Graduating from high school or college is one of the best moments in life. Between weddings, anniversaries and birthdays, it is a celebrated milestone in life that deserves to be recognized and celebrated. A lot goes into planning a successful graduation party, but don’t stress, just follow these 10 easy steps:
1. Set a budget – Before you start, determine how much you want to spend on the entire prom. Remember to count the cost of the location, decor, and food. Once you get this technicality out of the way, you can start working on fun stuff and planning the best party for your budget.
2. Select a theme – whether you want to choose a theme (luau, dance party, new grad school, hobbies) or decorate with a more classic feel (cap and gown motif), make sure it’s one that fits the personality of the graduate .
3. Rental – Where you have the party depends on your budget, but if you have money to spare and expect a big party, consider a local hotel banquet room or rent the civic/recreation center. If you’re trying to cut costs, host the party at your neighborhood park or at your house for an even more memorable event.
4. Set the date – Please note that around the graduation time of the year, many other parties and celebrations are taking place. To ensure the best RSVP rate, let your guests know your prom date as soon as you select it. This gives them plenty of time to schedule your event on their social calendar.
5. Invite Mailing or hand-delivering your graduation party invitations is a touch of class, but if you need to save time (and the cost of shipping), use popular online invitation websites to inform a large group of people about your party with just a few clicks. . Just like invitations found in the store, online invitations have a great selection of designs to choose from so the invitation can coordinate with your party theme.
6. Decorations – Regardless of the decorations you choose, make sure they flow with the theme of the party. A backyard barbecue may need nothing more than balloons and streamers, while a banquet hall would require centerpieces on each table. Just keep theme and location in mind when it comes to selecting decorations.
7. Music – Avoid breaks in the party with pulsating music. Music really helps set the mood of a party, so whether you hire a DJ or rip out the CD collection to stream through your stereo system, keep partygoers moving and enjoying with a flow continuous hits on the charts.
8. Activities/Games – Take breaks from dancing by playing fun party games. This is a good way to change the momentum of the party and get people interacting with each other. You can tear up a deck of cards, play classic board games, or create creative grad-focused games to see who knows you best.
9.Food – Planning what kind of food to serve at your party doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Make it easy on yourself by catering your event or hosting a pot luck where friends and family each bring a dish to create a diverse buffet. Be sure to keep an accurate count of the guests that will be attending the party so that there is enough to go around. If you find yourself in a pinch and more people are coming than planned, you can easily order a party package.
10. Thank You Notes – Last on the list but never least, be sure to send thank you cards to everyone involved in helping make the graduation party a success. It’s the right thing to do and let everyone know how much you appreciated their help.
Now that you know how to throw a fabulous graduation party, it’s never too late to start. The sooner you plan, the better, and giving yourself extra time helps resolve any issues that may arise during party preparation. Happy planning!