After a long commencement ceremony, graduates often enjoy the festivities that follow, hosted in their honor by congratulatory friends and family members. In fact, many graduates find the parties and special dinners that follow the official graduation to be the most memorable part of the day.
If you have a graduate you would like to host a party for, but don’t want to “break the bank”, here are some suggestions for a terrific soiree that can fit any budget!
Have a cookout!
It doesn’t get much easier or more affordable than an old-fashioned cookout. Bread thrift stores are an awesome place to pick up rolls and buns for very, very low prices and places like WalMart and BJ’s carry boxes of already-formed hamburger patties and large boxes of cheese slices at a low price. Add a package or two of hotdogs, and don’t forget a box of BocaBurgers for vegetarians or guests who are interested in a heart-healthy option. Dessert can be kept simple with a roll of chocolate chip cookie dough from the refrigerator section formed to fit a pizza pan and then baked to form a “cookie cake. This can be easily decorated with a “Congratulations Graduate” message. If you do not know how to do cake decoration, ask your guests! Ice cold lemonade,some chips, baked beans and condiments top off the menu.
Decorations can be kept simple with traditional checkerboard table cloths, but for a bit of graduation flair, Trivial Pursuit cards could be used to decorate each place setting and a table should be set up with the newly obtained diploma and mortar board for everyone to behold. This table is also a good place for gifts.
South of the Border!
As far as restaurant food goes, Mexican food tends to be one of the most economical and widely enjoyed choices. A Mexican restaurant would be a wonderful place to host a graduation party. In order to keep your budget from getting overwhelmed, call in advance and arrange for either a buffet in a side room or a prix fixe limited menu where only a few selections are offered to your guests, but they all cost the same thing for you. Also, to save on drinks and gratuities, you could consider having a home party catered by your favorite Mexican restaurant. Many will cater for very reasonable prices, and will even through in the chips and salsa with you purchase.
Anyone for tea?
If the graduation is early enough in the day (in some parts of the country in which several high schools share the same venue, ceremonies can begin as early as 10am!), an afternoon tea is a lovely and affordable way to celebrate. A quality tea is prepared, along with finger sandwiches, homemade scones and delectable, bite-sized desserts. These dishes can be prepared at home from scratch for maximum value, or can be purchased relatively inexpensively from the local grocery store or bakery. Food is kept simple, but is presented on one’s best dishes and linens. Some bunches of flowers found perhaps at the local wholesale florist complete the look. Usually, another beverage like lemonade or punch is also offered for the children and guests who do not drink tea. The beauty of the classic afternoon tea will make for a celebration remembered long after the graduation is over.
