It’s finally here! You’re graduating and now it’s time to go out with a BANG- and that means an awesome Grad Party to celebrate your accomplishment. Whether you are planning a small get-together at your home or a grand gala with a chocolate fountain, you want to make sure you have plenty for your guests to enjoy. No good party is put on without some preparation, so you’ll want to start planning a few weeks ahead of time once you decide on a date. Let’s break down a few key dates in your timeline and talk about some fun grad party ideas to get the inspiration flowing!
First off, you’ll need to let people know the details of the party and that begins with Grad Announcements
Most seniors combine their grad announcements with their invite. They can be together on one card, or separate cards sent together- it’s your choice. These are usually mailed shortly before graduation, but depending on your party date, you can send them out 3-4 weeks before. If you are planning on getting your senior photos professionally, you want to book early to ensure you have plenty of time to get your photos and/or grad announcements back in time. If ordering online, make sure you take into account print and shipping time.
Now to decide on a grad party “theme” or simply choose a color scheme
You can opt for a full blown party theme or choose your favorite colors to give the decor and planning some direction. Love the college you’ll be attending? Why not use the school colors to decorate? I also love incorporating gold into an color scheme. It gives everything a polished feel and looks great with every color.
Finalize your invite list
Don’t forget about out of town relatives. Even if they cannot attend, they love to be able to support and celebrate you. Make sure your venue and budget can support your invite number. Plan an evening to sit down with mom or dad to address and stamp envelopes. You can save time by ordering invites with pre-addressed envelopes.
Grad Party Must-Haves
No matter the size of your event, there are a few things I highly recommend to have at your party. Guests will definitely appreciate it and ensure they have a fun time.
1. Food- of course! who wants to go to a party without food?
2. Photos of the Grad- make sure to display senior photos but also consider baby/child photos. This can be a simple table display or they can be scattered about the room as decor
3. Music- make a Spotify playlist of your favorite tunes or download Pandora and choose a genre
4. A Photo Booth- definitely popular these days, a photo booth personalizes your party photos and allow guests to have a fun backdrop to use for social media posts
5. A Card Table/Box- 99% of your grad gifts will come in the form of a card with money, so make receiving them part of the decor
Ideas and Themes
This is where your personality and taste will shine! You can go as elaborate or as simple as you want- it’s totally up to you! Here are a few fun ideas you can use for your party-
– a table or setup of college gear
– a photo booth with props, tassels, and balloons
– hanging banners with your name
– grad year balloons
– words of wisdom jar for people to write down advice
– have an Instax and film for guests to take their photo and leave for you
– signable photo mat for guests to leave sentiments with your photo in the middle
this blog has some more awesome ideas with photos
Food and Drink
– a mocktail bar
– cupcake or doughnut display
– backyard BBQ
– taco bar
there are also some great ideas from this blog!
Don’t forget to follow up with Thank You Notes
A courteous host thanks her guests for attending and for any gift given. You can do simple generic thank-you cards or you can customize them with your photo for a more personal feel. You can even get them to match your grad announcements. Make sure these are hand-written and sent out within a few weeks of the party.
Remember that it’s YOUR party and should reflect YOUR style. Use this as a guide only to gather inspiration. Ultimately, being with your friends and family and celebrating your achievement is the most important part. Happy planning and congrats on graduating!
