Western Party Theme

Make Your Party A Hit With An Old-Western Themed Graduation Party!

A western party theme is a sure way to have your graduation party stand out from the crowd! It will be a fun, exciting, and most importantly, a memorable celebration. After all, you only get one shot at the high school graduation party…so make it count!

Western Party Theme Invitations

First you’re gonna want to get yourself some old-western themed party invitations, to give it an authentic feel and to grab your prospective guest’s attention. To guarantee that they will give your party a thought, try sticking a sheriffs badge or maybe some kids western toys like Cowboys or Indians in the envelope for good measure. Another great idea would be to create a wanted poster to use as your party invitation (there are many companies that will create a custom invitation for you).

Western Party Theme Decorations

The entrance to the party will set the stage and the mood of the party as a whole, so make sure to put emphasis on what the guests first see! Having a few cacti and some life size Cowboys and Indians cutouts should do the trick. A banner hanging from the entrance would also be a good addition, something like: “Welcome to the (Graduates’ Name) Round-Up or Saloon” should do the trick. Buying a few cheap cowboy hats, bandannas and sheriffs badges for the guests to choose from would be a big plus. If you have the means, a few hay bails and horse troughs will really give your party and authentic feel. And if you have any friends who own horses, ask to bring a few of them along for the kids! While you’re at it, ask to borrow some tack to spread around the party room.

Western Party Venues

You’ll have to work with what you have on this one. An old barn would be the ideal setting for a western theme party, though an open field or a ranch would do very well also. This is not the kind of party that you would want to throw in a banquet hall and such, there would be too much preparation and clean up involved.

Toga Party

A toga party is a fun and easy way to throw a themed graduation party, not to mention it can be one of the cheapest ideas. They usually quick to set up because the only necessity is the toga itself, though you can dress up the party a little bit with some Greek or Roman themed decorations.

So lets establish the setup:

• Purchase some fruit or vegetable trays from your local grocer to give it that authentic Greek/Roman feel. An abundance of grapes would be a good thing since they are the fruit most closely associated with toga parties.
• Plenty of plants(exotic would work best but would also be the most expensive) and foliage of various kinds to give it that “Royal” feel. These can be fake plants if you like, as they may get ruined in the process of the party.
• You can either require the guests to bring sandals or you could supply them yourself, cheap ones will do just fine. The straw bottoms would probably look the best.
• Gather plenty of white linens to use as the toga’s. Once again, you can provide them or have your guests bring them. This will be quite inexpensive for the guests but could be pricey if the host provides them all. Wrap the linen around the waist about 3-4 times and then throw the remaining cloth over the shoulder of your choosing and then fasten it with a pin or clip. A colored (preferably school colored) sash could be used to tie around the waist for costume support and a little flair.
• For a fun game at the party you could have a grape stomping contest. Either set this up outside or inside with a sturdy and large tarp underneath the pool. Fill the pool with lots of grapes and have the guests take turns stomping the grapes for 1 minute each. At the end of each round, measure the amount of grape juice that is accumulated. As a prize you could fashion a leaf crown that will go to the victor, who is crowned Caesar of the party.

There you have it, one fun and memorable Toga Party! Please leave a comment about your experience and share this page!

Graduation Cake Ideas

Most people don’t put enough thought into their graduation cake ideas before it is time to buy. The graduation cake can make a great centerpiece for the graduation party. The graduation cake helps to establish the color scheme and the theme of the party, it should be given a great deal of thought before a purchase is made. Try to consider the school colors, the graduating persons’ preference in cake flavor and of course the theme of the party when choosing your design. You should also remember to consult the guest of honor with your recommendations, for they should be the one to make the final decision on the cake design. Also, don’t limit your thinking to only traditional cakes. Cookie cakes and cupcakes can be a great addition to the party as well. Cupcakes help to keep the younger children happy during the party, they are also easy to make and can be decorated individually (which of course gives you many more options).

The best thing about the cake is that you have complete control over the design; even if you aren’t artistic, you can have someone else design and decorate the graduation cake for a reasonable price. Most local grocery stores have a bakery in them that will customize the graduation cake to your specifications. You can decorate the cake with a graduation cap and gown(like the one shown above), your schools mascot, the graduating persons’ extracurricular activities and many other things. The options are nearly endless and should be customized to fit the person and place that it represents, which may also mean a simple design if that is what matches the person.

