21st Birthday Party Ideas

Finding party entertainment that college aged kids like but won’t totally offend older partygoers can be tricky.  What a 21-year-old considers a great song might be too lewd and crude for grandma and the younger cousins. Here’s how you can find the right party entertainment and give your son or daughter a fun party that everyone can enjoy.

Choosing the right musical entertainment for your party is crucial.  If you bring in the wrong kind of band or DJ you can end up alienating much of the crowd. Music can make or break a party. Finding good music for your party doesn’t have to be complicated.

First, sit down with the guest of honor to discuss what type of music should be played for a mixed crowd.  If you’re going to be inviting guests who range in age from eight years old to 80 years old you should discuss what type of music is most appropriate.  Talk about the volume. It’s much easier to talk about when to turn the music down before the party starts.  Should you decide to hire a live band, it’s best to speak to your neighbors a few weeks before and get their permission.  Failing to do so may result in a visit from the local police and possible ticketing.

Realize that hiring a local band made up of your son or daughter’s schoolmates can backfire.  The band may show up late or not at all. Their equipment may not be properly functioning. Have a backup plan.  An iPod and some speakers can save the day.

A more reliable and affordable way to bring musical entertainment to the party is by hiring a professional DJ.  The best way to find any type of entertainment is through personal experience or referral.  The next time you’re at a party and you’re enjoying the music be sure to ask the DJ for a business card.  Ask your friend or your child’s friends to recommend someone.  Be sure that that the DJ is fully insured and has the proper equipment. Make sure that who ever you hire clearly understands what types of songs you want played and how loud you want it to be.

You may want to bring in some games and amusements if you’re hosting the party at home. You can rent basketball shooting booths, miniature golf, obstacle courses and other outdoor activities.  Video games are always popular. You can hire additional game systems and controllers from any good local amusement rental company.

Make the party extra fun and memorable by hiring novelty entertainment.  A fortune teller who can give entertaining tarot card readings over a crystal ball is always a big hit with young ladies.

Caricaturists or temporary tattoo artists can add a lot of fun to a family event. They’re fairly inexpensive and help create conversations.

Holding a comedy roast for the guest of honor is very popular and will go much smoother if you hire a professional comedian to emcee the event.  A professional comedian will be able to entertain your guests without embarrassing anyone. Your DJ can also add some live entertainment without much extra cost. Ask the DJ company if they can run a dance contest or trivia event during the party.

Hire a skilled magician to perform close up magic around the party. Young men particularly enjoy gambling tricks and displays of sleight-of-hand.  Instead of stopping the party to do a show the magician can mingle with the guests and entertain them with magic tricks performed right before their eyes.

Make sure the magician you hire can handle young adults. Lots of magicians only entertain at children’s parties – be sure that whoever you hire has great references and plenty of experience entertaining college aged guests.

Brian McGovern is an NYC magician who entertains at all sorts of parties and events for young and old. His magic show appears at clubs and colleges all over the country. “Magic is a great way to bring strangers together at a party. When people watch something amazing and share a laugh as a group it breaks the ice and gets conversations going,” he says.

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Turning 21 only happens once and a 21st birthday party is a wonderful way to celebrate this important occasion, but you can start the celebrations a bit earlier by pampering the birthday person before the event.

Every woman loves to have a massage and facial.  It makes us feel wonderful and is a great lead up to the evening.  Having make up done professionally can also be a great experience and can also be a 21st birthday present from a loved one.  Of course, don’t forget the hair and then to top it all off, a new dress and shoes.  Wow….now she’s really ready to party.

Don’t think that pampering is only for the girls.  A great massage is loved by everyone.  It’s  a great way to ease all those tired muscles.  You can also have a shave and/or waxing.  You would be surprised the difference a brow wax makes.  A great haircut, new shoes, trousers and shirt, and watch out world……

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You can set your 21st birthday party above the average by having Entertainment perform.  Obviously a band or singers are the most popular and can bring everyone to their feet with the ever popular hits like the Macarana or YMCA.

I have seen a close up magician at a recent party who was absolutely wonderful.  He is very talented and had the crowd enthrawled.  It was also quite a novelty….something I had not seen before.  This would be perfect for a Casino themed party or for a Wild West party too.

