Sweet Sixteens: Tips & Tricks

It's the big party that every girl dreams of -- here's how to throw an amazing Sweet Sixteen that's low on drama but big on fun.

Get Your Game Plan Together
Sit down with your daughter to get a sense of what your plan for the Sweet Sixteen will be. It's not fun, but it's definitely necessary. She needs to know if you have any requests or rules in mind -- say, a sit-down dinner, all her cousins on the guest list, or no dirty dancing. You can also find out what her hopes are for the big night, and work together to develop reasonable expectations.

Who's on the List?
Be choosy about who you invite to the Sweet Sixteen -- she probably shouldn't invite the entire grade, but she should make sure she's got a good mix of people. Surrounding herself with even just a few of her nearest and dearest friends will provide more fun and better memories than landing an audience with more popular kids, which (even though it'll sound corny to her) is way more important.

Style Guides
Adding a line about how to dress to the Sweet Sixteen invitations (cocktail attire, South Beach black tie, dazzling denim, no jeans, ready to swim, cosmopolitan cool) isn't pushy -- it's smart. After all, if everyone knows what to wear she won't wind up gussied up in a gown among dressed-down guests in flip-flops and cutoffs.

Diplomacy 101
If she's got two friends who are feuding, invite them both to the Sweet Sixteen. Chances are good that they'll make up eventually, and there's no reason to leave out someone she likes just because of a temporary tiff. If one of them complains, tell her to just say something like, "I know you guys are arguing, but I made this guest list up forever ago and I really want all the people I've had fun with so far to be invited."

Be a Task Master
For everything that needs to happen at the Sweet Sixteen, make sure you've got a who in addition to a what: Someone has to do things like put the centerpieces you ordered on the tables, set up a gift table, and pop your frozen pizzas in the oven, and that someone hopefully isn't you or your daughter. You're both going to be pretty busy, so set up a Sweet Sixteen team you can trust.

Start Off With a Bang
Walking into a Sweet Sixteen as your name is announced makes any girl feel like the belle of the ball. Plan her big entrance half an hour to an hour into the party, which gives guests enough time to arrive and get comfortable. If she can't stand the thought of being behind the scenes and missing part of her own Sweet Sixteen, she can sneak away just a bit before her scheduled entrance, change into something spectacular, and come back in. If she's set on staying hidden until it's spotlight time, choose one or two close friends to hang out with her so she doesn't feel completely left out of the fun.