No birthday cake allowed at party venue, how would you handle it?

[Familygal1]

I've booked a party for my almost 7yo for him
and 13 other chn. The venue does have party packages but, to keep costs low, we used their summer deal which made the 'party' half the cost. As a result though, we're not allowed the bring our own food inside the venue which rules out a birthday cake too.

I was planning to make a pull apart cake (cupcakes) so the venue wouldn't need to cut it and they could go straight into party bags to avoid being consumed on site, but it's still a no.

What would you do in this situation? Not sing happy birthday? Sing without a cake (somehow this feels odd)? Take the cake and sing outside of the venue - which is in a larger building so 'outside' is in an open space inside the main building but not the party venue?

It's a party because we're celebrating a birthday. 🤦🏻‍♀️ Parties do not NEED food. 🙃

Are you going to pay for food and drinks from the venue to feed and water the kids and eat in the standard eating area? If you are it’s mean of them to not let you bring a cake

I can see why they wouldn't allow food to be brought in and consumed alongside food and drink available in the venue. What if everyone went down with d&v? Even if it could be proved that the brought in food was the source, it would still have an impact on the venue.

But you've specifically booked a 'non-party' package to save money, so you can't expect the venue to treat it as a party booking.

I'm not expecting the venue to treat it as a party package and I'm not expecting them to provide me access the the party area or whatnot. But, yes, I was looking for opinions about sining happy birthday because it is a birthday celebration. The venue isn't going to prohibit us singing because I've not paid for their party package so really the non-party booking' a mute point and one that doesn't need bringing up. It's not what I've asked about and really not that relevant to my original question.

Because wanting to take you kid out with friends for their birthday and deciding not to feed them a meal at the place you are going is not "trying" anything. It's

• a party at a time that doesn't fit with a meal
• parents who are short of money
• children (birthday child or others) that have allergies/intolerances/don't eat normally for some reason
• a child who is dead set on taking their friends to a particular place for a meal

Mostly activities cost a fortune anyway, and if a child is bringing a few friends and they are potentially getting some drinks there for multiple kids, they will probably be spending a small fortune anyway, I would have thought places would want to be welcoming of such customers.

Thank you for this. I'm not sure why I've had such a hard time about not booking the 'party package'. My son's been to a few parties now where food hasn't been provided and no one has minded. And when there is food, the kids don't eat much as they just want to get on with whatever the activity is!

As I've said lots of times now, I don't mind the venue's no outside food policy for the non-party packages - I accept that's the case and haven't questioned this. I was simply wondering what the best war to sing happy hour day is, if at all so not sure why everyone keeps brining it up! 🫠

It’s fine honestly so long as the parents know not to expect it and it isn’t directly over a meal time - and from your previous posters it sounds like you have both covered. Kids can go 10-11.30 or whatever it is without a full on buffet!

That's unfortunate. Unless the birthday child desperately wants all their friends to sing them happy birthday, I would do a birthday cake with candles at home, with family singing happy birthday, then just hand the kids a party bag (with a real cupcake inside, if you wish) at the end of the party.

If your child does really want their friends to sing to them, then I would do it when everyone arrives, as a warm up activity. You don't have to have cake to sing happy birthday.

Precut the cake and put it in party bags to take home. Then either get a fake cake or a large cupcake and use it. Is it still a cake if it has a bun wrapper 😉

By not bringing a birthday cake

Get a wooden Cuthbert or equivalent, explain to kids/parents that you are allowed to take food in, and get those mini Cuthbert's from M&S to go in the party bags

A parent did this when my daughter was younger. It was at a local leisure centre and she set up a large gazebo in the park across the road and brought food and cake.

Problem was it started lashing with rain while they were under the gazebo - a real flash flood. When I arrived to pick my daughter up, all the children were completely drenched and crying. Itcwas awful - it's the one party my daughter remembers in great detail mind you!

Anyway, it's a risk. Check the weather.

My son has both had and attended parties with no birthday cake.

there was a popular party alternative at his school which was going to the special Sunday morning kids club screening. We paid for each child to have a snack box (popcorn, sweets or Freddo & drink). One parent did take the kids to McDonald’s after one party. No one really missed singing Happy Birthday. We put cake in the pre prepared party bags.

Kids parties do need food

that’s half the fun for the kids

I agree

Sorry I just wasn’t sure what you meant

could you make a little picnic and then go off to a park and have some lunch and then do the cake there? Or invite people back to your garden?

It is not a party to them though. A party is when you book a party package. This is a group booking aa far as the venue is concerned.

Birthday cake novelty hat, will cost you very little, loads of funny designs out there. Put on birthday child while singing.
Plus you will have created a whole new family tradition. Have fun.

Could you upgrade and pay?

No they don’t. Parties are all different. When big trampolining places were the new thing, my DS went to a trampolining party where they had a drink there and the Mum gave out biscuits on the way out with party bags. There was no Birthday cake or singing.

Why are they being mean? How old are you?!
They’re a business who are operating purely for profit like all other businesses, and op cheaped out on the package rather than buy the birthday one.

They’re a business. You want to bring birthday cake, book the party package. The OP chose a cheaper deal, as is her right, but it comes with stipulations, including no birthday cake.

Cake can make a right mess tbf. And it takes time if you are going to cut it and hand it out. And then the candle issue - even places that allow cake often don't allow candles. Personally I think a party without cake is fine.

No one sang happy birthday to the birthday child 🙀😢

So since you havn’t booked a party package and you aren’t doing food then I probably wouldn’t do cake and singing. If I did want to then is there anywhere nearby like a park you could find a picnic bench and sing and all eat a piece of cake?