7 Ways to Reign in Costs for a Graduation Party
Graduation is an exciting but expensive time of year. You will need to settle the last of the school costs, buy a cap and gown, purchase graduation presents, and start thinking about how to pay for future education. A graduation party is a wonderful way to celebrate, but many families worry about how to fund it. Fortunately, you can throw a party to remember without breaking the bank. Here are 7 ways to reign in the costs.
1. Go Digital
Today's graduates are digital natives, so cut the expense of old-fashioned paper invitations. Use Facebook, Evite, or a similar outlet to send fun digital invites instead. If you are inviting older family members who have not joined the digital world, buy a small pack of blank invitations and handwrite invites just to those guests.
2. Go Outside
Skip the expensive venues in favor of a beautiful outdoor location. If you or a relative have a reasonably flat backyard, host the party there. Otherwise, consider a city, local, or state park. If you have concerns about the weather, book a covered pavilion or rent a small tent. An outdoor venue gives you a spectacular natural backdrop and the freedom to decorate and lay out the space however you like.
3. Make an Advice Tree
Rather than springing for pricey gifts, ask your guests to give of themselves instead. Arrange a few branches in a nice vase at the center of a table, and surround the “tree” with pens, note cards, and clips. Ask each guest to write a few words of advice for the new graduate on a note card and attach it to the tree. This will create a fun party decoration as well as a treasured memento for the future.
4. Keep It Simple
Order fun but inexpensive table coverings, plates, cups, serving dishes and the like in your graduate’s school colors. Create a memory corner full of photos of the graduate. Cut out numerals for the graduation year from foam and decorate them with festive clouds of tissue paper. Enlist your craftiest friend to help you DIY decorations that are festive but won’t break the bank.
5. Stock Up on Appetizers and Snacks
Food can get expensive, especially if your guest list is long. Buy a little at a time during sales and freeze it, rather than trying to purchase everything at once. Serve appetizers and snacks rather than an elaborate sit-down dinner.
6. Get Help
Everyone has a unique skill set, and your graduate’s friends and relatives will be glad to help. Ask a few people to contribute their talents to the party, and it is guaranteed to feel more intimate than if you hired a bunch of professionals.
7. Team Up
In many areas, graduation weekend is packed with parties, sending graduates on a whirlwind tour with little time to enjoy each celebration. Consider teaming up with the families of fellow graduates to develop one huge bash instead. Your graduates will have time to actually sit down and talk rather than watching the clock, far less food will be wasted, and the party can be more elaborate for less money if you all pitch in.
Graduation is a big deal, and it is well worth celebrating in style. With a bit of ingenuity, though, there is no need to break the bank to give your graduate a party to remember.
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