Top Tips for throwing a Graduation Party

So, all the hard work is over and it’s time to celebrate your graduation with a party. You’ve worked hard and now it’s time to play hard; whether you choose to hold an intimate family gathering or a show-stopping big bash there are a few things you should keep in mind to make your party one to remember.

Plan Ahead

 No-one wants to be stressed on the day of their event. The way to prevent this is to prepare as much as you can on the run-up to your date. If you’re holding your party at home make sure to give the neighbours a heads up to keep them happy. If you need to hire additional furniture do it well in advance so you won’t need to worry about your guests not having somewhere to sit.

Give yourself some room to manoeuvre by setting up as much as you can at your venue the day before; clean and tidy, set up tables, chairs and decor in advance. With the venue organised, food and drinks will be the only things you need to take care of on party day.

Invitations

Don’t make the mistake of leaving your invitations to the last minute. Graduation parties will fill most weekends so be sure to set your date before anyone else can swipe it. These days it might be tempting to use electronic e-invites but nothing says class like a traditional printed invitation.

There are lots of online invitation services you can choose from which offer different layouts and styles for creating the look you want. The senior graduation party invitations from Basic Invite offer infinite colour combinations for their designs and you can make your invitation stand out from the crowd with over 40 envelope colours. Why not choose stationery to match your party theme? Speaking of…

Decorations

Make your party stand out with a fantastic theme! All you need is a little creativity and you can pull together a stylish look for your party that’s absolutely stunning. Themes don’t have to be overwhelming, simple themes like picking out a few key colours and coordinating decorations in your space with balloons, bunting and tableware can work just as well as full-on decorative installations.

A top tip is to make a statement as soon as guests walk through the door with a special entrance table to draw attention; place graduation photos or other school memorabilia in the entrance or set up a well wishes jar or guest book just inside the door so everyone can jot down some sweet notes and words of advice. The table also provides a central location for guests to drop off gifts.

Food & Drink

Making sure your guests have plenty of refreshments is key to having a successful party but this doesn’t have to be stressful. There are lots of catering companies who offer services providing food for parties some will also provide servers so you don’t have to worry about topping up supplies or refilling glasses.

If you’d prefer to be a bit more hands-on with the catering I recommend using a checklist for catering an event. Why not set up stations around your venue so guests can help themselves? I love the idea of having a soda station prepared with fizzy drinks and syrups to allow guests to make their own flavour combinations. I also think fajita or taco stations make it possible to provide plenty of good food for guests without you having to stand and serve food.

Entertainment

The worst thing that can happen at a party is boredom so be sure to build in entertainment throughout your party to make sure your guests have fun! Why not put together a trivia quiz about the graduating class and offer a prize for the most right answers?

These days photo booths or selfie stations make a splash and make lovely keepsakes. If the weather is good why not set up some outdoor activities such as lawn Jenga, twister or water balloon volleyball?

Music will always be key at a party, be sure to play music in the background to set the mood for your fabulous party or set aside an area for dancing if your family and friends are down to get down on the dance floor.

Thank Yous

After a fantastic party, and especially a party where gifts have been given, it’s always a nice idea to send out thank you cards to guests. Again, think about sending beautifully printed cards, you can choose from thank you cards graduation designs online. Try and make these match your invitation design for a complete stationary look.

When writing your thank you cards make sure to express your gratitude for your guest attending your party and be specific when it comes to the gift they have given. People love to feel appreciated and remember that they might not even know that they made a special impact on you until you thank them for it. If someone went out of their way for you it’s nice of you to acknowledge it.