Spinoff of Taco Bar thread - Which theme for grad party?

[Gina]

I'm trying to start compiling ideas & items for my son's HS graduation next year (because it will take me that long to plan/pay for it!!). I love the ideas from the taco bar thread. Someone also mentioned cupcakes in the school colors, which brings me to my (silly) question: Would you do the decorations for the cupcakes and anything else for the party themed to the high school, or the college the graduate is headed to??

I know this won't mean much to most of you outside of Texas, but DS will be going to Texas A&M -- It would make more sense to our family and pretty much everyone we know to have all Aggie stuff for decorations, but it just now occured to me that maybe the grad party is "supposed" to be themed to the high school? Is this just the dumbest question EVER? Lol.

Seriously, would love to hear your thoughts and experiences! I want to be able to start getting stuff like decorations as I happen upon sales and such. Thanks!

 

[yoopermom]

DS is graduating this year, and I'm going to have decorations in his high school colors because, to me, this is where he is graduating "from" aka what we are celebrating. However I'm going to have the cake done 1/2 and 1/2, to kind of show the transition from one to the other, and I'm going to decorate the card box with his college stuff, since hopefully that's what's going to help pay for it .

And, as a humorous aside, my cousin met her husband at college, and they were both loved that college so much that their entire WEDDING was devoted to it (colors, table decorations, fight song as first song, etc).

Terri

 

[Gina]

DS is graduating this year, and I'm going to have decorations in his high school colors because, to me, this is where he is graduating "from" aka what we are celebrating. However I'm going to have the cake done 1/2 and 1/2, to kind of show the transition from one to the other, and I'm going to decorate the card box with his college stuff, since hopefully that's what's going to help pay for it .

Card box? What's that? Man, if it weren't for that taco bar thread, it would never have occured to me to start thinking about this stuff now... Apparently there's a lot I don't know!

The cake idea is *brilliant*! But I guess I should have mentioned that his H.S. colors and the college colors are the same, lol. Not sure if that makes it easier or not! Could just let everyone guess. But I want more than just school colors -- if I went the college theme direction, there's a whole internet full of Aggie party stuff. For a H.S.-centered theme, I could just do generic oil derrick decorations on stuff but it wouldn't be as cool.

And, as a humorous aside, my cousin met her husband at college, and they were both loved that college so much that their entire WEDDING was devoted to it (colors, table decorations, fight song as first song, etc).
Terri

Love it! And yeah, I know a bunch of people who have had both Aggie-themed and Longhorn-themed weddings, baby showers, you name it. We take it kinda serious down here...

 

[Lunchlady]

I got my card box at Dollar Tree. Check them out. They have loads of great graduation stuff that is very budget friendly. Some stores put up signs with school colors listed in case you forget. I also put out pics of her in kindergarten and senior year. I used school colors to decorate because this was where we were celebrating leaving. Sam's does a great cake with cupcakes to match. It was delicious.

 

[KPetty725]

I'm trying to start compiling ideas & items for my son's HS graduation next year (because it will take me that long to plan/pay for it!!). I love the ideas from the taco bar thread. Someone also mentioned cupcakes in the school colors, which brings me to my (silly) question: Would you do the decorations for the cupcakes and anything else for the party themed to the high school, or the college the graduate is headed to??

I know this won't mean much to most of you outside of Texas, but DS will be going to Texas A&M -- It would make more sense to our family and pretty much everyone we know to have all Aggie stuff for decorations, but it just now occured to me that maybe the grad party is "supposed" to be themed to the high school? Is this just the dumbest question EVER? Lol.

Seriously, would love to hear your thoughts and experiences! I want to be able to start getting stuff like decorations as I happen upon sales and such. Thanks!

Party decor should definitely be high school as it's a celebration of his graduation from that place. If you wanted, you could do an "acceptance" party instead and then you would use the college stuff. If you go with graduation, it would be cute to put a basket out with A&M colors/logos and label it "emergency laundry money" or "I need to see my mama money" and have guests throw in change and singles. I've seen stuff like this at weddings and it is really cute and nets the guest of honor some extra $$!

Have fun!!

