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.