He also performs as “The Wizz”, a children’s wizard character.  this character is very popular at Childrens parties and Kindergartens.

See what he has to offer:    http://vincenashmagic.com/

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You’ve done everything right and the party is going well and along comes the time for the speeches.  Make no mistake, this can make or break your party.  Most of us have experienced long and boring speeches leaving us wishing we were somewhere else.

The type of speeches depend largely on the type of party you are holding.  If it is a formal conservative event, make sure your speeches fit in with that theme. 

A good format would be: 

·         welcome guests and thank them for coming

·         mention that it is an honor and privilege to be able to talk about this person

·         a small run through of the birthday person’s life; birth, childhood, teenage and now an adult. 

·         mention the persons interests and achievements

·         state how proud you, the parents and family are of the birthday person and your wishes for his/her future.

·         Invite guests to charge their glasses to toast the health of the birthday person

Perhaps a special friend may wish to make a speech at this point

Try to keep the speeches short and throw in a few humorous memories.

The birthday boy/girl should then respond

·         give thanks to the speech maker and to his/her parents and family

·         give thanks to his friends and family for attending the party and for their gifts

·         invite guests to enjoy the rest of the evening

If you are having a slide show/video, this can now be announced.

The cake is usually cut at this point.

An informal party would also be along the above lines but delivered in a much more relaxed manner.  The most important points are that the birthday person is congratulated and his/her achievements acknowledged.

In either scenario, if you are having a slide show/video, make sure that your birthday person is aware of the content.  Nude baby photos can be funny if you are aware of them but a bit of a shock if you are not.

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Having an overall theme for your 21st birthday party can have a spectacular impact.  Take for example a Rock ‘N’ Roll themed party;

Start with the invitations decorated with 50’s cars and Rock ‘N’ Roll dancers.  Depending on your budget you can either make your own from clipart on your computer or have them printed.  Apart from giving all the necessary information about the party, your wording should be exciting and promise a “not to be missed” event.  A great way to get your guests into the mood of dressing up is to have prizes for the best, and the worst, costumes of the night.  Make sure your RSVP date is a few weeks before the party date so you have plenty of time to do all your preparations.  Be prepared for your guests complaining that they just don’t know what to wear by having a list of possible characters handy.    Do a Google search of the 1950’s or Rock ‘N’ Roll and you will come up with plenty of ideas.  

Need a couple to start you off? 

Rocker:            slicked back hair, tight pants, pointy shoes, leather jacket

Rockette:         full circle skirt, petticoats, ankle socks, cardigan

Elvis:                Heaps of Elvis costumes at hire venues

John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in Grease, Fonzie, Beatniks and the list goes on.

A themed birthday party is a great way to celebrate your special day.  I will talk about decorating in my next blog.

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A 21^st birthday party is a very important and exciting event and naturally you want to make it an occasion to remember.  Thankfully there are plenty of ideas available to suit all tastes and budgets that will make your party one that will be talked about for years to come.  We can take the stress out of coordinating your ideal party.  We can help with the theme, initiations, decorations, catering, cake, entertainment and present.  Instead of being stressful it can be lots of fun.  Imagine your friend’s amazement and admiration when they see the wonderful party you have created.  

A good way to set your special day apart is to have a theme.  There are many different themes to choose from and a good place to start is with the birthday person’s hobbies or interests.  You could have a sports theme with guests coming as footballers, basketballers, skaters or gymnasts.  Perhaps a music theme would suit you more with Madonna, Mozart and Kiss arriving at your door.  Another great theme is to find out what was happening 21 years ago and theme the party around it.  For example 21 years ago the Berlin Wall came down.  Batman was the #1 top grossing movie, followed by Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.  You can get heaps of ideas for themes 

A Rock ‘N’ Roll theme is always popular and so it a Hippy theme.  How about have everyone come dressed in a particular color, say:  black and white, or purple.  It is a great idea to have prizes for the best and worst costumes of the night.  Make sure your invitations clearly say that it is a themed party and prizes will be given out.  

Themed parties don’t have to be expensive and can fit into your budget.  They can be as extravagant or simple as your budget and wishes want it to be.

Remember, the most important ingredient for any party is lots of fun and laughter.   

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