 

[StephMK]

I was planning to do college colors until my DD said she wanted her HS colors used. Since they were forest green & black, I used black & silver with accents of the dark green. It was an evening party & turned out very pretty.

You're smart to plan in advance! If you don't need stuff until 2014, you will be able to find some clearanced out items after the season is over. Most will have the date but there were some undated items that will work for any year.

 

[Gina]

Party decor should definitely be high school as it's a celebration of his graduation from that place. If you wanted, you could do an "acceptance" party instead and then you would use the college stuff. If you go with graduation, it would be cute to put a basket out with A&M colors/logos and label it "emergency laundry money" or "I need to see my mama money" and have guests throw in change and singles. I've seen stuff like this at weddings and it is really cute and nets the guest of honor some extra $$!
Have fun!!

Hi Katie!!

I LOVE the basket idea! Man I'm glad I asked this question... You guys are all a font of helpful ideas!!

 

[pixiewings71]

I'll be doing high school colors, I am going to start planning now as well. I have to say I love the basket for change idea, how fun is that!

 

[powellrj]

When we did DSs party 4 years ago, it was a joint party with 2 of his cousins. We had it in our church since we all go to the same church.

We didn't really have a theme. We had the entryway set-up with tables of their awards and pictures over the years.

We had the food set-up in the hallway. We didn't have a food theme, we just had lots and lots of it! Off hand I remember crock pots with pulled pork, trays of subs, lots of finger type food. Each kid had their own cake.

For the tables we had mugs filled with candy in the HS colors with ballons tied to the handles. They were all in show choir so we had TVs with the different performance playing in the backround. We also had a huge candy buffet which was fun as a favor.

DD graduates next year. Her colors are black and gold. I have been buying black items after Halloween for the last couple of years and gold items after graduations the last few years so we are pretty set in party supplies! I am not sure where we are having her party at. She doesn't go to the same school her brothers went to due to turning that school into a middle school so I am waiting until the time and finding out what she wants to do. I just bought a huge smoker last week (not for her graduation lol) so I assume I will be smoking meat of some kind!

 

[Gina]

For the tables we had mugs filled with candy in the HS colors with ballons tied to the handles. They were all in show choir so we had TVs with the different performance playing in the backround. We also had a huge candy buffet which was fun as a favor.

*furiously scribbles notes*

I love the TV thing too!! This will most likely be a joint party for DS and his best friend, and they have both been devoted to marching band this whole time. Having some of the band's biggest competitions playing on a tv at the party is just the coolest idea... Love it love it love it!

Still hoping someone will tell me what a "card box" is though... I'm at Dollar Tree a lot and I've been trying to think if I've ever seen what you guys could be talking about, but I have no clue.

 

[kellia]

*furiously scribbles notes*

I love the TV thing too!! This will most likely be a joint party for DS and his best friend, and they have both been devoted to marching band this whole time. Having some of the band's biggest competitions playing on a tv at the party is just the coolest idea... Love it love it love it!

Still hoping someone will tell me what a "card box" is though... I'm at Dollar Tree a lot and I've been trying to think if I've ever seen what you guys could be talking about, but I have no clue.

A card box is a box with a slot in the top for envelopes, so all the graduation cards go there.

I'm doing dd's in school colors, red and white. Very easy to decorate with those colors! I'm kicking myself that I didn't think to grab red candy after Valentine's Day candy to go with her theme! Dh had a 40th bday party last year, so I got a big roll of red table cover plastic so we can use the rest for dd this year. Then I can use the nice napkins in white since they are cheaper than colored or graduation themed.

 

[madge]

My DS is graduating in 2014 ... I'm already pinning ideas on Pinterest

I think I'm going with a "Smart Cookie" theme. Instead of a cake/cupcakes, we're serving several different kinds of cookies. Ask me how that's working out a year from now

 

[Gina]

A card box is a box with a slot in the top for envelopes, so all the graduation cards go there.

OH, right!! I don't think I've ever even been to a graduation party... I am totally flying blind here. Thanks for the info!

My DS is graduating in 2014 ... I'm already pinning ideas on Pinterest

I think I'm going with a "Smart Cookie" theme. Instead of a cake/cupcakes, we're serving several different kinds of cookies. Ask me how that's working out a year from now

Pinterest... why didn't I think of that?? Perfect way to keep all the ideas organized!

