How to Throw a Princess Perfect Valentine’s Party

Valentine’s Day parties can be more than red balloons, heart-shaped cookies, and pink punch. If you’re in charge of the kid's party this year, why not shake it up with a princess tea theme that will make for a magical event that all the kids will remember for years to come?

For some excellent tips on how to really give the royal treatment on a budget or at home, see below.

Start with a theme. Will you be focusing on one type of popular princess or be including elements of all of them? Decide on your theme in order to decide what direction you want to go with decor, food and music. After deciding on the theme, start your invitations. You can print them from home, but make sure to use an old-fashioned script font, and use wording that can be seen on a fancy invitation like “____ requests the honor of your presence for tea at the castle.”

Use elements from your own home as DIY decor. Place a single rose under a domed glass case or create a “magic mirror” by using a printed photo on an antique oval picture framed mirror. Use glitter confetti to make the tea tables sparkle, and have colored balloons floating on each corner. You can even replace the photos in your oval picture frames with photos of princesses and princes, or even villains.

Decide on what and how much food. Tea parties are easy on a menu because you tend to be serving light fare along with the tea. Petit four cakes are always a gorgeous choice, but iced cookies in the theme shape are also a welcome surprise. Make sure that the tea served is caffeine free, or maybe even choose to serve sparkling sugar-lemonade to please both parents and guests.

Have a playlist ready with music. If the children become shy at the beginning, loosen up the mood with some light background music. Choose your favorite movie soundtrack or a kid-friendly list of songs that will be fun to dance to or just fun to talk over. If you really want to get the party going, designate someone to start a dance party and act as the MC to help the kids have even more fun. After all, even princesses need to cut loose!

Provide uniform favors at the beginning of the party. Some of the princesses may not have the right accessories and may seem a little unsure about their attire. By providing each princess with a tiara or wand, you can ensure that each child feels special for that day while they party with the others. Add a little enchantment to say whenever they want to transform into a princess at home, and you’ll create memories for a lifetime for all of the littles.