'Tacky fine print' on birthday invite heralds new era for parties

"If your child attends, we strongly encourage you to do this."

It might feel like the simple days of kids’ birthday parties are long gone, where fairy bread and a humble game of pass the parcel were more than enough. 

As the stakes continue to rise in terms of party expenses and aesthetics, it appears that some parents aren’t opting for something more low-key - despite the cost-of-living crisis.

Instead, they’re passing the buck onto the parents of guests.

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"Tipping is encouraged"

In a video now going viral on social media, baker Victoria Perry shared a surprising request she’s recently received on party invites for her kids.

“On those invitations, at least three that I’ve seen so far, there is a little spot on the bottom that says, ‘Tipping is encouraged’,” Perry says. 

She goes on to share that some parents were using the tip to cover the cost of throwing the event. 

“One invitation had a little explanation underneath where it said, ‘Tipping is encouraged - if you bring your child and they plan to eat and play, please send along cash with your child for the tip bucket to go towards party expenses.’”

In Perry’s opinion, she said these demands were “not appropriate”. 

Image: Victoria Perry Instagram

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The video now has almost 6,000 comments, with most people echoing Perry’s thoughts. 

“If my kid got an invite that encouraged me to tip the host we are NOT going!” one person wrote, while this mum said, "I'd be busy on that day."

Another shared, “If I’m bringing a tip, then we’re not bringing a present. The point is to celebrate with friends. Asking someone to pay to come to a party? Um NO.”

Many commenters argued that if parents couldn’t afford to host a party, then they shouldn’t be having one in the first place.

Birthday party costs 2025

According to a poll conducted by What to Expect of over 400 US mums, the average cost of a child’s birthday party was $493AUD ($314USD). On average, they found that millennial mums were spending more than their Gen Z counterparts, and parties became more expensive as the kids got older. 

The rise of tipping buckets follows similar outlandish requests from parents that have been making headlines, including insisting that parents bring presents for siblings of the birthday boy or girl, or giving a prescriptive list of gifts they will accept.

As the demands seem to grow, you can’t help but wonder - will everyone just end up RSVP’ing no?

Originally published as 'Tacky fine print' on birthday invite heralds new era for parties