Here are some tips for making her graduation party a fun and memorable event.
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Here are some easy graduation party ideas to help you celebrate the big day.
Whether you have a student graduating from high school or from college, you know that the day will be a big day—one of the most important days of a your life.
You’ll want to have a graduation party that is the best that it can be for the special day.
We’ve gathered some of our best ideas for a graduation party—including homemade decoration ideas, cute store bought decor ideas, food and snacks, music, and fun activities.
Here are some ideas that can help to make your graduation party a fun and memorable one.
In This Post
- Graduation Party Basics
- The Best Graduation Party Decor Ideas
- Graduation Party Food Ideas
- The Best Graduation Party Music
- Outdoor Graduation Party Ideas
Here are some basic tips for planning a graduation party.
1—Pick a date.
Decide when you want to have a graduation party. If you have family and friends traveling from out of town to attend the graduation ceremony, then consider having the party on the same day or close to the date of graduation, so that more people can attend.
Many graduation parties last about 3 to 4 hours to allow everyone who wants to time to stop by–but you can make a party last as long as what works for your schedule.
2—Choose a party theme.
Choose what you want to have as a graduation party theme, whether you go for school colors, the graduate’s favorite colors, neutrals, a tropical theme, or more.
3—Decide who to invite.
Make a list of family and friends to invite to the party. Be sure to send invitations to let them know about the event early, so that guests have plenty of time to make plans.
4—Choose a venue.
Decide where you’ll have your graduation party. Outdoor graduation parties have become incredibly popular, but you should always have a backup plan in case of bad weather or rain.
You could also rent a hall or venue to have a party. Some restaurants have rooms that can be reserved for hosting larger groups.
5—Hire a caterer.
If you prefer to hire a caterer, rather than making your own food, do this early since popular caterers can book up quickly.
6—Decide on a menu.
Appetizers, finger foods, and snacks make it easier for guests to mix and mingle.
7—Choose a color scheme.
Choose a color scheme to use to help guide color choices for party decor. Coordinating the colors of things like tablecloths, vases, cake stands, plates, napkins, balloons, banners, and streamers can help a party to feel more coordinated.
8—Do-It-Yourself.
To save money, do as much of the party planning and design yourself to help save money. For example, serving appetizers instead of a big meal can help you to save money on catering.
Appetizers can be easy to make, and you can also find great appetizers and party foods in the deli and freezer sections of many grocery stores and warehouse membership stores.
Mini labels can be used to let everyone know what is being served. Be sure to keep all food stored at food safe temperatures for each type of food that you serve,
If you have a big enough backyard, then having a cookout party can be another great way to celebrate graduation.
Making your own party decor can be a great way to add a personal touch to a graduation party. Here are some ideas for a mix of graduation party decor.
1—Create a fun and welcoming atmosphere.
One of the best ways to have a memorable party is to create a fun and welcoming environment that your party guests won’t soon forget. Post a banner or welcome sign to welcome guests and set the mood for the party.
Have a table set up with a guest book for guests to sign, and make it easy for guests to leave cards and presents for the graduate.
Be sure to have plenty of seating for your guests. Depending on the size of the party, you may need to rent extra chairs and tables.
Have plenty of great foods to serve. Party food doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. It just has to taste good and be easy for guests to carry.
2—Set up a table for cards and gifts.
The cards and gifts table is often a focal point for many special occasions—especially things like anniversary parties, weddings, and graduation parties. The table provides a place for people to leave best wishes, drop a card into the card box or to leave a gift.
To set up a table for cards and gifts, choose a large-ish table and cover it with a tablecloth in the graduate’s favorite color. Or, choose a tablecloth color that matches your color scheme.
Then, decorate the table with key elements—like a centerpiece, framed photos, confetti, a guest book, and a gift card basket or box.
The centerpiece can be as simple as a floral bouquet, or as creative as making a centerpiece to match a party theme.
Next, decorate the table with a few framed photos (or copies of photos) of the graduate. These can be a selection of photos from important moments in the graduate’s life, or photos from a graduation photo shoot, for example. Choose frames in a color that coordinates with or matches the party color scheme.
Sprinkle confetti around the table for a fun and colorful touch.
Place a guest book and a pen cup filled with pens on the table, so that people can leave their best wishes. Add a basket on the table to collect greeting cards, or use a card box with a slot for the cards to pass through.