As stated before, the graduation cake is often the centerpiece of the party. As such, it should be proudly displayed in the center of the main party room or area. Try to make sure that you bring attention to the cake so that it stands out from the rest of the party food. You can do this by placing it in the center of the room, a white table works best to bring out the colors of most cakes, with sufficient lighting over the it. You can also dress up the table that the cake sits upon with some colored confetti on the table top and some decorative streamers on the legs. A nice rug underneath the table is also a good idea for stability and for aesthetics.

Just remember that great graduation cake ideas start with careful planning. Think of the overall design of the party and then try to have the cake conform to the theme! Below are a few graduation cake ideas that you can look at and try to adjust to fit your needs. If you have found this page helpful, please take a moment to share this page to facebook, twitter or any of the other social media buttons at the bottom of the page.

Highschool Graduation Parties

A highschool graduation party is a significant event in a young adults life, it sybolically represents the ending of one era and the begining of a new. There is much planning and preaparation that goes into a successful graduation party, though it will be time well spent as the graduate will likely remember this event for the rest of their lives.

A successful highschool graduation party idea begins with the guest list, the graduate should be consulted on who they would prefer to be in attendence. It may be more cost and time effective for multiple graduates to host the party together, plus the turn-out is more likely to be successful. With the social pressures of being popular and hosting a great party that surrounds highschool life, no graduate would want their party to be “out-done” by that of another.

The next step to consider is the when. There will most likely be multiple graduation parties taking place at or near the same time as the one you are planning, so you will want to take this into consideration to attain the greatest turn-out as possible. Again you may want to consider hosting multiple graduates’ parties together to eliminate the chances of one particular party overshadowing the one that you have planned.

After that you must determine the where, the format of the party is the heart of the gathering. It could be a chambered function, an open house or even on the school campus itself, there are many options here. Most people do, however, prefer an outdoor event. An outdoor highschool graduation party can be easy to set-up and very inexpensive, also the outdoor venue provides plenty of space for any extra entertainment that you may want to incorporate.

The graduation party food is a major part of any great graduation party. Even the best laid plans can be ruined by hungry and unsatisfied guests. Though entertainment is a large part, the food is probably the most important factor. You could have the party catered by a local restaurant, which is the easiest but not the cheapest, or you could provide the cuisine yourself. The problem with providing the graduation party food yourself is that you can’t be sure that others will like your style of cooking so the best route to take is that of a catering service.

Last but not least is the graduation party decorations. The graduation party decorations should be more than just balloons, streamers and fountains. The party should be unique to the guest of honor, incorporating pictures and picture collages of the graduate. Use the classmates to help with this procedure and stay open to the ideas of the students. The walls and tables can be covered with the photos of the graduate and classmates ranging from significant events like prom to their early days of kindergarten and grade school. Graduation party decorations do not have to be expensive but if they are unique to the guest of honor, that will mean the most.

Graduation Party Ideas

Graduation parties are an important part of a young adults’ entry into the world that will be remembered by them for their entire life. With 2012 being a year still spent in a “down economy”, the question is “How can you provide a unique and memorable 2012 graduation party without breaking the bank”? The answer is not easy and will take some effort on the planners part. Here I will discuss some great, cost-effective ideas.

One of the best ways to have a cost effective 2012 graduation party idea is to combine your party with another graduates party. Talk to your child’s closest friends and see if they would be interested in having a joint party (One party-two people), that way you can combine your and their funds to create a distinct and memorable graduation bash that all will enjoy. In doing this you are essentially doubling your party funds while easing the work load and planning required of each host (Remember, It is an event that should focus on the accomplishments of the student(s) along with their hard-work and dedication. It is also a great time to help them end that chapter of their life and prepare for their next adventure, their is no need to cut corners if you can help it).

A great graduation party starts with the invitations. Try to get creative with these, most of the guests that you are inviting will be receiving multiple graduation party invites that may be occurring on the same day. So if you want a good turn-out for your party you will need to have an invitation card that will be appealing and compel the person to attend your party over that of another. One great way to do this is to have a card with the graduation photo of your child or the school on the cover. If you are combining your party with another, the expense should be minimal. (You can buy the featured card below for only $29.95)

Try to use a picture that is more appealing than the one above though, use something cute that features your child and the friend in a cute outfit or wearing your school colors or uniform…The idea is to make your party more appealing than the rest.

