Graduating is such a big accomplishment whether it’s from high school, undergrad or grad school, and what better way to celebrate the ceremony than with a graduation party. You may be asking yourself, what is a graduation ceremony? It’s an event where students are given degrees and diplomas when they have successfully completed all their studies and required courses. So, we wanted to make your life a little easier by giving you a step-by-step process on how to plan a graduation party.

Graduation Planning Checklist

1. Plan the Guest List

The first thing you will want to tackle is planning out your guest list. Deciding on friends, family, co-workers and so forth that you would like to come to celebrate the achievement. This will help you plan other components of the party such as how big of a venue you will need and how much food will need to be prepared. Knowing your guest list early in advance will also ensure you send out the invitations in a timely manner.

2. Choose a Date

Next, you will want to choose a date for your event. Graduation and summer season can be a very busy time of year for people, so making sure you choose a date well in advance is important. You will want to account for giving guests 4-6 weeks ahead of time to plan and add your event to the calendar. Choosing a date will also help navigate your conversation with venues in terms of who has the date that you would like open and available.

3. Select a Venue

Now that you have planned your guest list and chosen a date, you will want to choose a venue for the graduation party. A great place to start is by simply searching “graduation party venues near me” and making a list of your top choices. Then you can start narrowing them down as you tour and get an idea of pricing options available to you. When it comes to choosing a graduation party event space, having an event planner assist you in the process can be very helpful.

4. Pick a Theme

Choosing a theme is also important because this is what brings your party to life. Whether you want to focus on simple graduation party ideas or more elaborate décor, deciding on a theme will bring everything together. We always recommend starting with a color palette you like and adding on from there. An event planner can always help with ideas as well if you’re struggling to think of one.

5. Send Out Invitations

Now that you have decided on your theme, you can send out the invitations. You will want the invites to coordinate with your theme and you want to make sure you send them out well in advance. This is a busy time of the year for most people so adding events to the calendar is important. We always recommend 4-6 weeks ahead of time to give people an ample amount of time to plan.

6. Purchase Party Supplies

Next, you will purchase party supplies such as balloons, table décor, table centerpieces, and anything else you would like at the party. The supplies will also reflect the theme you chose and be some of the final touches to your party.

7. Additional Staff

You will also need to decide if you want additional staffing at the party. Do you want catering? Valet service? Coat check? This is where you will plan out any additional services you need and make sure you staff appropriately.

8. Set Up

Now, it's time to set up. Make sure you have a reliable team to help you put everything into place, so you are not stressed the day of. This will be the final step in making your vision come to life just the way you want it to.

9. Enjoy!

Last, but certainly not least, kick back and enjoy the party. Afterall, you should be celebrating the most.

If you are looking for an event space in the Los Angeles area, we at Ovation Square have the best venue for a graduation party. With a giant ballroom in the center of our venue and state of the art equipment and stage setup, you will not be disappointed. We would be more than happy to help you plan your next graduation party.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do you think having a more open approach to invites is a mistake?
A: Not necessarily. If you are saying more word-of-mouth invites, that can definitely work, you just want to make sure you account for enough food and drinks if you’re not sure how many people will attend.

Q: If I need help choosing a theme, can you help with that?
A: Of course! We have an entire event planning team behind us and can help you through any step of the party planning process.

Q: What kind of food do you typically recommend?
A: We suggest buffet style and something that is easy for people to eat as they come and go. This takes work off your plate too in terms of monitoring the food throughout the event.