8 steps in setting a budget for a Filipino debut

Fourth of my "How to Plan a Debut" series

Now that you have set a reasonable time frame for planning a Filipino debut, the next step is to talk to the celebrant about the cost of the whole event. There are at least two ways to accomplish this: one is by giving the celebrant a quotation based on the debut party theme and their preferences; and the second one is by asking the celebrant's family outright how much they are willing to spend. 

I prefer to do the costing and canvassing based on a budget ceiling set by the celebrant. It is easy because you already know about your number one limitation when choosing the debut venue, cake, entertainment, materials and supplies.   

If money is not a problem then you can freely create a budget plan on your own. As we have learned in the previous parts of this tutorial, there is no one version of the Filipino debut. There are traditional ways of celebrating and program staples such as lighting the 18 debut candles but the cost would depend more on the debut party theme you are preparing for. It is important to always go back to the results of the brainstorming stage of the party planning.

Here are the steps to planning a budget for a Filipino debut.

STEP 1: Lay down all aspects of the debut based on your talks with the celebrant. A typical Filipino 18th birthday package includes the following: 

- Invitations
- Venue and setup, guest accommodations
- Gown/dress
- Food and catering
- Cake
- Programme and entertainment
- Souvenirs 

STEP 2: Determine the specifics for each item and create a checklist of the supplies and bookings that you need. 

STEP 3: Find at least three suppliers and ask for quotations. You may do an internet search for suppliers but the best source still are word-of-mouth recommendations. Also, try to find suppliers nearest to your zip code for easy transaction. 

STEP 5: Choose the best suppliers and create your package.

STEP 6: Present your package to the celebrant and be ready for any changes. Do not ever close a booking without the celebrant's go signal.   

STEP 7: Once approved, ask for at least 50 percent of the cost so you could proceed with the bookings and purchase orders.

STEP 8: Book and order. Do not forget the receipts.

If you think that's way too boring of a chore, well, you are partly right. But at least you have the step over and done with before you proceed to the more exciting and creative parts of planning a debut. The next part of this "How to Plan a Filipino debut" tutorial series will zoom in on these parts.