How to Host a Graduation Party
- 1). Confer with other graduates and set a date for the party. The likelihood is that you probably won't find a date to suit all the graduates, however, you should be able to find a date to suit most of them. For example, you might have to have the night before or after the actual graduation as many students will be going out with family members the evening of the ceremony.
- 2). Select a venue. If you're graduating class is small, host the party in the furnished basement or backyard of someone's house. If your graduating class is large, you might need to rent out the back room of a restaurant or get a tent.
- 3). Send out electronic invitations. You can do this as simply as an email or a Facebook message or visit free websites that don't charge you to send invitations, such as Evite.com or Bluemountain.com or Goodinvitation.com. Electronic invitations will tell you immediately who's coming and who isn't, giving you a sense of how big your final guest list will be.
- 4). Decorate the inside of the venue very simply. It should feel understated, elegant and memorable. A few Chinese lanterns and some Christmas lights strung around the area should suffice. The importance is not on how the venue looks but on all the graduates being together one last time.
- 5). Plan the food and refreshments. The easiest way to do this is to have some simple hors d' oeuvres like chips and salsa, cold cuts, sliced veggies and fruits and ask all the guests to bring one item. Stress that the refreshments don't have to be anything fancy as most students will probably be eating out at nice restaurants with their families anyway.
- 6). Create homemade signs which point out where all the bathrooms are located so you don't have to answer that question over and over. Stock each bathroom with extra rolls of toilet paper. Designate an area for guests to store jackets and bags.
- 7). Connect your computer to speakers or borrow a laptop computer that has a strong library of music. Create a play list of music for during the party so that you don't have to constantly select songs. Select energizing but not overpowering music to play as guests arrive.
- 8). Greet each guest as they arrive. Show them where the drinks and refreshments are and where they can put their bags and jackets.
- 9). Monitor the music as the party continues. Designate a time during the party for everyone to make speeches or pose for group photos. Before each guest leaves, give each one a party favor such as an inscribed keychain or charm.
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