Graduation - Party, Invitation & Gift Ideas

Welcome to graduation ideas!

As one of the major events in anyone's life, your graduation will be a day to
remember.

How do you celebrate it and where do you move on from here?

Your Graduation Party & Celebrations

Graduation parties are a great way to celebrate real success, and so they deserve to have a huge amount of preparation time put into them.

Party planning is so much fun, as you discuss different graduation cake styles & ideas and choose who should make the decorated graduation cookies.

Perhaps its best to start with a theme; will it be black tie or something a little more exciting? How about a beach theme, or an ‘officials’ theme? How about theming it around where your graduate is going to college and what they are studying/have studied? Elementary graduation themes might be kings and queens or even retro party games; make sure its something that all the parents will enjoy.

If the graduates are aged between 14 and 19 steer clear of theming it too much, as this could be embarrassing if the kids haven’t chosen it themselves. Instead choose a “theme” that requires the girls to wear nice dresses and the boys to wear suits.

Once you work out your theme, you should decide on a location and a date. You might choose to have a small family party at home on a Saturday, but how about doing a huge party for your entire class at your local country club/hotel on a Friday evening? Make sure that wherever and whenever you choose, it is going to be a memorable place and time.

Now you have decided on a theme, location and a time, you need to think of interesting ideas to entertain your guests, and great decoration ideas.

Creative Graduation Decorating

Big celebrations are nothing without a little creative decoration!

When making any graduation centrepiece, think about making it inspirational but also with an element of pride. For example, have a photo of the graduate as a centrepiece, perhaps their face framed in a star.

Use the school/college colours to theme the decoration , choosing tablecloths and napkins to match. But don’t go too overboard; find another complimentary colour to add in so the party is super colorful.

Be careful when decorating for teens, try not to be too ‘cool’ .   Instead think of how you would decorate a party for people four years older than them, as this is likely to be the most appropriate style for them.

The Invitations

First work out who to invite, the entire class, family and friends of the graduate may want to come, but who does the graduate want at their party?

When designing invitations, why not use the school crest and using Class Of… on the front. Use elegant black and white, with perhaps a bit of gold. Make them look grown-up and official. Seal them nicely before sending them off with a chic gold envelope seal.

For funny graduation party invitations, why not take a funny face photo of the graduate, and put that right on the front of the invite. Or add a silly quote from the graduate themselves.

Graduation invitation etiquette says that everyone who has had any influence on the graduate’s learning ought to be at the occasion to celebrate.

You can find a sample of a graduation invitation on the internet, through most popular search engines.

Party Catering & Food

You can either choose to cater for yourselves, get guests to bring dishes or hire in some caterers . This will totally depend on how much money and time you have available.

Hog roasts, barbecues, buffets and sit down meals all take some planning, so do prepare in advance. Work out which your graduand would prefer, as it is important that they have a great time.

Unusual Graduation cakes to Make

How about trying to make a cake shaped like a mortarboard or a pile of study books. These will take practice but look very special on the day.

Or you could decorate a regular sponge with the year of graduation, a photo and lots of long-stemmed wire stars.

College graduation cakes could have the college colors on it, or a representation of the subjects that the graduate(s) studied.

If you really aren't confident enough to make something, try the local baker or Google cake makers in your local area.

Your Program of Events

Planning out games and activities can be a little tricky to start with, but there are plenty of themed ideas. It will also depend on the age of children graduating, for example, a graduation program for kindergarten will be slightly different from a university graduation party.

You could have toasts and speeches made to the graduate(s) and family members. Follow this with some giant inflatable games, face painting and a board games corner. Try to make the games childish if the décor is adult, and the décor childish if the games are adult. This will give the graduate a sense of nostalgia and progression, which is a huge part of the graduating ceremony .

You might choose to say a graduation welcome address to open the occasion, but make sure its short and sweet and to the point. Declare how proud you are of the graduate(s) and all that they have achieved.  Reflect on any achievements that they and their classmates or school class have made, then offer your congratulations to them and wish them well for the future.

Finding Appropriate Graduation Gifts

Many people struggle to know what to buy and also what sort of money to spend on a gift. 

The key is to m ake the gift something lasting, something they can use in further study, or in retrospect, this makes your budget less important and your ideas and thought more relevant.

Inexpensive Christian graduation gifts could be a simple crucifix, or a miniature bible that the graduate can have for the rest of their lives.

Graduation pre-school gifts might be stationery for use in future education, like pens, books and papers. Make sure its practical and intelligent, let the graduate know you listen to them by buying them something personal.

Whether graduating from school or college, its important to mark the occasion with a well planned celebration.

Create your own ideas and decorations for a more personalized touch to the event. Preschool graduation ideas are such fun to think of, you could do an animal theme, and have all the food based around animals, as well as the decoration.

Have a planning checklist, and tick off everything you have bought in preparing for the event, and then tick it off again when its put out on the day.

As free party favors why not give Class Of… pencils to each high school graduate as these can be used in remembrance of the special occasion.

Recommended Resources

Hairstyles for graduation - create the perfect formal hair style for your special day

Party Games & Ideas - easy to use list of games to play for all ages