Coming to the aid of the party

Birthdays were never a big to me.
Then I got married to someone who thought they were big — the biggest day of the(ir) year.
I recall having one birthday party as a kid. I believe it was my fourth. I can’t tell you who was there, other than my parents and some aunts and uncles, although I remember there was a room full of kids, none of whom I can now name.
The present that mattered most was a wind-up racecar. I know my mother had to be secretly relieved when it broke, since that meant it would not crash into the legs of her end tables anymore.
My next party was 46 years later. My wife, daughters, sons-in-law, and granddaughters surprised me with a small, intimate party for my 50th. (If there’s anything I dislike more than birthday parties, it’s surprise birthday parties, but this one was excellent.)
There are many reasons to celebrate during the course of a lifetime, and it seems as though we look for reasons to have as many “special” days as we can.
Is there anything more special than that first birthday — the big “1?”
“Milestone birthdays have always been popular,” said B.J. Donnian of balloonsmakemehappy.com. “The first, 16th, 40th, 50th… But the ‘Sweet 16’ is now the biggest.”
Citing the popularity of the TV show, “My Super Sweet 16,” Patti Arena of Patti’s Party World, 1167 Rt. 9 S, Cape May Court House, said some sweet 16 parties can now exceed $30,000.
“They’re now like weddings,” she said, “but they are more prevalent in New York or Philadelphia than they are here. I know one family who took all the kids on a cruise!”
Apparently, this is the newest trend where one party tries to outdo the others.
“My niece had her sweet 16 party in a 24-room motel here in Wildwood,” Arena noted. “Her parents closed down the place for a weekend in May and brought a whole busload of kids in as guests.”
For another party, Arena reported, she heard of one mother who bought all the dresses for the guests.
The extravagance also cuts across cultural bounds, with large celebrations for 15-year old girls (called the Quinceanera) in the Spanish community.
“Bar and Bat Mitzvahs are also now often themed,” said Donnian. “I’ve done Hollywood themes, Crayon themes, even ‘Havana Nights.’”
Donnian, of course, uses balloons to theme a party, and has even done gravesite grievance releases.
“I’ve done about six of those,” she explained. “They’re very special, and only latex balloons can be used.”
With birthdays, the number must always be prevalent.
“People want to see that number,” she said. “Seventy-five is the highest one I’ve done.”
Balloons, Donnian said, have even become a big décor feature at weddings.
“Balloons have blown away the industry,” she said. “They’re taking the place of flowers. Twisting is also popular. I once twisted a dress for a wedding.”
Whether it’s a wedding, milestone birthday, anniversary, bar mitzvah, christening, or any other notable day, parties have gotten more creative and more extravagant, with hosts trying to figure out what to do that would not result in just another party.
“People are having tie-dye parties,” said Donnian, “or having a hand-dipping expert come in to make everyone a wax cast of their hands.”
Milestone birthday parties still seem to be the biggest draw, with 16th and first being the most notable.
“The over-the-hill parties are getting big now too,” Arena said. “They begin with the 30th and go up to the 100th. For the bigger numbers — 80 to 100 — people rent halls and have favors for the guests.
“We have also provided T-shirts,” she added. “We have one here now that says, ’85—Younger than ever!’”
Most of these parties — especially the sweet 16 — are for females.
“Boys have no big party at 16,” Arena said.
But the men do get involved big in one category.
“It’s the men that primarily come in to arrange their wives’ over-the-hill parties,” she said.
There’s a message in there somewhere.