Tips for Planning a Grad Party on a Budget [Free Event Budget Template]
Is your baby graduating? It’s been a long time coming and is a milestone that can’t pass without a celebration. With college costs looming on the horizon, many parents can’t spring for a huge graduation party, even though it’s well deserved. Take some of the tips and suggestions from the experts cited, create an event budget template, and throw a well-deserved bash without breaking the bank or dipping into the college fund.
It’s a time to celebrate a huge accomplishment that every parent had a part in making happen without worrying about the costs associated with it.
You can find some great advice from true experts in planning and budgeting at Quicken Loans.
There are many great websites that provide good advice from experienced parents on how to plan and produce a graduation party inexpensively. You might even have more than one child graduating, one from middle school, one from high school, on different dates. Use the tools and resources that others publish to help you through the plethora of ideas.
Customize the event to suit the personality of your child, include family members and friends and if it is simply a family affair, ask family members to pitch in with decorating and cooking.
Mason Jar Centerpieces
DIY centerpieces and décor are generally the most affordable and easiest to customize such as the great mason jar centerpieces below.
The Arc Stores generally have a good stock of mason jars, or you could also use unmatched jars of any kind; the idea is the same to insert the graduation picture of your child or make them all different photos from throughout their school years.
Photo courtesy of: indulgy.com
Nostalgic Welcome
A great way to welcome guests to the party is to line the driveway or pathway to the front door of your house with framed photos with “official school pictures” showing all the different looks your child went through on their way to graduation.
Photo courtesy of: beau coup
Another inexpensive find at the Arc Stores are frames for these photos. After the party you might want to use the display on the family room wall after he or she leaves that home an empty nest.
Food Ideas
Of course food will be of the utmost concern, and probably your biggest expense, but following an event budget template and check-off list can keep the cost manageable.
A buffet of appetizers seems to be the choice of most parents when feeding a large crowd. When most of the guests are family and friends of the graduate, you’ve got to take the age factor into consideration. It’s all about the honoree, so consulting him or her should be a priority. Whether you’ll be serving pizza, hot dogs, or a family favorite dish, there are many great options on Pinterest.
Always a popular treat to prepare and feed a lot of people is a popcorn buffet with different kinds of toppings. Use the popcorn and toppings as part of the décor to save even more.
Photo courtesy of: Grand Jour Events
Last, but certainly not least is the graduation party budget check-off list. The list can be useful whether it is a kindergarten, elementary, middle school, high school, college, beauty school or other trade school graduation, just adapt it to your own specific needs and you’ll be one step ahead.
