Spinoff to Sweet 16's

Totally curious............does anyone else think Sweet 16 parties today are absolutely OVER THE TOP? They are basically weddings without a groom!! Back when I was in HS a Sweet 16 party was either in someone's backyard or at a VFW hall.

My DD is only 9 but it's already been decided, there is NO WAY I'll spend thousands upon thousands of dollars for a birthday party. Am I the only one? I didn't even have a Sweet 16 myself, what is the big deal about turning 16 anyway??

Re: Spinoff to Sweet 16's

I agree with you. 100%!!
But everything is like that lately- maybe it's just a NY/LI thing?
Even Communions are like weddings and some of the dresses cost MORE than my wedding gown.
I can't deal with it, and I won't deal with it.

I have zero patience for party planning and I won't put myself through the stress or the wasted expense. No way. The money will go in her college fund instead of to a party that is over in 4 hours

Spinoff to Sweet 16's

My daughter is 11 and we already decided we are going to Iceland for her 16th birthday because she wants to see the Northern Lights. I told her this when she was 6 and she still reminds me about it until today. I will gladly spend money on a vacation over a party, and she has agreed (for now). When the time comes, I'm sure I'll take her friends out for dinner etc. but no "over the top" party here.

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Re: Spinoff to Sweet 16's

Spinoff to Sweet 16's

Passing on that! I will admit, that I have elaborately detailed parties for my daughter...always have...but we are talking at a minimal cost and minimal kids. I would never have a sweet 16 aka mini wedding. A family vacation is perfect

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Re: Spinoff to Sweet 16's

DD has a couple of years to go, but not that many, and there is no way she's have an over the top party...

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I went to Paris when I was 16 in lieu of a sweet 16.

They've been big productions for a long time, probably 15 years or so

Spinoff to Sweet 16's

Agreed. Mine was in the party room of a restaurant that has since closed down. I think it was about $2k for everything and I got my dress at payless dressy dresses.

I seriously hope DD will prefer a trip.

Re: Spinoff to Sweet 16's

Re: Spinoff to Sweet 16's

I can say with absolute certainty that it is just a NY/LI thing. When I was 16 I lived in Charlotte and this was not a thing and still isn't. I only knew about the big Sweet 16 party because I had family in NY that had big parties and we went to them.

I refuse to spend a stupid amount of money on a party for my DD. I would rather spend the money on a trip and take her best friend with us.

Re: Spinoff to Sweet 16's

My sweet 16 was at a vfw hall and it def. Wasn't considered fancy at all. I had friends who had them at nicer places. My paretns gave me an option of sweet 16 or a car should have went with the car

what gets me now a days besides the fact that some of these cost more than what I paid for my wedding is this whole court thing. That these girls have to go out and get a dress which makes even more like a wedding. I keep saying I will take my DD on a trip money spent better than a party that lasts 4 hours.

Even you wanted to try to have a low key one I feel like places don't want to host them. The VFW hall that I had my sweet 16 when I got to book party there first thing they ask is if its a sweet 16 they won't host them!

Re: Spinoff to Sweet 16's

Re: Spinoff to Sweet 16's

Posted by blu6385

My sweet 16 was at a vfw hall and it def. Wasn't considered fancy at all. I had friends who had them at nicer places. My paretns gave me an option of sweet 16 or a car should have went with the car

what gets me now a days besides the fact that some of these cost more than what I paid for my wedding is this whole court thing. That these girls have to go out and get a dress which makes even more like a wedding. I keep saying I will take my DD on a trip money spent better than a party that lasts 4 hours.

Even you wanted to try to have a low key one I feel like places don't want to host them. The VFW hall that I had my sweet 16 when I got to book party there first thing they ask is if its a sweet 16 they won't host them!

Re: Spinoff to Sweet 16's

When I was 16 (1999) Sweet 16s were just as big of a deal. They were mini weddings with huge dresses, huge hair, and a court of 5-10 best friends. And don’t forget the candle ceremony!
IMO times haven’t changed too much, my niece is having a Sweet 16 in March and they’re expecting 100+ people at a catering hall. She’s not having a court though. But she’s stressing out over her candle ceremony, lol.

Re: Spinoff to Sweet 16's

Back in 89 I remember being invited to a sweet 16 at a hall. But I couldn't go because I was so ill and was so bummed! She was the only one who had hers at a hall.

Mine was a sleep over and I loved it.

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It’s always been a big thing in Hispanic cultures with the guys and the girls. I remember having to attend practices for the dance when we made our entrance. My cousins cost like 10k and she had a custom made dress lol.

Going away on an exotic trip can be just as costly - that’s new to me. We never did those things growing up. My niece will have option of a trip to Paris or a party.. I think she wants the trip.

Message edited 1/19/2018 4:12:06 PM.

Re: Spinoff to Sweet 16's

My sister, at my niece's request, took her and a few of her friends to a show and to dinner, instead of a full on Sweet 16.
This seems to be a trend among my niece's crowd.

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Spinoff to Sweet 16's

EVERYTHING is over the top. My twins just turned 1, and I got the absolute strangest looks and tons of flack from our extended families for not having a big party and inviting everyone, people were actually angry we only had their grandparents and our siblings over for a hero and cake..... people are ridiculous!

Spinoff to Sweet 16's

I proudly had a Sweet Sixteen at a hall in '94...of course it was a different circumstance as my grandfather owned a catering hall, but even if he didn't I would have had one somewhere else. All the Sweet Sixteen's I went to back then were in catering halls, but the only ones who did courts and all that over the top stuff were the Hispanic Sweet 15's which is part of their culture. But my little cousin is having one in a few months and I think is doing the court or whatever. Not to hijack, and of course I know it's give what you can afford , yada yada, but I haven't been to a Sweet 16 in about 15 years...whats going rate( I'm single).

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its crazy. Everything is all over the top these days. Communion parties, mitzvahs, sweet 16's. I do a lot of Mitzvah invitations and some of these parties are crazy. and the sad part is with the mitzvahs is that parents dont want the invite to be too religious or admit to not knowing traditions but have these big parties.

My family case in point: my aunt is married to a jewish man; they've raised their son jewish. went to hebrew school when he was younger. last year I get a bar mitzvah invite for him. Big shindig out in LI. Kids came in on a party bus, etc. So I say to my other aunt during the party"oh how did the ceremony go today" b/c typically the ceremony is immediate family and usually earlier in the morning and then the party laterr in the day. I just assumed there was a relgious ceremony earlier in the day; My aunt told me that he hadnt even finished his hebrew school classes and this was basically a glorified 13th birthday party
Kid could barely say his opening prayer when the party started.

I feel like b/c everyone posts every aspect of their lives on FB that people feel the need to out do one another.


I didnt have one for sure b/c my parents were broke. and I remember going to one big one for a friend of mine. I didnt have a ton of friends in HS either, but I remember them not being like what they are now.

Message edited 1/19/2018 7:43:56 PM.

Re: Spinoff to Sweet 16's

Posted by Hofstra26

Posted by jlm2008

I proudly had a Sweet Sixteen at a hall in '94...of course it was a different circumstance as my grandfather owned a catering hall, but even if he didn't I would have had one somewhere else. All the Sweet Sixteen's I went to back then were in catering halls, but the only ones who did courts and all that over the top stuff were the Hispanic Sweet 15's which is part of their culture. But my little cousin is having one in a few months and I think is doing the court or whatever. Not to hijack, and of course I know it's give what you can afford , yada yada, but I haven't been to a Sweet 16 in about 15 years...whats going rate( I'm single).

I have no clue, lol, but $50 sounds reasonable to me.