How to celebrate a 21st birthday

For many people turning 21 is a milestone in their life. Celebrating it should be just as rewarding as turning 21. Break out the cake–and even a few adult beverages–to make the celebration match the milestone.
1 Invite 21 of your closest friends over for your birthday bash. Ask each one to bring a specific alcoholic beverage as well as one nonalcoholic beverage. This way those who do not drink will enjoy the party as well.
2 Take a picture of each guest as they arrive, and be sure you are in each picture. This is to put in the 21st birthday scrapbook you will make so the memories live on.
3 Provide a spread of 21 of your favorite snacks and foods. Or you can ask each guest to bring a different dish as well.
4 Ask each guest to bring a music CD of their choice. Play each music selection until they have all been heard.
5 Order the cake of all cakes with the number 21 on it and 21 huge candles. Be sure to make a great wish when blowing them out.
6 Eat, drink, dance and enjoy your spectacular 21st birthday bash!

• Bar Crawl

One of the most enjoyable ways to celebrate a 21st birthday with friends and family is to plan a bar crawl. This is an afternoon and evening of bar hopping, where a group goes together (often in matching T-shirts) and orders one drink at several different bars. Be sure to have either a designated driver or a party bus so that everyone gets from one bar to the next, and then home again, safe and sound.

• Restaurant

For someone who prefers a more low-key 21st birthday celebration, consider going to a favorite restaurant and ordering special drinks. Pick a local place the birthday boy has been hoping to try, or perhaps find a local microbrewery. If beer isn’t his thing, try to find a great Italian restaurant that specializes in delicious wines. This is a sophisticated yet still fun approach to a 21st birthday.
 

• Wine Tasting

For a unique and elegant 21st birthday celebration, consider taking the birthday girl to several local wineries for wine tastings. This is a way to introduce a newly legal woman to the world of fine wines and tastings. To make the event all the more elegant — and safe — consider taking a limousine to the different wineries so everyone can truly enjoy the celebration of the day.

• Vegas Trip

For the more adventurous 21 year old, consider planning a trip to Sin City — Las Vegas, Nevada. This is a 21 year old playground, complete with all the things no one can do until 21 rolls around — gambling, drinking and night shows. This weekend trip is sure to be a birthday celebration he will never forget — and one that perfectly marks the milestone of turning 21.