Graduation Party Planning

High School graduation parties honor a milestone in your child's life that provide friends and family an opportunity to congratulate the graduate in person and enjoy each other's company in an outdoor setting.

Pulling off a graduation party requires time for planning and organizing, including creating a guest list, sending invitations, planning and executing a menu, getting decorations and making necessary reservations at a party rental store.

Select a date and send invitations. Securing a graduation party date as early as possible is the crucial first step to ensure your guests mark the date and you begin getting a sense of the number of people you can expect. This can be handled through a variety of means, including traditional mail, e-mail and/or social media.

Make the invitation clear about location, time and whether guests should feel free to bring anyone, or anything, with them. Having a sense of the number of guests helps plan food and the amount of any party rental equipment you need such as rental tables and chairs and size and type of tent you may rent.

Figure out the party location and layout. With an idea of the number of guests you are expecting, begin identifying where you would like the guests to be during the graduation party, what you'd like them to be doing and how to best accommodate both. Also, account for changes in weather due to rain. Most graduation parties are held at the family home.

Consider a rental tent to ward off rain and at the same time can offer shade while keeping folks outside. You can also rent tables and chairs for your guests to use. Some party rental stores also help set up and tear down all party rental equipment for your event.

Consider decorations, and possibly a theme, for your graduation party. Planning for decorations for a graduation party is no different than planning for any other party. Banners and lettered signs should be considered, including a bulletin or other type of board showing pictures of the graduate through all phases of their life. Allowing guests to write a personal note on a board or in a book is an option guests appreciate. You can also consider party rental items such as vases.

Select a menu, prepare and execute the food. Family and friends can be helpful in preparing food for a potluck event. Identify if you are looking to provide a savory meal, hors d’oeuvres or sweet desserts. Once that decision has been made, consider how to organize food preparation like deciding to rent a variety of food preparation and catering equipment from a party rental store to make food prep part of your event.

Party rental stores offer catering equipment including items such as a pig roast, a grill for hamburgers or brats, a griddle for pancakes, a snow cone or popcorn machine or even a cotton candy machine. A rental grill or renting a griddle allows guests to socialize around the preparation of a meal and enjoy freshly prepared food. You can also rent a bar, beverage dispensers and a variety of tableware.

Ensuring your graduation party comes off with as few glitches as possible is what planning and organizing mitigates. Having the proper party equipment ensures your guests enjoy the event with comfort, ease and enjoyable food. Consider choosing a party rental store partner than can provide rental tents, serving equipment, tableware as well as the full range of food preparation equipment.