Reasonable garden and music cut-off times for an 18th birthday party?

[Wigeon]

DD is having her 18th birthday party at home, jointly with a friend. They have invited 35 guests, I am guessing (hoping!) not everyone will come. We have a smallish garden so it's fairly close to our neighbours houses, both side neighbours and those at the end of the garden. We are semi-detached. The party is on a weeknight (and not a Friday).

Given it's the day after everyone finishes their A Levels, I think they will be a bit giddy and over excited.

What time would you tell them they have to come in from the garden? What time would you tell them the music inside needs to be turned right down? DD inevitably wants this as late as possible and obviously we want to be respectful of the neighbours. Although we barely ever have a noisy party, so this is a very rare occurrence.

Depends on your neighbours, our neighbours have young children so I would end any party in the garden by ten. And in the house by midnight. Giving people notice is considerate but not the magic answer as they still have to put up with the noise, screeching, car doors etc. They've probably got work the next day. I would tell DD no, she can wait until the weekend or have something more low key on a week night. Friends over for dinner, pizza and games night. Seems a sure way to piss a lot of people off to me partying in the garden on a week day night. Unless her friends are all sensible and considerate, it only takes one knob head to create a lot of noise and mess.

Between 9pm and Sunset

and mention it to the neighbours- reassure that it’s a one off

On a weeknight? Personally I just wouldn't do it.

Teens are loud and it's really antisocial to keep people up on a weeknight. Plus any nearby children are likely to be going to bed from 7ish and will have school/nursery the next day.

If your determined, at least make sure they keep the music low and avoid shouting. Or change it to a house party, less people will hear music from inside the house.

On a weeknight? Don't be a dick.

An 18th party midweek? This would really annoy me if I was your neighbour. 9:30 cut off. People get up for work early and many have children that have to be up early. If a Saturday night and you forewarned me, I'd be quite happy for noise until midnight.

Midnight is definitely too late for a weeknight if it's going to be the kind of noise that prevents sleep - as an adult i could maybe tolerate this for a night but my children couldn't go to school if they were awake at 12. I think 9pm for music, 10pm for no-one in garden. And a sober adult trying to manage the exit to promote quiet too

I had a fantastic night to celebrate finishing my A levels... in a club where being drunk and loud is fine. Not in someone's garden keeping the neighbours up.

Also had a fab after party after our year 11 prom, inside a friend's house and with strict instructions that anyone who snuck out for a cigarette did so quietly so as not to disturb the neighbours.

Most working mens clubs etc will give you a free room for functions. In a semi detached with neighbours both sides and at the bottom of the garden and 18th birthday/end of A levels party on a weekday seems unreasonable no matter what time they come in and then the music off 35 people is a lot of noise

I would double check all exams are finished asI know my son has maths a level paper on Thursday and I thought there were still some exams to go.

Why don’t they just go pubbing/clubbing like normal teens?

Yeah this is quite shitty for a weeknight. Even if you give people notice, its not like they can do anything about it if they have work/school/whatever the next day

What is the plan if it rains? Will they all be inside the house instead?

Mine too, yet the OP says it’s the day after they finish A levels?

On a weeknight 10pm. I wouldn't mind much later on a Friday or Saturday.

A weeknight no later than eleven unless maybe you know your neighbours won't be working next day and you have you checked they don't mind later noise. I would also knock to tell them it will stop by eleven as it's really stress inducing going to bed and getting would up wondering if it will stop.

10pm outside,11pm music down inside to a level your adjoining neighbour cannot hear it inside. Encourage the party to start early,11pm is late enough to be annoying neighbours on a work/school night even without considering young dc etc. I do think you need to be monitoring the sound outside as they leave - even if there is no amplified music after 11pm, the sound as they leave your property, high jinks in the street will not make you popular. It would be far better on a Friday or Saturday evening or better still from 4pm so they are leaving before it’s gets so late

As it’s a weekday, the absolute latest is 11pm.

Given it's the day after everyone finishes their A Levels,

Everyone? Or just those in dd's friendship group? What about people doing GCSEs? Will they have finished? What if there are people still doing exams living nearby?

11pm should be the absolute cut off point for any noise on a weeknight. Even music/talking indoors carries, and if it's a warm night windows will be open. Plus as pp have said, there'll be noise as people are leaving.

I guess some people have already finished but I would be extremely unimpressed if my neighbour had a party when my dc still had exams.

our neighbour had marquee in garden for wedding recently and it was fine. Was loud until midnight but they came round to pre warn us and most importantly it was a Saturday.

i fear a week night party is asking for trouble.

Very unreasonable during a week night, My husband works in transport and goes to bed at 7pm sometimes for a 2am start. If you are going do this warn the neighbours as we would need to make an alternate sleeping arrangement.

A week night is not the time for this, especially when you are semi detached.

Please don't tell me your neighbours have younger children too, who will need to be up for school the next day.

My dp leaves for work 4:45am, it would wreck his week to be kept up half the night with a party, a weekend we'd be able to let it go. He does work weekends too, but later start and more understanding for weekend noise.

On a weeknight 11pm as people will have work.

I wouldn't, Im one of those people who work shifts. Need to be up at 05.30 on Sundays

My 18th went on till 3am, outside with a bonfire. Nobody cared, in face some neighbours joined 😂

If it’s a one off, I’m not sure I’d worry if I’d been forewarned. That’s the main thing - knowing what’s going on. I’d think 11pm is reasonable too.

After my 18th my dad was pulling condoms out of trees and bushes for ages! I got so told off, my birthday is November, so be ready for that. Noise wise I reckon 10pm move indoors