50+ Debut Party Ideas
For most girls, Debut is the most essential coming of age that calls out for celebration.
It marks a momentous event and is more often than not accompanied by an elaborate celebration that would signify a woman’s transition from a girl into a woman. In this regard, many girls have regarded their eighteenth birthday as a momentous rite of passage wherein their introduction to the adult world is marked by a myriad of traditions to be done and executed during their debut party. For this reason, many girls (with some as young as five) would start dreaming about their debut party the moment they are made aware of it.
As with any successful event, throwing a big debut celebration requires meticulous planning, smart budgeting, and precise timing. At the early stages of your debut planning, you would have to decide on a theme to ensure that the other aspects of your debut would fall into place seamlessly. More importantly, your concept dictates the elements of your party and centralizes them: from your dress to the décor and even to the menu. As identifying the motif and theme of your debut party is an integral aspect of your party planning, deciding what it is as early as you can is better. To help you arrive at a decision, here are some of the standard and major debut themes which you can take from followed by a list of debut ideas and games you can utilize during your party:
MAJOR DEBUT THEME IDEAS
Classic
If you are the type of girl who is a stickler for tradition, then you should go for a classic debut theme by utilizing only traditional elements and aspects of your celebration. Be that classy and elegant lady to be from your gown down to your event styling.
Modern
If you pride yourself as a non-conformist with a penchant for themes that are more unconventional and contemporary, then you might want to give your debut celebrations a modern spin. Instead of following trends and sticking to tradition, opt to ditch the gown and opt for an elegant dress suit or even a unique outfit. Whatever you wish is entirely up to you so long as it is your debut after all.
Boho Debut Theme
Bohemian theme is a showcase of culture and interesting things the world has to offer, starting from clothes the debutante will be wearing it will probably give that aesthetic and comfort. Free-spirited girls who have a penchant for whimsical things should take their cue from boho inspired events like Coachella and celebrities like Vanessa Hudgens and Liza Soberano. Boho-inspired debuts are a lot less elaborate and more laid-back. Typically, bohemian debut parties draw inspiration from music festivals and events and usually held on secluded resorts and beaches.
Fairy Tale Theme
If your debut celebration themes are mainly about princess-y undertones and promises of Happily Ever After then a fairytale themed debut is just for you. Some of the things that resonate with fairy tale themed debuts are gorgeous ball gowns, crowns, bedecked arches, and storybook endings. With this in mind, channel your dreams into one grand and an elaborate party that a princess like you deserves. Belle of Beauty and the Beasts cites a beautiful idea for your Debut party, show off your young, spirited and brave side by having this theme as your reference.
Personal Theme
A personal theme can be anything that your heart desires. It can be a combination of two or more ideas found in this list or an entirely new concept you have thought of. Regardless of what it is, the important thing is that it showcases who you are as a girl and as a woman. More importantly, your debut’s theme should be something you feel yourself resonating with.
OTHER DEBUT THEMES
Crafty Theme
Instead of exclusively buying your party decors and favors, why not give it a personal touch by crafting them up yourselves? If you have the extra time and are willing to do the extra work, then you should put your creative side to work by coming up with unique and personalized debut decors and favors.
Alice in Wonderland Theme
A girl who enters a portal to another world full of fantastic and extraordinary happenings, is the concept of Alice in Wonderland. Take your party guests into an entirely new and curious world with a matching long table for the Mad Hatter’s party. Stay true to your theme by turning your debut into a tea party bash.
The Great Gatsby Theme
Take a trip back in time and have your guests dancing their hearts out in the Jazz era. To give your debut party that authentic roaring twenties feel, incorporate aspects from the Great Gatsby party. Throw a party like Gatsby himself and go big with the glitter and confetti.
Polaroid Party
For a girl with an unceasing fondness of posting photos on Instagram, you should have a polaroid party. Similarly, girls who love taking picture perfect pictures with only the best filters should go with this theme. You can build your do-it-yourself polariod wall where your guests can take a snap for their Instagram worthy photos.
