A Mom Explains Exactly How She Spent $21,625 On Her Son's Birthday Party
Extravagant birthday parties don't take away from the point of the celebration.
PeopleImages.Com - Yuri A / Shutterstock Celebrating your child's birthday can be simple or elaborate, and it's ultimately up to the parents how much they want to spend. But one mother went above and beyond, spending over $20,000 on her son's birthday.
Summer Reign Henning, who often shares her life as a mom with TikTok, recently detailed how she and her husband spent a total of $21,625 on their son's birthday bash.
Henning explained exactly how she spent $21,625 on her son's birthday party.
The celebration was an extravagant affair that featured themed bedrooms, a lot of food, a fun boat ride, a surprise party bus, and private bowling lanes. Her son's only wish for his birthday was to spend it with his entire family, so 21 family members came along for the ride.
Henning began her video by explaining the initial costs of the party. "It started off sketchy with this van that was literally falling apart," she said.
However, they also managed to secure an eight-passenger vehicle from Enterprise for the journey to their destination. Their total expenditure on gas for both vehicles throughout the trip amounted to around $884.
The family arrived at a house equipped with themed bedrooms and a game room — perfect for hosting an unforgettable birthday experience for their son. On the first night there, they treated everyone to a delightful taco bar dinner.
"The next morning we had breakfast from Chick-fil-A before going on a super fun boat ride," Henning said. Following this adventurous outing at sea, they went to the beach before the next surprise.
"Later we surprised everyone with the party bus," she said. The party bus was a sleek black van with colorful lights and leather seats inside. The bus transported them to a bowling alley, where they had a buffet-style meal, which came with a private bowling room. "The price [of renting] also included all-you-can-eat food," she added.
Taking things up another notch during the three-day-long celebration involved hiring professional decorators and bakers to create special treats. "Then the party decorator showed up and she absolutely did her thing," she said.
Her son was completely surprised with a special moment. "Then here's the birthday boy coming down to his surprise party," she said. The crowning glory is getting dinner prepared by a private chef, adding that he provided a 10 out of 10 service experience!
While many people were left scratching their heads at the enormous price tag, for Hennings, it was money well spent.
People immediately questioned why Henning would spend so much money on a birthday party, but she quickly responded in the captions of one of her videos and explained her reasoning. She clarified that her son is a "trust fund kid" who will "inherit properties, not problems."
So, it seems like she and her husband have ample money to spend on extravagant parties and travel. But that's not what people should be focusing on in the end.
It turns out that there may be a reason parents seemingly dole out more money than ever on their child's birthday party. According to a New York Times article from April 2023, it highlighted a $75,000 birthday party for a toddler, exploring what started the trend.
"Around the time Kim had a party for her first child, and it was something that was featured in People Magazine, something shifted," Leesa Zelken, the founder of party-planning service Send in the Clowns, told the Times. Kim's party was deemed "Kidchella" for its elaborate spread, including a Ferris wheel.
And for parents who can afford it, they want to give their child a similarly epic experience. Still, that doesn't negate birthday parties with a smaller budget. Kids nowadays still want to have get-togethers in the backyard and eat pizza and ice cream, have a clown make them balloon animals, or bounce around in a bouncy castle.
Ultimately, what matters most is that everyone has a fun, unforgettable time together, making memories they will cherish forever. And in Henning's case, although spending over $21k might seem extravagant or even excessive, just by the look on her son's face, he was excited to share that experience with all of his family members.
Ethan Cotler is a writer and frequent contributor to YourTango living in Boston. His writing covers entertainment, news, and human interest stories.