Sweet 16 Broadway Themed Birthday: Decorations

Let your sweet sixteen be the drama queen, and impress guests with a city that never sleeps in your own home. Over the top Broadway birthday party decorations include a backstage entrance, the sounds of NYC, and a famed post-production hang out.

1. Times Square Entrance  

• Think out-of-the-box for your entryway. Could guests enter through the garage or another area that lends itself to fabulous decorating ideas and installations?

• Choose an entryway with an electrical outlet nearby and where you can hang decor.

• Start by hanging skyscraper scene-setters and fill in with posters of advertisements along with a Times Square Subway Sign.

• Bring in the excitement of Times Square by mounting neon or blinking lights.

• Consider renting a small LED display machine and program it with a birthday message.

• Create a sensory experience for guests by playing a soundtrack of honking horns and city sounds in the entryway.

2. Taxi Cab Lounge- Beverage Station

• Go kitsch with your beverage station by decorating in a taxi theme.

• Use yellow tablecloths and black & white check fabric overlays.

• Hang NYC maps on the walls along with taxi license plates.

• Max out the lounge with taxi and I Love NY party supplies.

3. Theater District- Food Station

The theater district in New York is a line-up of proscenium facades each with its own box office topped with a Broadway show marquee.

• Set up an arch behind the buffet table and hang a birthday banner from the top bar as a marquis. (See Balloon Arch article).

• Accent the arch with black, white and red balloons and, if necessary, mask the arch poles with nice black tape.

• Drape the buffet table in a black cloth and pop it with red accents such as napkins, roses and red glass serving ware.

• Place 42nd Street and Broadway street signs near the buffet along with Broadway posters to really sell the theme.

4. Sardi's Restaurant- Guest Dining 

Sardi's Restaurant is a legendary hangout for Broadway stars after their shows. Most notable, are the framed caricature drawings of the stars on the walls of the restaurant.

• Hire a caricaturist to sketch pictures of the guests and hang the caricatures on the walls to give it a Sardi's feel.

• Rent red booths or use faux red leather chair covers for guest seating.

• Go for the drama with red tablecloths and red rose centerpieces on the guests' dining tables.