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Who doesn’t love a celebration? We Filipinos especially love gatherings. We love everything about it; the food, the fun and most importantly being around family and friends. That’s why making a guest list can be a little difficult for us, we just want to invite everyone! And unfortunately, we’re racked with guilt whenever we have to leave people out. You can almost hear your tita saying, “Kailangan imbitahan mo din si ano! Si ganiyan sinama mo eh!”
But your child’s party has to have a budget limit. There has to be a maximum number of guests. To help you trim down on who should be included on the list and who you can cut out, heed these tips.
1. Be clear on what kind of party you're planning.
Before you even start making a rough draft of your list, make sure you’ve settled on the party specifics. What’s your budget? Is your party going to be a large or intimate gathering? Then, ask yourself how many people you’re aiming on having at the party. Keeping this goal in mind will make it easier for you to create your list and less difficult when you have to remove some people off of it.
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ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW2. Consider your child.
Your top priority when planning the party should be the happiness of your child on his or her special day. Ask your child who he or should would like to have at the party and work around that. You can negotiate with your child if you want.
If your child wants to invite all her classmates but your budget can’t accommodate that many guests, explain that to your child too.
Don’t forget that your child’s friends will have parents, guardians or yayas with them. Some parents will drop-off their child at the venue alone or with a yaya and others will opt to stay at the party to accompany their child. Consider this when making your list.
If the birthday party you’re planning for is for a baby then there’s less things to consider, is there? Your baby probably doesn’t have that many friends yet.
3. Try not to include adults who don't have kids.
Unless you’re really close with them (or your child is), they’re better left off the list. They won’t have much fun anyway. The party games, magic show and loot bags are for the kids, not for the adults. If they’re there only to accompany another guest on the list then use your good judgment to see if they really deserve the spot.
What other parents are reading
A baby's birthday party is different however. A baby’s first and second birthday parties are mostly for the parents, says Elise McVeigh, an etiquette expert for Parents.com. If this is you, then go ahead and invite you and your partner’s more family members and friends regardless of whether they have kids or not.
4. Stick to the present.
If you haven’t seen or talked to this relative or friend for a long, long time then they probably can be cut off the list; especially if you’re only feeling obliged to invite them.
You don’t have to include everyone in the family tree to the party. You don’t have to invite your mom’s kumares. You don’t have to invite your neighbors. Stick to the people who are important to you and your family. These people will be genuinely glad and excited to share the occasion with you. You don’t want a bunch of people who came just for the food.
5. Send the invitations out early.
It’s good practice to send invitations out weeks (or even a month) before the party. Your guests will be able to confirm earlier if they’ll be able to make it or not. Then you’ll still have time to send invitations to the people you unfortunately had to cut off the list in place of those that can’t come. If some of the guests don’t R.S.V.P., don’t be shy to call or message them to check.
Good luck with the party planning!
Sources:
parents.com
popsugar.com
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