If your budget allows, place a few instant film cameras on the table that guests can use to take fun pictures. Place an empty photo album near the cameras, and encourage guests to fill the photo album with photos. This is a fun way to create memories.
2—Have the best party decorations.
Having the best party decorations can help to make your graduation party stand out from other parties. You could decorate colorful banners and streamers or use waterfall balloons to create a unique look for the party.
Cover tables with tablecloths and table decorations that help to tie the colors and theme of the party together.
Create decorative vignettes using items like framed photographs (or copies of photographs), signs, and memorabilia. Use fairy lights and outdoor lanterns to create lighting.
Decorative signs, balloon displays and balloon garlands, flags, and banners are all ways to help celebrate the graduate and to show how proud you are.
3—Create a photo display.
Photo garlands are a popular way to decorate graduation parties. Post photos of the graduate doing the things they love most, like hanging out with family or friends, and happy moments—like graduating.
4—Decorate with balloons.
Balloon waterfalls and balloon banners make the best party decor for graduation parties. They are also great for taking photos in front of.
Confetti balloons also add a fun touch to parties. To make things easy, you can buy a set of confetti balloons, fill them up with helium, and use ribbon to tie the balloons to chairs, to a balloon weight, or to other party features.
5—Set up a photo booth or photo wall.
Set up a photo booth with a fun backdrop and plenty of gag items for guests to use to take silly pictures.
Or, decorate a wall that guests can take pictures in front of.
6—Have plenty of great food—especially appetizers and drinks.
Whether you have the party catered or make your food at home, be sure to have plenty of good food for guests to nibble on.
One easy way to serve food to party guests is to set up a food bar. Burger bars, nacho bars, and taco bars are just a few examples of food bars that let guests choose their own food and toppings.
Party appetizers, like party dips, chips and dip, veggie trays, sliders, and chicken wings, are almost always popular at parties and celebrations.
Also, make sure to have plenty of drinks and refreshments available for guests. A homemade party punch is the perfect celebratory drink for a graduation party.
7—Make homemade party favors.
Making your own graduation party favors gives you a chance to be creative and customize your party favors for guests.
To decide what to include as a party favor, think of some of your favorite things and then imagine ways to share them on a small scale. For example: mini candy bars, candies, or cookies.
Good food is one of the most important parts of any party, especially a graduation party. Be sure you have plenty of gear to help keep food organized.
- Slow Cookers—Slow cookers can be used to cook food and to keep food warm. They are also great for holding party dips, like queso.
- Drink Dispensers—Drink dispensers are a pretty and convenient way to serve the best party drinks, like iced tea, lemonade, and punch.
- Cooler—Keep a cooler filled with ice to store drinks and cold foods.
1—Rent a Food Truck.
Here is a fun way to bring catering to your outdoor graduation party: rent a food truck. To surprise your graduate, find out their favorite local food truck and see if you can hire it.
Food truck ideas include trucks that specialize in burritos, burgers, hotdogs, and chicken and waffles. You can also find food trucks that offer many different types of cuisine. Contact your favorite local food trucks to find out if they cater, pricing, and other details that you need to know.
2—Set up a food bar.
Food bars are a popular way to serve guests at parties. The idea is to present a basic food that guests can customize by using different toppings.
Favorite food bar themes include:
- Baked Potato Bar
- Burger Bar
- Hotdog Bar
- Macaroni & Cheese Bar
- Nacho Bar
- Pancake Bar or Waffle Bar
- Pizza Bar
- Salad Bar
- S’Mores Bar
Each one can be easy to make, and they sky is the limit when it comes to toppings.
Cover a table with a tablecloth, and place the main dish at one end of the table. Then set out dishes or trays of foods that make great toppings for the main dish. Ideas include:
- Baked Potatoes: crumbled bacon, sour cream, shredded cheese, minced chives
- Burgers: sliced cheese, grilled mushrooms, grilled onions, lettuce, sliced tomatoes, mayo, mustard, ketchup
- Hotdogs: chili, shredded cheese, sweet relish, sauerkraut, sliced tomatoes, mustard, ketchup
- Mac & Cheese: crumbled bacon, shredded cheese, sliced green onions, steamed broccoli
- Nachos: Queso, cooked ground beef, shredded chicken, cooked black beans, shredded cheese, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, diced onions, sliced jalapeños, sliced olives
- Pancakes: pancakes, butter, whipped cream, maple syrup, caramel syrup, fresh berries, chocolate chips
- Pizza: sliced jalapeños, sliced banana pepper rings, grilled mushrooms, grilled onions, hot pepper flakes, grated Parmesan cheese
- Salad: lettuce, sliced tomatoes, broccoli florets, sliced mushrooms, sliced red onion, sliced cucumber , shredded carrots, shredded cheese, salad dressing
- S’Mores: Graham crackers, chocolate bars, marshmallows
If your graduation party is in the morning or early afternoon, then consider having a pancake bar or waffle bar to feed hungry party-goers.
