A Memorable Kiddie Party - On A Budget

By Melissa Menes
Party Time Philippines

“No parent in the world wants to give anything less than the best for their child. Filipinos love to eat and party. It’s tradition to celebrate the 1st, 7th, and 18th birthday in the grandest way possible.” These are the reasons that best explain why the party planning industry makes millions of pesos a year, despite the lagging economy in the Philippines. Who would have thought that the best children’s parties in the world happen in our third-world country? Try seaching the words “kiddie party balloons” in Yahoo and the first few websites to pop up are from the Philippines! You can try searching all the foreign party planning websites as well, but you will not find kiddie parties as beautiful and as grand as those in the Philippines.

Many celebrities spend hundreds of thousands of pesos for these parties. Who can forget Gretchen Barreto’s giveaways for her daughter’s party (pedigreed Dalmations) and Ruffa’s P500,000 party for Lorin at Wack-Wack? Nowadays, however, its not just the celebrities pulling the big bucks. Many families now spend well over P50,000 for a party with catering, decor, entertainment, and food booths. Here’s a sample computation of how that happens (I use other companies’ prices, for ethical reasons):

Catering (P300 per head, 120 guests) = P36,000
Venue = P7,000 (ex., Makati Park)
Host with Balloon Twisting and Magic Show=  P6,500
Face Painter - P3,500
Balloon decor - P7,000 includes

• 10 table centerpiece
• 30 Imported Pearlized Lollipop balloons
• 30 Floating Balloons or 6 mini chandelier (for ceiling)
• 2 Columns with theme mylar (for stage)
• Balloon Sculpture
• 1 Buffet Centerpiece

9-inch cake - P1,100
Photo and Video Coverage - P10,000
Invitations - P35@, 30 pcs - P1,050
Loot Bags from Divi - P100@, 30 pcs - P3,000
Prizes - P50@, 10 prizes - P500
GRAND TOTAL - P75,650

That’s without any additional entertainment and food booths! So you can imagine how much those parties with bounces, grand decor, food booths, and additional entertainment costs!

So how exactly does one have a memorable birthday party for their child without breaking the bank? Here’s how:

(For obvious reasons, I will not be putting “Get us!” as a reason!) =)

1. First things first- if you can’t afford it, don’t do it. I have told many clients this already. If you haven’t saved for it, or have many things to pay for (loans, credit card bills, tuition of other children), please don’t be forced to have a party for posterity sake. You don’t need to impress anyone. It’s more important that your family lives comfortably. Trust me, you’ll sleep better at night knowing that you know you can pay the tuition in time rather than impressing your in-laws.

2. NO to hotels. Yes, I know we all love them, but for a children’s party? Save it for your daughter’s wedding. There are many excellent and economical caterers, and beautiful venues. You’ll save 50% of what you would have spent in a hotel.

3. Be open to restaurants. Jollibee and McDonalds might not be the party of your dreams, but it may be your child’s! McDonalds has many great themed packages that just might solve all your budget problems. However, if you don’t like the idea of fast-food, classy restaurants like Dads and Max have function rooms that are perfect for kiddie parties. Dads can provide a private buffet and function room with balloons and kiddie sets for P100+/head.

4. Know your priorities. There are 3 things that are vital in a party - food, host, balloon decor. You don’t need to go beyond that. Find a reputable host (it will help if you watched them in another party previously, or have referrals from friends), a caterer you’ve tried and tested, and balloon decor from an organizer that has a good portfolio. The rule of thumb here is if they don’t have the pictures that show you what they are capable of, then they probably can’t do it.

5. D-I-Y. This is the best time to explore your creative talents. Most parents can work Photoshop and have the printers to make their own invitations. Daddy can probably design the backdrop and have it printed in Divi for a lower price! You can even make your own souvenirs! Think you can handle the balloon decor yourself? Divisoria sells balloons  by the piece, as well as pumps, so you can inflate as many balloons as you desire!

6. Alternatives. Explore alternative ways of having your party. Some parents don’t even have catering, but just rent out 4 or more food booths, some tables and chairs. You can also make a powerpoint presentation as an invitation and email it to your guests!

7. Hint to your brothers and sisters their *ehem* contributions. Now is not the time to be shy to the people who will love you even if ‘walang-hiya’ ka! heheh! Hint to your older brother that cake you were eyeing for your daughter, or mention to your son’s ninang that bunso would soooo love it if she hosted the party.

8. Canvass. Don’t be afraid to look around for other packages or prices. You worked very hard for the money you’re going to spend in the party. The best deals only come out once you have asked several suppliers regarding their packages.

9. Meet with your potential suppliers. Look over their work portfolios. Make sure they have a good portfolio, because you don’t want to be the guinea pig if you’re paying good money. This way, you won’t have any regrets in the end.

10. Research. You don’t have to be creative to plan a creative party, nor hire an expensive organizer. Many internet websites now give incredibly great ideas (some suggested by other mommies all over the world) how to plan an incredible party! Try www.birthdaypartyideas.com as a start.

Here are my suggestions  on the things you shouldn’t scrimp on:

1. Photographer. If you can afford it, get one because its the memories that are important. As much as possible, don’t ask a cousin or tito to do it for you, or you’ll get an extraordinary amount of pictures of your cousins instead of your family!

2. Food. Better to overestimate the number of people arriving than running out of food in the middle of the party! You’re there to enjoy, not to go crazy because there aren’t enough tables and chairs for all your guests.

3. Entertainment. It doesn’t matter if its a Taglish clown or what, but please have 1 form of entertainment for your guests. The silence will really kill your party, and the kids will just run around like crazy!

In the end, its the parents’ careful planning and organizing that makes a great party. “Memorable” need no longer be synonymous to “expensive.” Good luck mommies, and happy planning!

5 comments February 19th, 2007