Font ResizeThis year, Danila and her husband, Andy, tried something different. They invited Posie the Fairy for a Fairy Princess Party at the York Jewish Community Center.
"It's really cool," the shy 7-year-old said while she picked at her unicorn cake.
The nearly three-hour party was nonstop action from start to finish. It included face painting, storytelling and a game. Each girl modeled wings, a fairy crown and fairy sparkles. They made wishes with fairy dust and left with a magical goodie bag. With Posie in control of the gitty girls for the duration of the party, Danila was able to take pictures and relish the calm.
It's no secret parents are going above and beyond cake and ice cream for kids' birthday parties. It isn't necessarily spoiled kids' demands that make it that way.
Event planner Leigh Velez threw a Dora safari party in September for her 2-year-old complete with an $80 cake and customized safari-kit goodie bags.
"It's like you
Posie, whose real name is Dana Stout, usually entertains young girls, but she's also thrown parties for boys (they get to be dragons). Stout watched her party business grow leaps and bounds since its start in 2001.
"People love imagination and that whimsy of a fairy," she said. "It's more personalized."
A deluxe party for six children with Posie costs $250 plus her mileage from Carlisle. Each additional child is $10. While it includes favors, activities and serving, the host provides the snacks and cake.
"I'd like to think it's worth it to give your child a special day," Stout said.
Haley seemed to have a blast as her eight girlfriends transformed into fairies and her 4-year-old brother, Owen, into a dragon. It was clear by the look on Haley's face that learning the fairy pledge, handshake and song was something she won't soon forget.
"People want to pay to make their child feel special and be happy," Stout said. "If they remember it forever, it's worth it."
While most toddler or children's parties are produced solely with the parents' input and desire to impress, it's a different story with the teens.
Shows like "Party/Party" on Bravo and "My Super Sweet 16" on MTV showcase party extremes. Velez said teenagers especially are getting ideas to do one better than their peers.
"Their parties are like mini weddings," she said. "They look for the most unique, the most upscale."
Since becoming the creative manager at Event Works in Springettsbury Township in September, Velez hasn't planned any birthday parties in York. However, while working in Maryland, Velez saw people shell out thousands to rent stretch Hummers and yachts for their teen's bashes. They hired caterers and drank nonalcoholic Red Bull cocktails in stemmed glassware.
"They want to be more grown up," Velez said.
Jenna Worley and her best friend, Brittany Lease, celebrated their 16th birthdays in style with a joint bash at the Out Door Country Club. The Central York High School 10th-graders have been best friends since they were 2.
"We were just saying we can't wait until we're 16," Jenna said. "We thought we could have a big party and have a lot of people."
Jenna said the girls got the idea to have a huge joint party from MTV's "My Super Sweet 16."
The Jan. 15 evening included a grand entrance by Jenna and Brittany, who were dressed to the nines in their King-of-Prussia-purchased dresses. They spent the night dancing away while guests enjoyed a slide show of the girls' friendship, a black jack table, a professional photographer, custom-made balloon decorations, candles, real rose petals, catered food and a three-tier cake. That was the edited version. Jenna said she and Brittany came up with the idea and dropped the bomb on their parents who said they'd think about it.
"They made certain restrictions," Jenna said. "I guess our first thoughts were a little over the top."
Still, the party came out close to $2,000, something Jenna said was totally worth it.
"It just went so well," she said. "It was better than I expected and the best thing that could have happened."
ON TV
"My Super Sweet 16"
Airs on MTV at 9, 9:30 and 10 p.m. Sundays
The show follows teens as they prepare for the party to end all parties. The teens pull out all the stops to impress their friends and schoolmates with stretch Hummers, famous entertainers, extravagant presents and decked-out outfits.
"Party/Party"
Airs on Bravo midnight on Tuesdays
The one-hour show follows two different families as they spend mucho dinero planning their parties. Episodes include a 5-year-old's $10,000 princess party complete with a horse-drawn Cinderella carriage.
PARTY IDEAS
If you have the money, the sky is really the limit for planning birthday parties for any age. Partypop.com offers many options for the inner party planner. You can rent nearly anything from animals for a petting zoo to belly dancers and gymnasts for entertainment. You can release doves and butterflies or enjoy cappuccino and frozen drinks from a machine. You can have your palm read by an astrologer or be entertained by a comedian. You can have valet parking attendants for guests or rent stretch limos for a night on the town. There are tea parties and spa parties, helicopters and hayrides. Some ideas:
· Check area gymnastics studios for party packages.
· Have a hair salon or spa do makeovers and massages.
· Check out bowling alleys for party offers.
· Contact art studios and craft places for some creative fun.
· Contact personal entertainers such as gypsies, fairies or magicians.
· Contact museums and science centers for educational or play
programs.
· Contact a rental store for moon bounces and other blow-up games.
· Contact a tea house for a sophisticated tea party.
· Rent out a local pool or gym.
TIPS FOR PARTY PLANNING
Don't throw a birthday party that's outside your budget.
· Keep the party small. Have five guests for a 5-year-old's party or nine guests for a 9-year-old's.
· Make parties family affairs.
· Plan early, especially if you are going to rent equipment, hire a performer or reserve a location.
· Search out ideas for kids birthday parties in books and online and adapt them to suit you and your child's taste.
· You want enough adults present to handle an emergency and supervise the party. Make sure that parents of preschoolers stay.
· Before the party, teach your child what to say (and not say) to gift givers when presents are opened. Be sure your child writes thank-you notes.
· If you're planning an outdoor affair, have a contingency plan for indoor activities in case of bad weather.
· Keep the party short. One hour is enough for young children. As they get older, two or three hours is OK.
· Mail party invitations instead of having your child hand them out at school so no one has hurt feelings.
