Turning 16 marks a coming-of-age moment that many families embrace as a joyous celebration.
Design your own personalized party invitations for your 16th birthday with these pro tips from Minted. We’ll break down the most important elements to include on Sweet Sixteen birthday party invitations, how early to mail them, what tone to use when writing your invitations, plus some great ideas for 16th birthday themes that teens won’t actually hate.
A CLOSER LOOK AT OUR INVITES
Minted’s invitations are flat cards (5” x 7”) made of a signature thick, creamy, cotton texture. These high-quality cards are double-sided and come with an envelope. As you customize your cards, you can choose from different enhancements like paper quality, envelope color, and if you would like to add metallic foil text. Because all of Minted’s designs are submitted by independent artists from around the world, no two designs are the same and you’re sure to select something truly unique for the birthday girl.
HOW TO ADD YOUR PERSONALIZED DETAILS
It’s very important your guests know how significant and meaningful it is that they attend. Drum up excitement by sharing any special details like entertainment, games, or the venue where your party will be hosted. Our easy-to-use online templates will allow you to click and edit most any of the design elements such as:
- Color Arrangement: Make changes to what color themes are used on your card.
- Text: Add special details, enhance font sizes, move text placement around, and more.
- Add a Photo: Some designs allow for a picture to be featured on the front. All designs allow for a custom backing where you can feature an image or collection of photos.
- Envelope Addressing: Take advantage of free recipient addressing to include styled design elements onto the envelopes. You can also use Minted’s app as a mobile address book to gather each guest’s home address effortlessly.
What Info Do You Put on a Sweet 16th Birthday Invitation?
Make sure guests know when and where to arrive, what to bring and more by including all the essential party information on the invitation. If you’re going with a theme for your party, make it very clear on your cards with colors, illustrations or photos. You can always be very straightforward with your theme by simply stating it. The basics to put in your 16th birthday party invitations are:
- Who’s hosting - Parents usually host, but it may be an older sibling, an aunt or a group of peers throwing the event.
- When and where - Guests need to know when to show up and the address of your venue.
- Who’s invited - Does each guest get a plus-one? Are parents invited to stick around?
- What’s available to eat and drink - Are you expecting guests to bring a covered dish? Will the event be at a restaurant, and will guests be paying separately? Will you be ordering pizza for everyone to share, and should guests bring their own beverages?
- RSVP Instructions - If you want people to reply, make it easy for them! Include both a phone number and an email address or website for your party responses so guests can reply in their preferred manner.
When Do You Send Out Sweet Sixteen Birthday Invitations?
Once the guest list is created, send invitations at least six weeks before the sweet sixteen party. This timeline will give friends and their parents time to lock the party in on their calendars.
What Are Popular Sweet Sixteenth Birthday Party Themes?
- A Night in Paris - Cosmopolitan young people will love the opportunity to don berets, nosh on croissants and say “ooh la la” as often as possible. French pop music, fairy lights, rose gold party decorations and a replica Eiffel Tower make it magnifique!
- Outdoor Movie Night - Set up a projector screen in your backyard, pile large pillows on a couple of blankets and serve up freshly popped popcorn, a variety of sodas and theater-style boxes of candy.
- Rockin’ Retro - Whether it’s 1950s poodle skirts, 1970s glam rock, or 1990s boy bands, encourage guests to dress in a particular era’s fashions, then play that decade’s music for everyone to twist, head-bang or pop-and-lock to.
- Aloha, Adulthood! - Say hello to your growing-up years with a Hawaiian-themed 16th birthday party. Colorful leis, flip-flop sandals, faux palm trees and lots of pineapples bring the South Pacific to life.
- Mocktails at the Candy Bar - Lean into the “sweet” birthday party idea with a lavish buffet of sugary treats and a make-your-own alcohol-free cocktail bar. Fruit juices, flavored seltzers and herbals like basil and mint can be stirred, shaken and muddled into creative concoctions paired with sophisticated coasters as party favors.
- That’s How We Roll - A roller skating rink is a fun venue for all ages and the perfect place to celebrate memorable 16th birthdays. Some provide a menu of food options to purchase while others let your order in or go with a potluck setup.