As the school year draws to an end, seniors across the country prepare to don caps and gowns and receive their hard-earned diplomas! What better way to celebrate your son, daughter, niece, nephew, or grandchild’s accomplishments that by hosting a one-of-a-kind graduation party in their honor. To help you plan this important event, Imperial Banquet Hall has put together a list of great graduation party ideas:
First Thing’s First: Reserve The Event Venue
May and June are extremely busy months for most event venues – not only are thousands of other seniors graduating (and wanting parties!), it is also the thick of wedding season. To make sure your hard-working son or daughter isn’t stuck celebrating at Chuck E. Cheese’s, we recommend booking your event venue at least three months in advance. If you’ve waited until the last minute, however, don’t despair; cancellations do occur, so contact Imperial Banquet Hall today to see if any dates have recently become available.
Make Your Grad Look Good With Senior Pictures & Professional Invitations
One of the best gifts to give your new grad – especially if they’re about to enter the workforce and need a nice picture for their resume or LinkedIn profile – are professional photographs. Not only will you cherish these “senior pictures” for years to come, but they also make great photos to use in the design of the graduation party invitations. The event planners at Imperial recommend hiring a professional design studio or graphic artist and having the invitations printed at a reputable print shop like Vistaprint.com to make sure they turn out perfect.
Send Them Off With Some Good Advice…
Just because they may not heed all your good advice doesn’t mean your new grad won’t appreciate it; prepare them for the world by including a “Keys To Success” table at your child’s graduations party. For this fun and inspirational DIY gift, you will need:
- Metal skeleton keys or, if on a budget, regular uncut keys from Home Depot or Lowes
- Unlined notecards with a hole punched in the corner
- A roll of twine cut in six-inch pieces to attach keys to cards
- Pens for writing a small piece of advice or “Key To Success” on each card
- Once large glass jar to deposit each “Key To Success” when completed
…And Other Things That Will Come In Handy
If college is in your high school graduate’s future, consider creating a “University Survival Kit” filled with all the things – both funny and practical – that your son or daughter might need as they prepare to embark on life in the dormitory. In our experience, this is especially fun if you present your grad with the funny items, one by one, in front of the entire party. Some great “essentials” include:
- Deodorant (to make sure you don’t stink out your roommate)
- Ear plugs (in case you happen to room with a snorer!)
- Flip flops (though you’ll probably get athlete’s foot regardless)
- Red solo cups (for “water”)
- Tide To-Go Stick and Febreeze (because we know you’re never going to do laundry)
- A gift card to their favorite restaurant (because too much dorm food will kill you)
The last gift in the Survival Guide should be something useful, exciting, or cool. Consider:
- A new computer
- A new cell phone
- A nice new backpack or satchel
- A $500 gas card