Angel-themed parties are charming additions to the busy parent's portfolio of party ideas. With white and gold decorations, angel food cake, sparkling juices and angel-costumed guests, an angel party is a relatively simple to organize and provides a photo opportunity for proud parents and grandparents. An adult angel costume party lets you and your guests release your inner children, with all the innocence and joy associated with the holiday season.

While waiting for the newest addition to join the family, friends and family can organize a baby shower with an angel theme. Angel-themed wrapping paper, paper plates, napkins, cups, tablecloths and banners bring the traditional white-robed and gold haloed angel theme into the party room. An angel food cake with fresh fruit and a thin powdered sugar glaze is a light dessert, appropriate for an afternoon or evening party. Give angel ornaments to the guests as party favors, with the name and date on the back, to cherish as mementos every year when they decorate for the holidays.

Invite all the young guests to wear white dresses or T-shirts to the party. When they step into the party room, which is decorated in pale blue and puffy white cloud backdrops, give each child a pair of angel wings and a golden halo to wear for the party and take home as a party favor. In warm weather, play active games outside, such as tag, mother may I, hopscotch and jacks. Indoor activities may include pin the wings on the angel, board games and a video, such as "All Dogs Go to Heaven." Serve a sheet cake, cut into the shape of angel wings and frosted with fluffy white frosting and gold dragees, with the birthday child's favorite ice cream flavor.

A coming-of-age party, whether it's a quinceanera or a sweet 16 party, is the official transformation between childhood and becoming a young woman. Decorate an angel-themed party room with white and gold balloons, flower bouquets, white-draped tables and sparkling angel centerpieces. Encourage the dancers and guests to wear white to emphasize the angelic theme. Family, friends, traditional dances, modern music, a delicious buffet and a huge cake complete the party -- all that's left is for the birthday girl to open the gifts.

Over the holiday season, angel costume parties allow children and adults to creatively celebrate the angels on high. A room dressed all in white, sparkling gold and shimmering silver, with holiday trees trimmed in twinkle lights, metallic garlands and angel ornaments, provides the ethereal ambiance of heaven. Add classical music, carolers or a DJ well supplied with soft music until after dinner, and then, if your guests are dancing machines, break out the beats. Also encourage your guests to bring gifts to donate to the local angel tree or Toys for Tots, proving again that there really are angels on earth.