The next thing you will want to plan for is the food. Nothing can ruin your plans for a memorable graduation party faster than hungry guests! You don’t have to a feast for the guests but make sure that they don’t go hungry, try to have a mixture of sweet and salty that will please all. Finger foods are always great and inexpensive, soda and water will appeal to all, and to top things off you should have a variety of desserts for your guests to choose from. If you are short on time or don’t have the best cooking skills, you may want to look into having your party catered by local restaurant. This can make your planning much easier and, depending on the restaurant you choose, fairly cost-effective.

Now let’s talk decorations for your 2012 graduation party ideas:
Your parties theme colors should be the school colors; You can tie ribbons on the glassware, hang streamers, fill balloons and find table cloths with the colors of your school. Another great idea would be to wrap your silverware in faux diplomas and wrap them with a ribbon that is in your primary school color. Also have pictures of the attending classmates, taken throughout the school years, hanging about the party. This will help the guests to feel like they are a bigger part of the show. Poster-boards will work great for this, fold them in a 3-fold fashion. You can also purchase customized m&m’s with the graduates names or pictures on them and place them on each table. For more Ideas on graduation decorations, click here.

Successful high school graduation party ideas

The perfect closure to the wonderful high school life would be a successful graduation party. You must remember that a high school graduation party represents the closing of a significant portion of a young adults life, and so it should be celebrated as such. The perfect graduation party ideas consist of decors, the invitations, the food stuff, the clothing and all the way to the final destination spot. The graduation feast is all about creativity and entertainment; even the best party planning can become unappreciated when the guests are hungry or dissatisfied with the meal! Party decorations help to establish your theme and should consist of pictures of the graduate them self pictures of classmates, significant life events that have occurred and also lively colors that bring the graduation party together.

WHO

The party plan starts with the guest list. It is important to know who will be in attendance so that the party can be planned accordingly. It is important to remember that there will be other parties occurring on or near the same date as the one that you are planning, consideration of this must be taken to ensure the turn-out that you desire. The choice of what and when depends on the “who” factor. The most important person would be the graduate. Several graduates can help in organizing the party (this is recommended for the best graduation party turnout - and leads to more great graduation party ideas). This cuts down the individual cost and makes things a lot easier.

WHERE

The format of the party is the heart of the gathering. It could an Open House or a chambered function. The arrangement should allow the guests to stop by conveniently and at their own leisure. There should be no compromising on the sturdy flow of guests. A park or large yard is a great, open place that will accommodate for these needs.

WHEN

It is the duty of the organisers to decide on the date and time of the party. The date has to be chosen to ensure the full attendance of the desired people (preferably on a day when no other graduation parties are being held). When several graduation parties happen at the same time, it is quite difficult for the invitees to witness all the calls. The time should work out perfectly for the guests and the party organizers.

INVITATION

The invitations for the graduation get together should be delivered on time. The party invitation should be customized (Cardstore is a great place to get a professional/personalized invitation designed). The uniquely designed layouts and styles can help to create a larger turnout to the party. The summon should follow the motto of custom made, full satisfaction and fast shipped.

VENUE TYPES

There are lots of places where the graduation party can take place. It could be a home which has a large yard. The organizers may have to rent the tables and chairs. Most people prefer outdoor events. Thereby a pop up canopy tent can be borrowed. Several canopies can be set, the food buffet can be set under one covering. The clubs and community halls can be rented. Certain graduates might be active members of these places, hence discount on the rental fee can be acquired. The banquet halls and country clubs are the most expensive places to set up a graduation party, this expense may take away from the quality of the graduation party entertainment and food. These venues (banquet halls and country clubs) are often accompanied with contract catering services.

DECOR

The graduation party decors need not be restricted to just balloons, streamers or fountains. The creativity of the organizers can be made evident with the type of party furnishing. The high school items can be used. This includes things like trophies, text books, musical instruments and sports equipment The walls can be covered with framed photos of friends in proms, outings and ceremonies. The centerpiece items can be placed in the guest tables and buffet counters. These decorations may be inexpensive but they mean the most to a graduate. These depict the chronicles of the years in school. The graduate party can be framed with a theme that suits the personality of the students. The decor can be adapted to the theme.

Map a casual feast with dining and dancing. Grand contests can gain the attention of the guests and the family. This lets people know each other better. The day has to be planed wisely. Good, creative ideas can make the graduation party a fabulous one.