Graduation Parties Easy as A-B-C

If you have a spring graduate-to-be in your household, you’re probably planning some sort of festivities to recognize their achievement. Don’t let it stress you out! If you think that’s easier said than done, check out these tips.

1) Keep your guests and guest of honor center stage. Are you mainly inviting family members or friends of the graduate? Obviously, planning food and activities for teenagers is different than putting on a party for grandparents and great aunts. Discuss the type of party you have in mind with your graduate. He or she may be looking forward to something completely different. As with most things in life, communication is the key.

2) Once you’ve decided on who you’re inviting, decide on a place. Home? Backyard? (be sure to have a rain plan) Country club? Church reception hall? This is when the fun begins. Now you’re ready to work on the party design. Designing your party will set it apart and make it truly unforgettable.

3) The best party designs are based on a theme. Themes can be simple–school colors, post graduation plans, memorabilia from the graduate’s hobbies, etc. My son was a baseball player. We held his party in a private room at retired Cardinal-great Ozzie Smith’s restaurant. The room was already filled with baseball paraphernalia, but I also took a clothesline and pinned up every one of my son’s baseball jerseys from T-ball through high school. For placecards, I wrote guests’ names on new baseballs and set them on their plates. It was a home run! (sorry, couldn’t resist.)

4) Enlist help. Let me say that again. Enlist help. If you can’t afford to hire help to set up and work the party, ask some good friends. Ask one friend to be in charge of keeping an eye on the food and replenishing it when needed, ask another to do the same with the drinks and ice, and a lucky third to be in charge of trash.

5) Do at least one spectacular thing that will keep your guests talking for years! Set up a continuously-running slide show of big moments in your graduate’s life; or hire a karaoke disc jockey, set up the mics and let the audience participation begin. Nothing like seeing Aunt Mildred rocking out to Proud Mary; or how about leasing a transit service to bus all your guests to a secret party location (Bowling? Amusement park?), the fun is in the surprise. Whatever you do, do it up big and with panache.

6) And, if you really want to host the easiest party yet, just call At Your Service to lend a hand. We’ll do as much or as little as you request. From full party design and catering, to just bringing the appetizers, we’re At Your Service. Call us at 314.994.1382 or email us.

If you’d like a free copy of our graduation party checklist, just request it here and we’ll email it to you!