Graduation is quickly approaching for the senior class of 2019. Now is the time to celebrate. The weeks following after June 1st are a time to be close to friends and family. Maybe you know someone that’s graduating or you’re a senior yourself — either way it’s a time of importance. Graduating high school is a major accomplishment so you and all the seniors should be proud of how far you’ve come as a collective, and so should your friends and family. A way that many students choose to acknowledge this milestone is by throwing a graduation party. Having a party can be a great way to celebrate, but planning a party can get complicated. There are, however, some simple things you can do to get things running smoothly.

First, you need to set a time for your party. Around this time lots of other people will be planning their own graduation parties as well, so picking a date early can help you avoid scheduling problems with your friends and family. It can also help with those awkward situations where there are two parties happening at the same time and people have to choose one party over another. Another thing to keep in mind is that around this age many of your friends and family might have jobs that you need to request time off work for, and work requests usually have t be sent in a few weeks in advance. Asking around your potential invite group for a good time can help with a lot of these potential problems. Once you set a date, don’t move it around. Not only will this help others coordinate it with their own party schedule, but if you order printed graduation announcements you can use them as invitations to hand out.  

After you set a date, you have to have a plan to get all the other little things ready, like decorations. Since graduations are seasonal, and if you’re looking to save money, you can usually find cheap graduation themed decorations at Dollar Tree or Fred Meyer to stay on a budget. Things like tablecloths, graduation cap-shaped confetti, and paper plates are usually really simple ways to make your party look fun. The weather gets nicer around this time, and nice weather means you can plan on seating people outside during your party if you want to have it in the afternoon. Figuring out something for your guests to do is important as well. Will they want to watch a movie? BBQ? Play games? Dance? They have to have something to do when they get there.

One of the most important things you have to have a plan for is food. The time you cook, especially if you’re planning on serving a big meal at your party, has to be figured out so you have everything ready. If you’re not planning on serving a big meal then there are lots of ideas for graduation themed snacks, like these Graduation cap cupcakes, or graduation date oreo pops. Pinterest has lots of fun and easy ideas for parties, as well as multiple cooking blogs. Geniuskitchen.com suggests making these simple tortilla rolls, and another potential hit from foodandwine.com suggests making these three cheese mini macs at your next party. Whatever you decide to make, be sure you give yourself enough time to prep the food so that it’s ready when your guests arrive.

All in all, if it’s a huge graduation party or a small get together, it’s yours. Have fun and remember to look back at all the hard work you’ve done and how far you’ve come.