Q&A for How to Throw Your Own Birthday Party

Honestly, there are just so many ways to do this, you really have a ton of freedom. You could rent out a venue, hire a DJ, invite a ton of folks, and throw a really professional party, or you could just throw a little get-together at your home with minimal effort. It's really a matter of how big your budget is and how much effort you want to put in.

You should choose music you enjoy, but just keep your guests' tastes in mind when you're putting the playlist together. You don't want to totally alienate your guests; you want them to have a good time! So if you love heavy metal but a lot of your guests just listen to basic top 40 pop, you probably don't want to play Slayer for the entire party. Just try to keep everyone happy.

Nobody said you need to do all of this yourself! You can absolutely enlist some close friends and family to help you out. Delegate a few of the tasks so that you don't have too much to do. Put one person in charge of decorations, another person in charge of music, and another person in charge of food.

It's okay to say no every once in a while, especially at your own party. Try saying something like, "That's a great suggestion, but how about we do this..." or, "I love that idea, but since it's my party, could we do this instead?" As long as you're respectful about it, you don't need to worry about being mean.

If you want to write your own invitations, just say something like, "Hi! I'd be thrilled if you'd come help me celebrate my birthday on [date] at [place] at [time]." Then add any necessary details like whether it's catered or potluck or if people should bring money for food, if there is an entrance fee at the venue, etc. Of course, if you want a less formal option, you could just start a group text for everyone you're inviting and say something like, "I'm having my birthday party at [place] on [date], I hope you all can make it!"

Tell them they can leave if they are just going to be rude, or ask them what they'd like to do instead of whatever you're doing that they find "lame."

You can do a sleepover, or a half sleepover, like have your guests stay until midnight and then leave. You could get pizza and a cake, watch movies, play Truth or Dare, etc. Just make a list of the stuff you want for the party and the activities you'd like to do and show it to your parents. Promise you'll be responsible and abide by their rules and you'll clean up any mess you make. Be polite and willing to compromise and your parents should be okay with it.