This is How Much Birthday Parties Cost
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A kid’s birthday party that looks wonderful certainly doesn’t come cheap. And of course, as parents, you want your children to celebrate their birthday in an unforgettable way – something that they would still remember when they hit 50.
So how much should you really shell out for your child’s birthday party? Just to give you an idea, the typical cost of birthday parties ranges from $300 to $500. But some parents go as far as spending even $1,000 to more than $2,000 on their children’s birthday parties. That seems too expensive for just a birthday party, right?
But actually, the cost of birthday parties would entirely depend on you – on your budget and on how simple or extravagant you want the party to be.
If you only want a simple celebration, then there is no need to spend thousands of dollars. But if you want an elaborate birthday bash for your child with birthday party entertainers in a posh venue, then ready your wallet.
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Average Cost of Birthday Parties
The average cost of birthday parties ranges from $300 to $500. But that would depend on a lot of factors, such as food or event catering, birthday party entertainers, photo booth rental, event videography and photography, and the venue.
When you have a party at home with only a few invitees, and when you skip hiring birthday party entertainers, you save money. On the other hand, if you are expecting many guests, and if you prefer to rent a venue and hire additional services, get ready to spend.
Birthday Party Planning
Planning is essential in determining the cost of birthday parties. Consider these things as you plan for your child’s special day.
- Food
For a kid’s party, it is ideal that you have it during meal time (11:30 AM to 1 PM) or snack time (3:30 PM to 5 PM). This will help you think of what food to include in your birthday menu.
Also, when you plan on what food to serve, consider including dishes which are proven to be a hit to children. Your menu may include spaghetti, barbecue, fried chicken, grilled hotdogs, and of course, sweets, like cake or ice cream.
When you plan for food, it is also important to know your estimated number of guests. This will ensure that everybody gets to eat and that you don’t run out of food to serve your guests.
- Venue
A good way to know the cost of birthday parties and to start planning your kid’s birthday party is to decide where you would hold the celebration. You could simply decorate your house, and have it there. Another option is to rent an events place.
If you are only expecting a few guests, and you think you can accommodate them at home, then renting an events place would not be necessary. On the other hand, if you are planning a big party, and you are thinking of inviting more than 50 people, renting a venue will be a good choice.
That is to avoid mess and to save yourself from the pressure of having to supervise too many people in your house. If you prefer to have your child’s birthday party in another place, you can rent a function room or a small private resort.
When you rent an events place, most packages already include kitchen facilities as well as tables and chairs. Plus, you have a better space to entertain guests and to do fun activities with kids.
But of course, having your kid’s birthday party celebration in another place does come at an extra cost. It requires additional budget allocation. However, if you have limited means, there are local parks where you can have a picnic-style party without having to spend more.
- Duration
Another thing that you ought to consider when you plan your kid’s party is the duration. How long will the celebration be? Three hours in a function hall? Or do you plan to have the party all day at a private resort?
It is important to know how long the birthday bash is going to run. This helps you determine what kind and how many activities to have as well as the amount of food you will have to prepare. Longer parties require more food and drinks.
- Number of invitees
How many people do you want to invite? Do you plan on inviting just a few people? These are important factors that you ought not to forget as you plan for your kid’s birthday party.
Knowing the estimated number of your guests will help you choose a venue. It will also let you determine the cost of your child’s birthday party
However, as much as you would want to invite a lot of people, if you are on a tight budget, you may only invite the ones who are closest to your child.
- Entertainment
When it comes to keeping your guests entertained, there are a lot of options that you can do. You can hire birthday party entertainers to entertain not only kids but also their parents or other companions. They will certainly enjoy watching a bubble show, magic tricks, or having a face painting session.
The set of activities that you will do at your child’s birthday party is one factor that will make the event more memorable for everyone.
