Planning a Graduation Party - by Washtenaw County Caterer

Planning a Graduation Party – by Washtenaw County Caterer

Graduation parties for both high school and college are a summer staple, but that doesn’t mean that every one has to be a similar experience. When people attend several graduation parties a month, yours should stand out as one to remember long after the decorations come down.

The first step in planning a graduation party, as with most other gatherings, is to decide on a venue. The traditional choice is the graduate’s home, with a fun backyard barbecue feeling and an easy mix of friends and family. While this saves the expense of booking a restaurant or a hall, it also leaves all of the preparation and clean-up on the backs of the family. Using that money saved to have the graduation party catered guarantees that the family of the graduate will have more time to enjoy the day. Embracing the casual vibe with picnic foods or a pig roast are easy ways to make sure that all of your guests are entertained and leave with their appetites satisfied. If you do decide to pick a more unique venue, pick a favorite gathering place of the graduate and their friends. This ensures that no one will be getting lost en route to your party, and also that the reminiscing will come easy and the nostalgia will be high for all those invited! If neither of these options are available, look into local museums for a hometown-pride party, or a rec center with a pool and options for games and contests.

Decorating for graduation parties can be nostalgic in itself as you create picture boards and folders, banners and signs. There can never be too many photos of your graduate from all stages of their life—the younger and more embarrassing, the better! But don’t forget to highlight their accomplishments, too, by framing any and all diplomas and certificates to keep them safe while still displaying them. You can have a lot of fun with the graduate’s school and class colors for decorations as well—hanging school apparel, uniforms, or making your own tassels are simple ways to make any venue more festive. Flowers aren’t just for weddings and upscale events, either! Florists can put together amazing graduation arrangements, but summer is a perfect time to cut blooms from your own garden as well.

Physical photographs are still very important, but in 2015 there is no reason why your graduation party shouldn’t have an online presence as well. Facebook invitations make it easy to contact friends whose addresses may have changed in the shuffling after graduation. For the day of your party, make an original hashtag on other social media like Twitter and Instagram, tell everyone who attends to post their pictures and tweets with this hashtag, and then you’ll be able to track the tag long after the party is over.

Being proud of your graduate is obviously the most important part of a graduation party, celebrating their hard work and the achievement of their goals. What makes parties memorable for your guests are the details of the day, though, so be creative and don’t be shy about showing your pride.