So my Sweet Sixteen is in 5 days! I absolutely cannot wait. :) 

One thing you need at a party is food and drinks.  Without it, people aren't very happy.  So when you plan a party figure out your menu.  If you have light food, mention it on the invitation.  And try to make sure everything is cohesive.

My Menu:

I'm going to have a chocolate fountain with milk chocolate running through it.  The dipping options are strawberries, pretzel sticks, and pound cake cubes.  I'm going to have cheese and crackers available.  And instead of having a traditional cake, I'm having vanilla and raspberry macarons.  The drink option is this mixture my mom does that consists of concentrated white grape juice and 7-up.  It's a lot like sparkling cider.

You also need to think about food presentation and utensils, etc. All the foods will be on platters, except for the chocolate fountain.  Then there will be tooth picks for the dipping.  Also we ordered tiny black square plates, printed black and white napkins, and we will have clear plastic cups.

After you have your menu planned, figure out when you will pick up the food unless you have a caterer do it for you.

xxoo,
Claire.