Children’s Birthday Party Checklist
| BIRTHDAY PARTY ITEMS | COST |
| Invitations – For children’s birthday party invitations, you have two options. One is to buy standard invitations from party supplies. Another option is to customize your own kid’s invitations. When you opt for handcrafted ones instead of those which are already pre-printed, you make your child’s birthday party more personalized and unique. | $5 to $30 per set |
| Tableware – Party tableware can be disposable while there are some which can be reused. This includes cutlery, glasses, linen, and plates. | $1 to $20 per piece |
| Chairs and tables – If you are expecting more than 20 guests, you should rent tables and chairs, especially if you don’t have enough furniture at home. Besides, a kid’s party where most of the guests are small children, you need to have high chairs. So renting is the best option. | $3 to $40 |
| Balloons – One balloon, with no helium yet, can cost about $.40. Of course when it comes to balloons, one is never enough. If you want your kid’s party to have an arch of balloons, or if you prefer custom balloon installation, prepare to spend at least $800. With that expensive price, your balloon decorations will surely make your guests’ jaw drop. If you want to know how many balloons you need, this reading this article about the balloon formula can help you. | $1 to more than $2,500 |
| Catering – There is no better way to have a nice food presentation than to get a catering service. When you avail of a catering package, not only do you save time and energy on cooking and preparing your menu, but you also won’t have to stress yourself about serving food on every table. Plus, you also get a nice presentation of your kid’s birthday menu. However, the price of the catering service varies. It depends on the food that will be served. Gourmet menu is, of course, more costly than the usual party food choices. | $60 to $2,000 |
| Decorations – Whether your kid’s party has a theme or not, you have a lot of decoration options, such as banners, centerpieces, confetti, cushions, party blowers, party hats, piñatas, streamers, as well as wall decorations. | $2 to $500 |
| Cake – Any occasion, especially a kid’s party, will never be complete without a cake. In fact, the main event of a children’s party is when the celebrant blows the candle and slices the cake. However, these days, you can also have cupcakes or French macarons if you don’t prefer to have the usual birthday cake. You can also bake your kid’s birthday cake yourself or conveniently buy one from a dessert store. If you prefer to do the latter, you must know how long store-bought cakes last to keep from eating spoiled cakes and to avoid food poisoning. | $55 to $150 |
| Event photographer or videographer – Special occasions, like your child’s birthday party celebration, are meant to be unforgettable. And what better way to remember it than to have the entire event recorder and every moment photographed. You can depend on a professional videographer or photographer to capture your guests’ every smile and immortalizing every touching moment. Another option that your guests will enjoy is to rent a photo booth, where they can do wacky poses and take their photos home as a birthday souvenir. | Starts at $250 per hour |
| Goody bags – A nice way to express your gratitude to your invitees for coming and celebrating your kid’s party with you is by giving them something to bring home – goody bags. You can fill them with candies, chocolates, and toys. The price of each bag will depend on what they have inside. More goodies and better-quality party favors inside will make each goody bag more costly. | Starts at $4 each |
| Birthday party entertainers – Keeping your guests, especially children, entertained during a kid’s birthday party is easy when there are birthday party entertainers around. Their services include face painting, showing magic tricks, bubble show, balloon twisting, and more. When you hire birthday party entertainers, both kids and adults will surely have fun and enjoy the party even more. | Starts at $140 per hour |
| Clothing – Since it’s your little one’s special day, buying a special outfit, such as a suit or a cute dress won’t hurt. If your kid’s party has a theme, make sure that the outfit that you will buy and make him wear matches it. | Starts at $100 |
| Events stylist – Although this one is not required, there are some parents out there who want to give their child a lavish birthday party often seek the help of events stylists. If you are one of those and you plan on hiring one, you will be spared from the stress of executing your party concepts. That means more time for and less effort from you. In fact, the only thing that they have to do is to attend and enjoy the party. Event stylists will get everything covered – from putting everything in order to supervising. | (POA) Price on asking |
| Venue – Having your kid’s birthday party celebration at home is fine. But having the birthday bash somewhere new for a change is always exciting. However, you must have your wallet ready for additional costs, especially if you want to celebrate in a private function hall. You may also rent a private resort if your child’s birthday is in summer. | Starts at $500 |
Tips for Throwing a Birthday Party
- Know the typical cost of birthday parties.
- Always plan ahead of time.
- Look for good deals. Buying party supplies on sale will save you several bucks.
- Consider opting for digital invitation instead of sending out printed ones. Sending digital invitations online will not require you to spend additional printing costs.
- Be resourceful.
- Ask yourself if a birthday party is really necessary. If your budget would let you, then let nothing stop you. But if you don’t have the means, and if you are planning on borrowing money just to celebrate your child’s birthday, think twice if it is worth it.
- Think of exciting kiddie activities to make sure that everybody stays entertained and that your kid’s birthday party is memorable.
- Bake if you can. But there’s nothing wrong if you opt for store-bought cakes to save time and energy.
- Consider your budget before hiring birthday party entertainers. If you are on a tight budget, opt for no-cost entertainment.
Related Questions
- How much of the total budget must parents spend on food?
Most hosts spend around 56% of the birthday party budget on food.
- How much is too much to spend on a birthday party?
There is really no exact answer to this. The amount you would spend on your child’s birthday party depends on how much you can afford and the amount you are willing to spend. Spending thousands of dollars may be too extravagant and wasteful for some. But for other parents who are more financially capable, that’s not too much. When you are not sure about how much you should ideally spend, remember that you should live below your means.
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