Parisian
If you have a flair for the romantic, then you can never go wrong with a Parisian theme. Add French accents to your party decors and combine two of your favorite colors to make the overall aesthetic of your debut party pop out. Oh, and you should never forget to dedicate a place of honor for the Eiffel tower. Ideally, this should be someplace where you and your guests can take photos.
Fairy-Tale Theme
For girls who love happily-ever-after endings, go with a Cinderella-like theme and incorporate all of the unique and classic elements of that particular fairytale.
Old Hollywood Glamour Party
Who wouldn’t love to ramp walk with glam and feel that star studded aura? Go classic and bring out your inner Audrey Hepburn or other iconic female actresses in the past and go with an old Hollywood glam theme. To give your event a more vintage feel, ask your guests to dress up strictly either in black or white.
Purple Enchanted Forest
If you have a inclination for all things purple and a unique liking for anything magical, go with a purple enchanted forest theme. It combines both purple and anything enchanted which would consequently give you a debut party unlike any other.
Red Riding Hood Black and Red Theme
As a gothic girl whose favorite colors are black and red, you do not want a debut that is affiliated with Halloween. Instead, apply them in a less inferior theme by going with a Red Riding hood motif. With this theme, you do not need to go too dark and still indulge the eerie girl in you.
Black and White Theme
If you wish to stand out and make a grand entrance, choose party decors and favors solely in black and white. Make a splash by arriving in a bold color such as dark red or gold. For maximum effect, ask your guests to strictly follow the theme by coming in black or white clothing. Expect to stand out and be a head turner once you showcase exclusive side on your party.
Travel Theme
If you are a traveler or wish to see more of the world, then you should incorporate the travel theme in your debut. Choose your favorite landmarks all over the world and designate them as centerpieces.
Garden Theme
Have the sky of stars as your natural backdrop and potentially save on décor by choosing an outdoor venue. Take the party outside and enjoy the night sky. Bring your place to its full potential by utilizing paper lanterns or fairy lights.
Marie Antoinette Theme
As a fan of the romantic Victorian era (or perhaps the French monarch herself), you should look no further than dressing up your debut venue in a Marie Antoinette theme. Apply Victorian plush accents to your party and be sure to utilize a lot of gold. For best results, gold and pastel colors work well together. Make sure also that your hairstyle will go along with the theme, if you don’t wish to wear a wig at least put some hair dress.
Oscars
Girls who have always dreamed of walking on the red carpet should have an Oscars Night as a theme for their debut. Complete the scene by rolling out a red carpet by the entrance as well as asking your guests to be in their best and Oscar-worthy ensembles.
Beach Inspired Party
If you always had a thing for the beach then ditch the gowns, fancy dresses, and cakey makeup and ask your guests to arrive in their best beachwear instead. Forget about the girl who needed to be in heels and best of her elegant fashion. Choose a resort for a venue and break out your best swimwear for your debut.
Hunger Games Party
If you have been an avid fan of Katniss Everdeen or just the book series “Hunger Games,” you can incorporate elements and themes of the book into your debut party. Your party can be a fun homage to the movie, and you can stay true to the idea by adding Mockingjay accents as well as fun games. You can arrive in a costume portraying an archer like Katniss and bring out your dauntless personality.
Masquerade
Add a little mystery and intrigue to your debut by having everyone arrive in masks. Turn your debut party into a night of fun and anonymity by instructing guests not to remove their covers until midnight.
Super Hero Themed Party
If you have always been an avid fan of DC or Marvel comics, incorporate the superhero theme into your debut. Ask your guests to arrive in costume but strictly indicate who you would be entering as to avoid being upstaged by another guest who had a similar superhero costume in mind.
Movie Night by the Pool
If elaborate parties are not your thing and if you wish to have a more intimate affair without missing any of the fun of traditional debut parties, you can always opt for movie night by the pool. Gather a number of your closest friends and have an outdoor movie night by the pool. Play some movies on an overhead projector and have everyone swim in the pool while watching movies.
