The Best Place to Host A Graduation Party

Updated April 2023

Spring is upon us and you know what that means — graduation season is right around the corner!

While you might not be ready to accept the fact that your child is about to graduate, it's time to start thinking about that graduation party nonetheless.

Don't worry though, you don't need a professional event planner to throw a memorable graduation party!

But that said, there are a few things to think about apart from who to invite and what food to serve. The most important? Where you will host the party, of course!

Let's walk through a few graduation party ideas.

How to Get Your Garage Party-Ready

Let's pause on the party planning for just a second. How does your garage look? More than likely, it's a mess of garden tools, holiday decorations and sports equipment. Or, if you're like most people, the concrete floor is stained and cracked. Yikes! How will you hide those?!

You don't need to panic, but it is time to get serious about getting your garage ready for family and friends — and for making memories that will last a lifetime.

In other words, like your child, it's time for your garage to grow up and graduate.

1. Upgrade Boring Concrete With a Garage Floor Coating First thing first: you have to take care of that dirty garage floor. Hello Garage’s tough but beautiful polyaspartic garage floor coating is the perfect solution. With a polished granite-like finish, you can bet your garage floor will be the star of the show — next to the proud graduate, of course!
   
   This epoxy alternative is just as durable as it is attractive. It’s also super easy to clean, so any spilled drinks or cake crumbs can be cleaned right up!
2. Get Organized With Configurable Garage Storage Next, you’ll need to clear out the clutter. Hello Garage offers a wide variety of versatile garage storage solutions to help you organize all your stuff.
   
   In addition to keeping your space neat and tidy, our garage shelving, workbenches and other storage options can double as tables for drinks, snacks, decor and memorabilia such as trophies and photos. Our garage slatwall also makes an amazing backdrop for selfies or can serve as a photo wall to showcase memories and milestones.

Now that you have the perfect venue for your graduation party, let's talk party details!

Graduation Party Ideas

Decorations are essential to any garage party. They really set the scene for your guests and especially for graduation parties, they are a great way to display all your child's accomplishments! Check out our favorite graduation party ideas below.

Set Up Plenty of Tables & Tablecloths

Make sure you have a place for guests to sit down, especially if you're providing food and drinks. Folding tables and chairs work great for this if you dress them up enough! If you're expecting a lot of people at your party, rent some extra tables and chairs from a party rental store then head to your local dollar store or even Amazon.com for cost-friendly tablecloths.

If you're looking to add some extra decorations to the tables, try these easy ways to create the perfect graduation centerpiece:

• Yearbooks: Start with a couple of yearbooks for guests to glance through. Don't just include the high school ones!
• Extra-curricular memorabilia: Show off those extra-curricular accomplishments by displaying any medals or trophies.
• Other decorations: It's easy to find fun graduation-themed decorations at any party store. Try finding decorations that act as table weights to help keep the tablecloth down.

Design Graduation Party Backdrops

Kids are all about selfies these days, so you'll want to create the perfect background for them to take social media-worthy pictures.

1. Start with balloon letters that spell out "congrats" or even your graduate's name.
2. Next, add some fun pinwheels, paper tassels or ribbon around the balloon letters to create some depth and add pops of color.
3. Then, frame your background with floor-height balloons — in school colors of course!

Go above and beyond: Want to add even more fun to your graduation selfie station? Provide confetti poppers or streamers for the ultimate picture moment!

Incorporate School Colors

Show some school pride with your decorations! You can find napkins, plates, tablecloths and other items in your child’s specific school colors. A lot of times, your local party store will even carry supplies and other decorations with your high school's logo, which is also a great touch!

Install Special Party Lighting

A party is only as good as its lighting — and a space that is dimly lit can affect the mood of the guests!

If you don't already have the overhead lighting from Hello Garage, you'll want to add some extra lighting to brighten up the space.

Find outdoor string lights at a hardware store or dig out those Christmas lights and put them to good use. Plus, they're easy to hang from the walls or ceiling with Command Hooks!

Graduation Party Food Ideas

When it comes to graduation party food, you don't need to get fancy! Buffets or grab-and-go options are excellent for garage parties.

• Having a lunchtime party? Set out some buns, lunchmeat, cheese slices and condiments for an easy build-your-own sandwich station.
• How about dinner? Check with your favorite restaurant! They probably have catering options that can feed everyone at your graduation party.
• Want just to keep it light? Chips and dip, fruit and veggie trays and desserts are the best options for graduation party food that doesn't break the bank.