Party plans start with themes

“Pink is always number one,” said Kenny Racktoo, owner of Starz Princess, a catering hall and restaurant located at 107-11 101 Ave., in South Ozone Park. Though it’s not a bold color, pink stands the test of time. “Every girl wants to be a princess,” added his daughter, Philesha Racktoo, who works with her father.

Rich, bold hues that are lush and the monochromatic matching of linens and napkins, another on-going trend, add that extra pop to make a coming of age birthday celebration fashion forward.

Anna Vuividas, one of the managers of La Bella Vita Restaurant and Catering, located at 106-09 Rockaway Blvd. in Ozone Park, knows firsthand what it takes to make a successful party: choosing the right theme to reflect one’s personal style.

“Anything goes,” Vuividas said. “We had a Wonderland theme recently; Hollywood and a nightclub.” The key, Vuividas noted, is to incorporate trends in a realistic way that represent the teen herself. If she’s comfortable, her guests will be too.

Starz Princess recently held a successful Mardi Gras-themed birthday party, with the traditional colors of the annual celebration — gold, green and purple — prominently featured. They also passed out party beads and used Mardi Gras masks adorned with feathers as centerpieces as extra elements to bring the theme together, further adding to the overall feel of the celebration.

In this age of instant downloads and digital music, it’s no surprise that disc jockeys are more popular than live bands. With DJs, current music is available at the click of a mouse. The trend is to have the hottest tracks available so the partygoers feel the most at ease, making them more apt to let loose, dance and have a good time.

Latin teens, however, do show trends of being more traditional and tend to want a flavor of their family’s ethnic roots incorporated in their parties. They achieve this by hiring mariachi bands to perform songs that reflect their heritage. This can also include additional entertainment hired to take a party to another level. “They sometimes bring one or two dancers to do a performance,” Kenny Racktoo said.

Experts say the key to planning successful sweet sixteens or quinceaneras with fashion-forward trends is to let the teen make it her own. Choose an enjoyable and engaging theme and build on style trends from there.

For more information on the venues noted, and to see their available party spaces, visit starzprincesscateringhalls.com or call (718) 441-9400 and labellavitacaters.com or call (718) 835-6161