Be sure to set out plenty of plates, bowls, napkins, and flatware to use for eating. Here is another way that you can tie your color theme together, by using dinnerware that matches the theme or color scheme for your graduation party.
Also, have enough serving forks, spoons, and tongs available for serving the food. Also, make sure to keep food stored at proper food safe temperatures for each item that you serve.
3—Serve plenty of appetizers.
If you know that guests will be attending other graduation parties besides your own, you may want to serve appetizers instead of a big meal.
Fill a table with delicious appetizers, including classics like a vegetable tray, chips and dip, sliders, and chicken wings or cauliflower wings.
Serving appetizers in individual cups or bowls can be a great way to serve party food to guests. It takes away the worry of having enough serving utensils or tongs, and it can make it more convenient for guests to grab food and circulate.
4—Don’t forget desserts.
Sheet cakes are a popular choice, since they are easy to decorate and they feed a lot of people. Sheet cakes come in different flavors—white cake and chocolate cake are popular at bakeries.
You can also bake your own sheet cake using a classic sheet cake pan. The flatter cake offers a better cake to icing ratio, plus it feeds a lot of party guests.
Bundt cakes and cupcakes are also popular choices for parties. Serving cupcakes makes it easier to offer different flavors, like chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry, to guests.
If you plan to order cake or other baked goods from a bakery, find out how much time the bakery needs to prepare the food for a party. Some bakeries need at least a few days notice, while others may require that you order foods a few weeks ahead of time or longer.
5—Plan a menu.
In general, it can be a good idea to plan a graduation party menu that includes your favorite foods and drinks. Start planning early to make sure you have what you need, especially if you plan to order specially made foods, cakes, or catering.
Popular food ideas for graduation parties include:
- Ham and Swiss Sliders
- Turkey and Swiss Sliders
- Roast Beef Sliders
- Hawaiian-Style Sliders
- Baked Chicken Wings
- Hotdogs
- Potato Salad or Pasta Salad
- Pinwheels
- Chips and Dip
- Cheese Plate—Arrange sliced cheese, crackers, and seedless grapes on a charcuterie board.
- Vegetable Tray with Dip
- Veggie Cups—Slice veggies into straws or sticks and place them in a cup with hummus, ranch dip, or cucumber dill dip.
- Fresh Fruit
- Cakes and Cupcakes
- Cookies—Place assorted cookies on a tray for a quick and easy dessert.
Be sure to keep cold foods cold, and hot foods hot. Refrigerate foods that need to stay cold, like salads and shrimp cocktail, for example. Always keep food stored at the proper safe food temperature for each type of food or dish that you serve.
If having an outdoor party, then consider serving popular picnic foods, like sandwiches, cold fried chicken, and mustard potato salad.
Your graduate will probably come up with a playlist of their favorite songs to play at the party. A great graduation party music mix will include a blend of song favorites, classics, upbeat, and sentimental songs.
But if you’re still trying to decide, look for upbeat music and party favorites. Streaming playlists that have a certain theme or mood can also be a great way to find music for a party.
Graduation ceremonies often take place in May or June, and a popular way to have a graduation party is to have it outdoors. You can set up a gorgeous venue for an outdoor graduation party by renting a tent, folding tables, and chairs to set up an “outdoor room” for your party.
Cover the tables with tablecloths, and decorate the each table with a centerpiece of some kind.
Set up a buffet table for food, and use picnic food covers to help keep insects away from your food.
Drink dispensers are a great way to serve summer drinks like iced tea and lemonade. Use dinnerware and drinkware that matches the color scheme for your party.
Add fun accents like outdoor lanterns and solar lights, if the party will take place in the evening. A bug zapper can be used to help keep mosquitoes away.
Decorate the tent walls with photos, hang streamers and banners, and don’t forget to include balloons!
This post was all about how to have the best graduation party.
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Credits
- Photos by Tara Winstead, Jess Bailey Designs, Lisa Fotios, and Karolina Grabowska / Pexels
- Photos are for illustrative purposes only.