Friends, Family, and Everyone In Between

It's time to start writing The Guest List.

This part is extremely difficult. I had to go through this about five times. First, my story:

When I first wrote the guest list, I had a little over a hundred people. That was because I wrote down every single person I could think of. I was okay with that. I just wasn't sure if my parents would be cool with it.

I showed it to my mother, and she told me that it was too much (shocker). Plus, the venue that we had reserved could only hold 80 people (I'll talk about the venue in the next post). So I obviously had to trim down the list.

I didn't think about the guest list for a while after learning that I had to start over. I figured that I had to really know who I'd want to invite, and I needed a clear mind.

I wrote another guest list after a few weeks. I was able to write a list of only 70 people. Perfect for the venue, and the budget.



So, how did I do it?

I first wrote down the people that were most important to me; those that made a huge impact on my life; the people that I'm close to now. (i.e. my super close friends from high school, those ates and kuyas that helped me through tough life problems, those ninongs and ninangs who were there from the moment I was born until now, church friends, etc.)

I know it's hard to not invite people to your special day. But don't think about who's going to be offended or get their feelings hurt. It's your day.

I had a hard time with this, too, because I have a massive circle of friends. But I learned to let go and do what I want. We have the right to celebrate with the people we want. So, it's really ok not to invite some people. (But don't forget to invite your family/relatives!)


After writing down those most important people in your life (we're talking about most here), I'm sure you've got lots of space left for those people who just shouldn't miss your debut. (i.e. your college friends, that seatmate that always helped you with math problems, that group of people who really knows how to party, etc.)


List away!


Remember: choose the people who you want to be there and to witness the day that you turn into a lady. Who are the people that you'd want to have around you as you step into adulthood?

Preparing to Start

You turn 18 only once. That's why you should celebrate! Throw a debutante's party and let society know that you've become a woman and that you are responsible enough to be declared an adult! And what better way to show that than planning the party on your own?

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Yes, I know that having a party planner is sooo much easier, but planning your own party is fun! You get to feel just like Blair Waldorf planning one of her famous parties (except you're also Dorota).

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Plus, I'm here to help you and tell you that it is possible--as I write this post, I am in the midst of planning my debut.

So, first things first, find out what you really want. This is actually one of the hardest steps of planning. There's just so many things to choose from! Yes, I know, I've been there. I was juggling between three to five themes for my party, too. But, what I advise you to do is to gather every single idea that you want, and carefully choose which of them appeals to you most.

A great way to do this is through: PINTEREST. This site is absolutely amazing. (I actually spent nights without sleep just scrolling through this thing.)

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There are a lot of categories to choose from. You can check out DIY & Crafts, Holidays & Events, and even Weddings for ideas. You can also check out the board I made just for my debut. [Check it here!]

Choosing the best ideas will take a bit more time, so start with the basic. Decide whether you want a glamorous party, or a very simple one.

A glamorous party would probably have caterers, table cloths and centerpieces, a sound system, etc. While a simple one would possibly have less of these things. (I'm really not sure how to describe these two without sounding condescending. Hah!)

So, which one is it?


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 It's time to talk just a little about the boring (yet scary) part: Budget.

Yes, you've got to decide on that now, because once you have a solid, bullet-proof budget, you'd be able to work magic from there. Talk to your parents about this, of course.

My Story: I really didn't have a solid budget plan at first, but I was absolutely sure that I didn't want to spend more than Php 50,000. So, I planned to make do with less that amount. And it's actually working.


Once you've decided on these things, you're ready for the very fun part.

PS. Also make sure to have a notebook where you can jot down all of your ideas. ;)




~with explosions of love, V