Graduation from high school or college is a massive accomplishment and one that deserves to be thoroughly celebrated with friends and family. If you have someone in your life who is about to graduate from school, or you’re preparing to graduate yourself, you’ve likely thought about throwing a graduation party to commemorate the achievement.
Graduation parties can be a great way to let loose and recognize the hard work you or someone you care about put in to reach this milestone, but they also require a special amount of planning. To avoid any stress in planning your graduation party, follow these steps to build an experience that will be remembered for years to come.
Set a Budget
While you may want to go all out when planning a graduation party, it’s best to set a solid, reasonable budget that will ensure everyone has a good time and you still have money in your bank account when the dust settles. Get a rough estimate of how much you’ll need to spend on food, drinks, and entertainment, as well as any venue charges if you plan to rent out a space.
If you’re concerned about costs, consider co-hosting the party and sharing some of the responsibility with another friend or family member. Two heads are often better than one, and bringing another mind into the planning process could result in a more memorable party than what you may have planned.
Build Your Guest List
Once you’ve established a rough budget, start building a guest list full of the people you’d like to share this wondrous achievement with. Whether it’s exclusively family members or a combination of friends and family, you can’t go wrong with a guest list full of the people you love.
Choose a Location and Party Time
Now that you know who’s coming to you or your grad’s party, it’s time to decide where everyone will be celebrating. Many graduation parties are thrown in a backyard alongside a big barbecue, but you could also hold it at a formal restaurant or another rented space.
Once you decide on a location, you should then select a start and end time for the party so your guests can expect how long the occasion will be. It’s also important to choose a date for the party that your guests will be available on, such as a weekend or a holiday like Memorial Day.
Pick a Theme, Decorations, and Party Favors
Establishing a theme for your graduation party can be a great way to add a layer of fun to the event and inform your decorations and any graduation party favors. Whether it’s a minimalist theme or you go for something outlandish and grandiose, it will make your party stand out and give guests something to remember it by.
Graduation party decorations are fairly easy to come by in the months leading up to the end of the school year, as many other families are planning celebrations at the same time. And graduation party favors can be found at many outlets, including companies that specialize in custom candy and food orders.
Plan Food and Entertainment
While it may seem like something that needs to be planned first, it’s important to save any food or entertainment planning until the very end. These elements of your party are often the most expensive, and you’ll want to fully understand the tastes of your guests and the overall theme of your party so the food and entertainment will work with both.
Buffets are often a popular choice for big graduation parties, and hiring a catering company can take some of the stress out of preparing food yourself. As far as entertainment is concerned, photo booths, karaoke machines, and lawn games such as cornhole can liven up the occasion.
Celebrate!
Congratulations! Not only have you or your grad made their way through the trials of schooling, but you’ve planned a graduation party that will commemorate the accomplishment for years to come. Now all you have to do is wait for the guests to roll in, party the night away, and look forward to whatever significant achievements may come from here on out.
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