There’s no standard formula when it comes to budgeting a kid’s birthday party. Unlike other events and celebrations, a kid’s party is more flexible. You just have to figure out what’s really important for you—is it the appearance of the party, the entertainment, or the food?

But while there’s no standard formula, here is a typical allocation of budget for a kid’s party that you can adjust based on your priorities:

We suggest that you allocate 8% to 30% of your budget, depending on what type of venue you’d like to get. The cost for renting an events function room would depend on its size and other amenities like a built-in stage, lights, and sound system. A cheaper alternative would be renting a function room in a residential clubhouse. If you’re planning to hold the party at a restaurant, they usually require minimum guaranteed consumption—payment for food and venue in one.

Before allocating a budget for your food, you have to figure out how many guests are you inviting and how much you’re willing to spend per head. No matter how many or how few your guests will be, you’d want to feed them with enough food that they will enjoy. You don’t want your guests going hungry or you running out of food. If you’re hiring a caterer, allocate at least P300/head. Usually, that will already get you a single meal—a choice of dish, rice, dessert, and drinks. We suggest that you set aside 30% of this from your budget.

The fee for hiring a host would depend on his experience and recognition. The amount of budget that you need to set aside may range from 8% to 30%. A host with a standard fee should already be able to manage your party program and a few games and entertainments like freeze dance, “bring me”, a bubble show or a puppet show.

Decors usually take a major part of a kid’s party budget. Your decorations would give the first and lasting impression to your guests and you’d want them to be happy with what they see. For this, you may want to give 20% to 40% of your budget depending on what type of decorations you want to have. Decors for a kid’s party may include a 2D/3D stage backdrop, ceiling decorations, and life-sized letters of the celebrant’s name.

Party favors and prizes are also an essential part of a kid’s party. Giving out party favors is a way of saying ‘thank you’ to the guests, especially the kids. Game prizes are also important because these are rewards will make the children feel special. However, you don’t have to spend much on them. You may allot 5% for this from your budget and explore a lot of options like a water tumbler, a pack of crayons and a coloring book, or sweet treats.

Taking “selfies” or asking someone take photos with average quality won’t be enough. If you’re going to spend a fortune for a good birthday party, you might as well hire an official photographer and/or a videographer. An event like this is something that your child will look forward to and watch repeatedly as he grows up. Give at least 5% of your budget for the documentation.

No matter how much budget you have for your kid’s party, what matters is it should be enough for everyone to have a good time.

Have you found the place for your kid’s party? If not, check out this article for the factors that you need to consider in selecting the right venue for your kid’s birthday celebration.

References include an interview with Ms. Jme Gonzales, Vice President and Production Head of Party Links Events Corp. (920-0966, 0922-829-6980, customer@partylinksevents.com)