Graduation season is here! High school and college graduations are major life milestones that deserve to be celebrated! Throwing a party is a great way to gather family and friends to partake in honoring the grad in a fun and memorable way. Need help planning a graduation party? Well keep reading because we have all you need to know when it comes to creating the perfect party!
Pick a Date
First and foremost, choose a date. If you choose to have the party at a location other than your home such as a restaurant or hotel, it is important to make sure you have a date secured. Graduations call for family coming into to town, so the sooner they know the party dates the better! Once the date is secured you will be able to start mentioning the party to others and sending out invitations. Note that it is very common to hold the party a week or so after because of the hustle and bustle of graduation weekend and people coming into and out of town.
Collaborate
Consider throwing a dual party with a friend! Friends are the ones who got you through college so why not have one big party to celebrate the two of you! Especially if you have a lot of the same and mutual friends. Between the two families it will also decrease the amount being spent on throwing the party.
Send Invitations
Before you send out invitations, you need to create your guest list. When it comes to the guest list it is up to the grad to choose which friends they would like to invite to celebrate alongside the family. As far as invitations go the method is up to you! You can send an old fashion invitation by mail, send out texts, create a Facebook event, or utilize Evite. All that matters is that you get the word out and receive as many RSVP’s as possible.
Choose the Menu
In addition to the main dishes, make sure you have appetizers and such to snack on before hand a long with a wide selection of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. Where the main dish comes from is up to you! You can choose to make your own food, have it catered or even a combination of both! Getting the party catered will help ease any stress, especially if the guest list is bigger than smaller. And lastly do not forget a sweet treat! Making or buying a cake that congratulates the graduate is always a great way to go, and consider having additional desserts such as cookies, candy, or ice cream.
Decorate
As far as decorations go, you do not have to get too crazy, if you decide you want a theme for the party, decorate according to that. If you choose to not go for a theme, a congrats grad banner and matching utensils is always perfect. For more fun consider getting a few balloons and streamers! You can use the balloons and streamers, and banner to make a photo booth area for guests to commemorate the party!
Games
Everyone loves games! So why not have a game table set up, or if you have outdoor space some lawn games, or giant Jenga! For the game table you can throw out your favorite board or card games as they are easy to set up and clean up and can be played with just a few people.
Music
No party is complete without music! If you have a reliable speaker system in your home that can be used to access a playlist you are good to go! You will want to set up a music playlist beforehand to avoid the hassle of constantly running back and forth to select and change the song. Another option is to hire a DJ or live band to keep the music under control and the party going. If you have a friend who is an aspiring DJ or has a band, this is the great opportunity to utilize that connection
For more ideas on where, when, and how to plan your graduation party, contact your San Diego Event Coordinator and Planning specialists at San Diego Life Events!
Blog post by Danielle Hendricks, edited by Rachel Weinshanker, exclusively for San Diego Life Events.
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