Tap into fashion with a shopping theme. Name each table after one of her much-loved stores, and use giant shopping bags with their logos as the centerpieces (don't forget to add in some pretty flowers). Is she into Tiffany and Company? Ask your baker to make a Sweet Sixteen cake to look like the store's namesake box, complete with an edible white bow on top.

Trend 2: Create a Lounge Feel
Turn the Sweet Sixteen into an uberexclusive lounge scene. With a couple couches, throw rugs, and low, colored lighting, you can make your swank space look and feel like one of New York or L.A.'s hottest nightclubs. Don't forget the dance floor, where your guests can show off their moves. The music you play can make or break your child's Sweet Sixteen, so select a band or DJ who has a repertoire of her favorite songs. Feel free to give them a complete list of the songs you want to hear, or, even better, a list of tunes you don't want played.

Trend 3: Make It Interactive
Interactivity is crucial to a sweet sixteen. Consider hiring an artist to draw funny caricatures, set up a photo booth for pretty poses, or get a hold of one of those high-tech karaoke machines that will let you and your friends create your own music videos! Or, take the idea one step further, and turn your sweet sixteen into a specific event, like casino night. While you and your friends may not be high rollers, you can still use games to get everyone mingling. Make each table look like a card table, complete with a deck of cards, chips, and, of course, a green felt top. Encourage your friends to play the games throughout the night, and award a prize to the person with the most chips at the end of the party.

Trend 4: Channel the Season
If you're still having trouble coming up with Sweet Sixteen inspiration, look to the season surrounding your child's birthday. December through February babies lend themselves to a winter wonderland theme, while summer girls can have a Sweet Sixteen beach bash. Look for pretty pails or buckets to use as centerpieces, and fill them with flowers, beach grass, pebbles, and shells. Tap into the elements by scattering sand across the tables, or for a glitzier look, hang pieces of sea glass on fishing wire (think: beaded curtain) from the ceiling to create a natural strobe effect. End the night with a dessert bar, featuring beachy sweets like rock candy, saltwater taffy, and Italian ice, and send your guests home with funky shell necklaces as favors.