It’s that time! Your precious bundle of pink that you brought home from the hospital just yesterday is suddenly ready for a set of keys and a license to drive. A girl’s 16th birthday is a momentous rite of passage into the last bit of years she has at home. So, make her birthday party memorable with some fantastic ideas for a Sweet 16 in Birmingham!
1. Mahjong Party
Moms, this is our teen girl’s version of Bunko. Oh My Mahjong has teachers all over the city that will come to your house and teach a group to play. Gather some of her girlfriends together around a table, hire a teacher, and enjoy a good time learning Mahjong!
2. Hibachi Party
I did this recently with some friends and thought it would also be great for a Sweet 16! Hire a Hibachi chef to come to your outdoor space to put on a delicious and entertaining show! All you provide is the table, chairs, plates, and utensils. You don’t have to provide the grill since the chef brings his own flat top cooking surface. After the cooking show is over, the chef cleans up, and your daughter and her friends can enjoy the rest of their meal, open presents, and have cake!
3. Fancy Dinner Party
Grab your daughter’s closest friends for a special dinner at one of Birmingham’s finest restaurants! There are so many to choose from—Helen, Perry’s Steakhouse, Gianmarco’s, Automatic Seafood, Food Bar—you really have some incredible options! Be sure to make reservations, though.
4. Jewelry Party
Did you know you can host a party at Kendra Scott’s Color Bar? There are different party packages to choose from, but all of them reserve the Color Bar just for you, and they all include personalized styling and a piece of custom jewelry for each participant.
5. Brunch Party
Host a brunch at your house! Invite the girls to wear their pajamas or buy matching pajamas for each girl. A pancake or waffle bar would provide easy setup for the host and allow each girl to customize their breakfast. Add a breakfast casserole or two to make it a hearty brunch, and follow up with donuts instead of the traditional birthday cake. You can also have an iced coffee bar with different syrups to mix in!
6. Bed and Breakfast Party
I recently stayed at Helena’s Buck Creek Bed and Breakfast for a 40th birthday and immediately thought what a fun place this would be for a Sweet 16 party. This BNB is located in the heart of downtown Helena. The name is deceiving, because it’s not a traditional bed and breakfast. If you want breakfast as part of your stay, you have to call in advance (and it’s not included in the price). The accommodations feel like a beach condo, with high ceilings, a living room, a full kitchen, large bedrooms, and large bathrooms. Some rooms have a loft with more sleeping room. Outside, there is a nice, landscaped, shared space with a heated spa tub that overlooks the iconic waterfall Helena is known for. All in all, it is a great place for a group of girls to hang out for a slumber party!
7. Adventure Party
If your daughter wants more action than calm, take her and her friends to K1 Go-Kart for some adrenaline-pumping, speed-racing fun. Another option is Birmingham Rage Room, which has many activities to choose from, like car smashing, a splatter paint room, axe throwing, and the rage room. Top Golf is also a popular choice among teens. (They offer birthday packages with delicious food!) If you are willing to travel out of the city, head to Montgomery Whitewater to ride the rapids!