Zombie Tag
If you are an ultra fan of TV series such as The Walking Dead and the like, then you will enjoy having a Zombie Tag themed debut. You can even skip the traditional eighteen roses, candles and treasures segment of the appearance and devote your party to playing a game of zombie tag.
Hogwarts Adventure
(Image Source)
Passionate fans of Harry Potter are going to love this theme. Decorate your tables with various ideas found from the book such as a candelabra for your centerpiece, better use long tables to incorporate more of the Harry Potter feels or movie series and fashion your menu after the food items found in the book. Every Potterhead is sure to have a grand time during this themed debut.
Geocaching Treasure Hunt
Instead of having an eighteen treasures segment, have a geocaching treasure hunt instead. This game utilizes GPS coordinates and smartphones to locate hidden caches all over your venue. With your guests participating in the fun, it will surely be a fun way to remember your party. Amaze your guests when technology and innovation collide on your special day.
A Travel Splurge
If you do not wish to have a party and are more receptive to seeing new places by yourself, you can explore your newfound independence by traveling just by yourself and with a set of friends instead. After all, you do not necessarily need to throw an elaborate party to celebrate your eighteenth birthday. You can spend it learning about new places and cultures with your friends instead.
Night in a Limousine
If you have a preference for the more delicate things in life and would want to experience a night out in the city on board your very own limousine, ditch the elaborate party and cruise around town with your friends in a rented limousine. Alternatively (and if money permits), you may choose to have the party still and arrive in a limo.
Fancy Dress Up Party
(Image Source)
In essence, debuts are generally considered as affairs wherein guests are encouraged to dress up. However, some guests might find the alternative by wearing cocktail dresses. To prevent this from happening, indicate a strict dress code in your invitations and ask your guests to arrive in their best attires.
Video Game Marathon
If you are a video game enthusiast, opt to include aspects of video games in your debut. You can ask your guests to come as their favorite video game character, and you can decorate your debut venue accordingly as well.
A Night in the Casino
Make your debut party more fun by incorporating casino games not only as a theme but as a functional game as well. Not only would slot machines and roulette tables make for excellent party décor, but they would also give your guests hours of playing fun.
Barbecue Party
If what you have in mind is a low-key party then opt to have a barbecue party and have your guests arrive in an ensemble fit for grilling. In the hype of Korean grilling relatively prominent for the concept “samgyupsal” it would be so much fun to incorporate this to your party.
Bohemian Party
Look for a suitable venue situated near the beach and channel your inner boho goddess by throwing a bohemian themed debut party. Find comfort by eliminating chairs instead choose to sit on pillows.
Rock Concert
If you are into rock music or even a sport, ask your folks to score you and your friends a few tickets to watch your favorite rock band play or to attend a sporting event. To make it extra special, try to see if it is possible to have your birthday announced on the big screen.
Coachella/Music Festival
If Music Festivals and Coachella are more of your speed, book local music acts to serve as entertainment and designate a stage for them Coachella style. To stay true to the theme, plop up tents which would serve a dual purpose: décor and resting places for ocean waves watching.
Beach Glam
If you believe yourself to be a daughter of the sea, have a beach glam themed debut party and utilized beach décor concepts and elements. A bonfire at night adds more feels to the party while roasting marshmallow and sharing stories as the night gets deeper.
Glam Rock
If you want your inner rock star to shine through, have a glam rock party wherein you and your guests can still arrive in gowns but with punk rock undertones.
Sailing Party
For a truly memorable event, ask your parents to rent a yacht for you where you can hold your eighteenth debut party. From there, the night sky can serve as your backdrop, and you and your guests can have a fun time sailing the ocean while enjoying the festivities. You can also drink up until late night or you can also choose to enjoy the water by providing cool activities like swimming and snorkeling.
Nautical Theme
Have servers dressed up as navy cadets and ask your eighteen roses to dress up in ship captain’s garb. More importantly, your menu and décor should include nautical themes.
Hawaiian Theme
If a fancy luau is what you have in mind for your eighteenth birthday, choose a Hawaiian Theme for your debut and have your guests sip from pineapple glasses.
