How to Plan an Amazing Graduation Party for You and Your Friends

Summer is looming, promising lazy weeks of food, drink, changeable British weather and vital time to relax and recharge. For around 800,000 students in the UK, though, summer’s proximity is foreshadowed by exams and final hand-ins.

While a nerve-wracking time for many, this is also a huge cause celebre, as results and graduation are soon to follow. Such is the import of the graduation that it would be remiss of those graduating not to celebrate correctly – that is, surrounded by friends at the party of a lifetime. If you are one such student and you’re stumped for planning your graduation party, look no further than the following tips.

Set a Budget

Before you start to get carried away with ideas for your graduation party supreme, you should sit down to work out just how much you can spend on it. Parties are expensive, even if they are simple house-bound affairs. There’s lots to think about, from food and drink to potential venue hire and beyond. Set a reasonable figure that you and any other organisers can afford, and work back from there; what would you like, and what can you afford?

Here, everyone involved should pitch in their share of the budget to an independent account or fund. This way, the money is already ‘spent’ and no extra hidden costs will hit people’s bank accounts without forewarning. This also allows you to jointly buy supplies without all needing to be present.

Where Will You Host It?

Next, you should think about where you’d like to host your graduation party – something which depends partly on your budget, but mostly on the kind of vibe you’re going for. A house party is an obvious choice for a cheaper, laid-back affair; you are completely in control of your environment and can dance the night away with some minor changes to your living space, though you may fall foul of local nuisance laws as a result!

Alternatively, you could book out a venue space – giving you access to more room, better sound, freedom to make noise and even staff to serve drinks and food. This would lighten the load on you as host, but also cost significantly more.

Get a DJ

One of the most undeniably important facets of any big party is music. Quite frankly, a party isn’t complete without a winning playlist – but a playlist alone won’t cut it for something as momentous as a graduation. You should allocate some budget to ensuring that a professional DJ officiates the music for the evening, according to yours and your friends’ tastes.

If you’re a music fan, or a talented friend is up for the challenge, you could simply choose from a range of DJ controllers and manage the music yourself. If you own the equipment, you could even set it up in an ‘open decks’ format for guests to give it a go while letting loose.

Of course, depending on the venue or setting you’ve chosen, a DJ or music solution may have been pre-arranged – and with hospitality venues, you will need to liaise with whoever’s in charge of your booking to ensure you can access their power and PA system.

Pick a Theme

Last, and certainly not least – what’s the theme? Of course, you don’t need a theme, but it can go a long way to making your graduation party one you’ll never forget. Fancy dress is always a winner, while decorations can help you create a fun setting for people to get dance-y in.