Your Must Haves For Throwing An Unforgettable Graduation Party

Graduations are the end of a chapter but the start of a whole new book. Whether a new grad has finished studying or will hit even more books at college, this life transition deserves a celebration. From finding the perfect venue to styling Insta-worthy decorations, find 19 graduation party ideas below, so you can plan a night to remember for your favorite graduate.

Decide on your budget

Before you can dive into the fun of planning, you’ll have to take care of some of the gritty details. Specifically, how much can you afford to spend?

According to FinanceBuzz, the average cost for a graduation party is $18.80 per person, or about $1,128 for a 60-person event. But you can easily trim this cost by inviting fewer guests or DIYing elements, like your graduation party decor or food. Once you’ve settled on your final budget, you can assemble your party essentials.

Choose a Graduation Party Theme

Every party needs a theme, and you can make your graduation party feel more personalized by tailoring it to the grad’s unique personality and interests.

While your grad may already have a favorite theme in mind, other graduation party ideas to get you started include:

• School Spirit. For high school graduates heading to college, theme your party around their new school colors and mascot. If they’re headed out of state or abroad, take cues from the new city they’ll live in.
• Future Career. For graduates finishing school and embarking on their career, choose party decorations that celebrate their future. For example, decorative stethoscopes for a nursing school grad, or paint palettes and easels for an art school grad
• Throwback Memories. Instead of looking to the future, celebrate your graduate’s origins with a throwback-themed party. For example, a Y2k party for grads born in the mid-2000s. Make sure to fill your venue with photographic memories!

Find A Graduation Party Venue

Once you have a vision of the event you’d like to throw, you can look for a venue to make it happen. When choosing the right graduation party venue for your needs, consider factors like:

• Capacity. Can your venue accommodate all your graduation guests and give you space for activities like dancing?
• Included Services. Will your venue offer bonus perks that make your life easier, like on-site catering and cleanup?
• Proximity. If out-of-town guests are coming to celebrate, can they easily access your venue from nearby hotels or airports? If you’re planning the party after a graduation ceremony, is your party venue close to the ceremony venue?

Grab Graduation Party Decor

Thoughtfully placed decorations can help immerse guests in your theme and create a festive, party-worthy atmosphere. Ways to make your graduation party decor pop include:

• Bring on the ballrooms. Parties and balloons are like PB & J. Use balloons in school colors to form a “frame” around focal points, like a cake table, or make balloons a centerpiece of their own, with an arch
• Greenery. You can't go wrong with seasonal flowers, especially when most graduations take place in late spring. Bux faux flowers and greenery can also double as sophisticated party decor through greenery wall backdrops or floral arches.
• Books. Your graduate may be through with studying, but vintage books can provide an affordable way to make your party venue look academic and sophisticated. Plus, they’re an ideal prop for table displays.

Get the Word Out

Once you’ve set a date, time, and location, it’s time to send your guests their invitations. We’re partial to e-vites since they’re instantaneous, offer an easy way to track RSVPS, and don’t require postage. Some of our favorite ways to send digital invitations include:

• E-Vite. This service specializes in online invitations and offers customizable graduation invitation templates you can send by email, text, or social media. Many of their templates are totally free, too.
• Facebook. Facebook events are an easy way to send digital invites and give your guests extra details. Plus, you can customize the banner to coordinate with your theme. The con? All your recipients have to have Facebook accounts.
• Minted. If you want the best of both worlds for your graduation party, Minted offers both customizable digital e-vite templates and traditional invitations. Plus, you can track RSVPs or even coordinate a gift registry for going-away presents

Design a Graduation Cake

What’s any self-respecting party without cake? While flavors are a matter of your grad’s preference, the cake’s decorations can capture your party theme – and offer a picture-perfect centerpiece. Tasty graduation party cake ideas can include:

• Graduation Hat Cake. The mortarboard, or graduation cap, is the quintessential symbol of graduation. Luckily, it’s also easy to recreate in the form of a graduation cake through frosting, fondant, and gum paste.
• Graduation Story Cake. Behind every new graduate is a journey of hard work. Celebrate your graduate’s individual story with an “open book” cake, and add frosting or fondant illustrations to represent milestones, like their alma matter or major.
• Photo Cake. You can’t go wrong with a classic photo cake, especially if you already have snapshots from a graduation photoshoot on standby. But you can also go with a nod to your graduate’s origins with a favorite childhood photo

Set Up a Graduation Photo Booth

Speaking of photos, one of the best ways to encourage new memories is by setting up a photo booth for guests. Some graduation photo booth ideas to get you started are:

• Photo Frames. Selfie frames are a fun prop that guests hold while taking photos. They can make your graduation photo booth feel more unique – especially if you choose a customized decoration, like the class year or a social media hashtag.
• Neon. Make your photos look bright and flashy with a customized neon sign in the backdrop
• Polaroids. Set out an Instant camera, like a Polaroid, and encourage your guests to snap selfies with each other. The prints can make fantastic party favors

The Perfect RI Party Venue for Graduation Parties

If you’re ready to throw a college or HS graduation party that’s fun and unforgettable, Kirkbrae Country Club is ready for you. Our newly renovated event spaces can accommodate a tight-knit group of friends and family or blowout events with up to 300 guests. We also offer catering, setup, and cleanup services so you and your grad of honor can party on without stress.

Book a tour of our grounds and visit one of the best party venues in Rhode Island today!