Fireworks Party
Designate an outdoor area for your eighteenth debut party and set off a fireworks display as a finale for you and your guests to enjoy.
Mocktail Party
If your parents do not think you are old enough to be imbibing alcoholic beverages just yet, station a mocktail bar that would serve you and your friends similar club and bar drinks sans the alcoholic content.
Seventies Themed Party
Take a trip down memory lane by throwing an eighteenth birthday bash seventies style. Everything from your décor down to your music should be from the seventies era. Oh, and ideally you should ask your guests to come dressed from the seventies era as well. Feed your ears with the great music of the seventies and dance the night away.
Costume Party
If you are the type of girl, who wishes to dress up with no particular theme in mind, ask your guests to come as their favorite characters or costumes. This idea is an excellent party theme for those girls whose birthdays fall around October and could double up as a Halloween celebration.
Nineties Themed Party
If you are a big fan of the nineties, then pay homage to the era by dedicating your eighteenth birthday to it. Choose the 90s as a theme and have your guests arrive with costumes reminiscent of the early Britney Spears years or during the Spice Girls era.
Cosplay Party
If you love dressing up as your favorite anime or video game character, ask your guests to follow suit with a Cosplay Party. To make sure that everyone makes the effort of dressing up, indicate that a prize awaits the best-dressed guest.
Aladdin Theme Party
Incorporate a world of magic into your celebration through this theme. Better have colorful ceiling drapings and don’t miss out to put the famous magic carpet, it can be the floor design on the debutante’s area and smoke effects can also add feels to the event.
DEBUT GAME IDEAS
Describe Me
An excellent game to break the ice is “Describe Me.” To play, ask a friend or your debut coordinator to tape a slip of paper to the back of each of the guests’ shirts. Once they start mingling with the other guests, have them write their first impressions of each other on the slop of paper. Be sure to make it clear that comments are clean and friendly. Once everyone has interacted with each other, have them take off the paper sheets and write their names on the back and submit it to you. Read the comments aloud and see who can guess the person described. The person who can predict the most guests correctly wins the game.
Fun Facts
An excellent way to find out just how well your friends know you are to have fun facts kind of game. Ask your guests to participate and have the party host ask you some questions such as your favorite color, first crush, etc. Your guests’ answers should match yours to score a point. If this game is played at the end part of the program better have consequences for non winners to actually brought out their competitive side. Consequences could include talent show off, jumping off the pool or drinking wine that doesn’t taste that good.
Scavenger Hunt
This game is pretty much like I spy but with less the effort. Before your guests arrive, write down what prizes you have for them on pieces of paper and hide these in hidden areas. Have your guests search for them during the game segment of your program.
Live Band Karaoke
If you and your friends have a penchant for belting out songs, then stage a live karaoke session with your hired band. You can either have a panel of judges or ask the audience to vote for their favorite contestant by clapping.
Name That Tune
To play this game, you require a premade playlist and a set of answers. It can be a set of your favorite songs or songs that would match the theme of your debut. Play about thirty seconds of each song and ask your guests to guess the name of the song.
Truth, Truth, Lie
Hand a card to each guest the moment they arrive and ask them to write three facts of themselves. Two of these facts must be accurate while one should be a lie. Once everyone is ready to play the game, have the guest read there, and everyone else should work out which one is the lie. The person with the most right answers wins.
Teen’s Choice Awards
If you do not mind sharing the spotlight with your friends, then you can stage an awards night at the end of your program. At each table, have a set of cards for the number of guests seated at the table. Each guest should cast their vote among a myriad of categories to your liking. It can include the best-dressed guest, the sweetest couple, etc.
Planning your debut does not have to be difficult. With the internet at your disposal, you have a world of party inspiration ideas at your hands. All you need to do is research them. Celebrate this momentous event by planning the perfect birthday party that is unique and personal to you. With the ideas above, you are all set to make a grand event filled with fond memories of your transition from a girl to a woman. These memories would then be worth reminiscing as your journey through adulthood.
