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Party Planning: Host a Graduation Party at Home

Hosting a graduation party at home this Spring? Here are some tips to help keep your party planning under control.

First, consider how you'll entertain your graduation party guests throughout the afternoon or evening.

The best advice I can give when planning entertainment for any kind of party is that it's always better to have too many options and not get to them all than to run out of ideas to keep your guests engaged and happy.

Will you have a band or a DJ? Will there be dancing? A dance contest, perhaps? Where will you fit your band and/or DJ and your dance floor on your property? Will they be inside or outside? These are all good questions to ask yourself as you go along.

Now for the question of graduation food and drink. I suggest that you keep it light and Spring-y with recipes that focus on fresh ingredients (like this one for Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream).

If you do have a lot of time to devote to this project, turn your kitchen into a graduation party food factory and make it all yourself. If not, pre-prepared dishes from local grocery stores are a great way to serve tasty food without spending time.

Also, don't be afraid to ask friends and family to help out by bringing a dish or two as a ticket in to the graduation get together. This will help you cut down on time and avoid spending your whole night in the kitchen. 

Since you'll be hosting this party chez vous, be sure to alert your neighbors ahead of time of any noise or parking issues you anticipate. To avoid any neighborhood tension, extend a courtesy invite to nearby neighbors.

Finally, be sure to set aside a space for graduation gifts. You'll want to designate a gift table that's in plain view so that gift givers feel appreciated every time they pass it by.

Keep these graduation party planning guidelines in mind as you put together the pieces of your loved one's party, and you'll definitely be able to stay afloat. Good luck!

Enjoy Planning.
Penelope