You are all invited to my son's party next year. LOL

And I think your "smart cookie" theme is so clever!!

 

[MSSANDRA]

We did a really big graduation party when DS graduated a couple years ago. We did not spend a ton of money. I did decorate in the HS colors but had a table set up with a few things from his college choice on it. We did center pieces of clear bowls, filled with red and black candy with a foam piece in the bottom and picks from the florist holding pictures of HS from birth to present. We reminded people to eat the candy. We had a huge screen in our church FLC where we had the party for a 30.00 donation and we showed a slide show, to music of his life. Did free ourselves. We did not do a card box as I just sorta felt like it was saying, "here, put your money here", but that is just me and LOTS of people use them. We did have an out of the way table for people to lay gifts, almost all cards with money inside. We planned to open them at the party but that just did not work well. Plan to take them home to open.

We did a hot dog and nacho bar, with pasta salad, chips and a ton of drinks and a huge cake. Spent a few hundred dollars total. Had music, volley ball, basket ball, and people of every age newborn to 80. Was totally fun, simple and not stressful at all!

 

[madge]

OH, right!! I don't think I've ever even been to a graduation party... I am totally flying blind here. Thanks for the info!







Pinterest... why didn't I think of that?? Perfect way to keep all the ideas organized!

You are all invited to my son's party next year. LOL

And I think your "smart cookie" theme is so clever!!

thanks! I found it on pinterest. LOLOL

here's my board (so far): http://pinterest.com/ceciliaky/thanks-to-pinterest-i-m-already-planning-graduatio/

 

[clh2]

DD graduated last year - so thought I would share a couple of things that we did.

We needed 1 sheet cake and a 1/2 sheet cake. The full cake was in her high school colors - it was a "congratulations" cake. The 1/2 sheet cake we did in her college colors - and the school's tag line is Go Far, Go Bradley - so we gave the bake a sheet of the letterhead, and he did the cake sort of how it looks on the letterhead - but had it say: Go Far, Go Bradley Go "DD".

And - instead of a card box - we used a nice fabric covered basket, which has been since repurposed.

Have fun with your parties everyone!

 

[Gina]

We needed 1 sheet cake and a 1/2 sheet cake. The full cake was in her high school colors - it was a "congratulations" cake. The 1/2 sheet cake we did in her college colors - and the school's tag line is Go Far, Go Bradley - so we gave the bake a sheet of the letterhead, and he did the cake sort of how it looks on the letterhead - but had it say: Go Far, Go Bradley Go "DD".

Neat, I like the idea of both cakes! About how many people did you have attending?

 

[clh2]

Neat, I like the idea of both cakes! About how many people did you have attending?

All in all - about 100 - so definitely needed both the cakes, with a little bit left over!

 

[Gina]

All in all - about 100 - so definitely needed both the cakes, with a little bit left over!

That's probably about how many people we'd end up having too. Talked to my friend this weekend, and we talked to the boys, and they're all in for a joint party. They loved the "one last day as a kid" party idea. The biggest community park in our town has a huge pavilion with water & electric for rent, and a giant field next to it where they could all have Nerf gun/water gun/water balloon wars or whatever. We figure we can do one really big sheet cake in the high school colors/theme, and then two smaller cakes for each of their chosen universities.

I'm glad we have a year to plan this... It all seems like a lot to coordinate, and I've never done anything like this. But y'all have given such great ideas, I'm looking forward to it!

 

[Katy Belle]

DS graduates this year. He hates to be in the spotlight and really, really doesn't want a party. So as a compromise, we are having a party in the basement of the retirement home his Grandparents live in. It is a 6 hour drive from our home, but all the family lives in that area. He will call friends, spur of the moment, and have a pizza party when he feels like it here. So...for that party, with the family, we are doing the colors of the college he will attend. Mostly because very few of them have visited our town and High School colors and Mascot mean nothing to them. DS doesn't care. Really he doesn't.

I'd been thinking of doing the milk and cookie thing too! Especially since I have to haul a lot of stuff to the party and I'm known for baking yummy cookies! Still undecided...and have mere weeks to go! Must decide and send invitations!