When to have graduation party?

[coinkc]

I realize this is still several months away but I want to get the date out to family and friends since May is such a busy time of the year!

My daughter is graduating this year and I am conflicted about when to have her party. She graduates on a Saturday - Mass is at 3:00 (Catholic School) and the ceremony is at 7:00. Immediately following the ceremony, the entire class boards busses that take them to an all night party. I think the kids usually get home around 6:00am on Sunday.

Originally I thought that I would have her party that Sunday afternoon/evening thinking she could come home and sleep and then wake up in time for the party. However, there are two things stopping this - one is that I think a ton of kids will be having their parties at that time so many may not be able to come and two, my daughter's boyfriend who attends a different school has his graduation ceremony that Sunday morning. Which I know she will want to be at. So that means she will have had no sleep at all before the party and she is definitely NOT a kid who can handle that - the girl loves her sleep! Plus, I'm not sure about this but I'm guessing his family will be having his party that afternoon since it's the same day as the ceremony.

So my next thought was to just wait till the next weekend. Problem there is that it is Memorial Day weekend. So I'm thinking people may be heading out of town. I really don't want to wait till the weekend after that as it's into June and by then she is stressing about dance nationals, etc.

Would it be weird to have her party on the Friday night before the ceremony? Technically she will not have "graduated" yet but will be finished with school. I know I will have to have more "dinner food" if we do it in the evening rather than the afternoon but I'm okay with that.

Would love opinions as to when a good time for the party would be. I know I'm probably over thinking this but this is my only child and she deserves to have a great celebration!

 

[Janepod]

I realize this is still several months away but I want to get the date out to family and friends since May is such a busy time of the year!

My daughter is graduating this year and I am conflicted about when to have her party. She graduates on a Saturday - Mass is at 3:00 (Catholic School) and the ceremony is at 7:00. Immediately following the ceremony, the entire class boards busses that take them to an all night party. I think the kids usually get home around 6:00am on Sunday.

Originally I thought that I would have her party that Sunday afternoon/evening thinking she could come home and sleep and then wake up in time for the party. However, there are two things stopping this - one is that I think a ton of kids will be having their parties at that time so many may not be able to come and two, my daughter's boyfriend who attends a different school has his graduation ceremony that Sunday morning. Which I know she will want to be at. So that means she will have had no sleep at all before the party and she is definitely NOT a kid who can handle that - the girl loves her sleep! Plus, I'm not sure about this but I'm guessing his family will be having his party that afternoon since it's the same day as the ceremony.

So my next thought was to just wait till the next weekend. Problem there is that it is Memorial Day weekend. So I'm thinking people may be heading out of town. I really don't want to wait till the weekend after that as it's into June and by then she is stressing about dance nationals, etc.

Would it be weird to have her party on the Friday night before the ceremony? Technically she will not have "graduated" yet but will be finished with school. I know I will have to have more "dinner food" if we do it in the evening rather than the afternoon but I'm okay with that.

Would love opinions as to when a good time for the party would be. I know I'm probably over thinking this but this is my only child and she deserves to have a great celebration!

Congratulations!

Have it the weekend before the ceremony, either Saturday or Sunday.

 

[clh2]

In our school district, graduation is always on a Sunday. There are many parties that happen the day before, so I do think that a "Friday" before the Saturday graduation is perfectly fine.

You will find - that you will be able to attend some of the parties you get invited to, and not able to attend others. The same will happen with yours.

We opted when DD graduated to have her party the weekend after graduation. Couldn't do it the day before, as that is when my niece graduated.

I actually liked having it a different weekend than graduation weekend.

In my neck of the woods - graduation parties happen throughout the latter part of June all the way through July. (Our graduation is usually the 2nd weekend in June.) Many things affect the timing of when a particular family has their grad party, and it is actually fun having a bunch to go to all summer long.

 

[Katy Belle]

I think Friday evening will be fine!

 

[jen73]

daughter graduated the Friday night before Mother's day last year and we had our party a week later, on a Saturday afternoon. Well so did a lot of classmates...so they all seemed to "make the rounds" at the various parties..lol Like another mom said, some ppl with comes to yours and some won't, because there will be so many to choose from...

Can you do it during the week, following the graduation weekend? One of our daughter's classmates did it on a Tuesday evening following and what a hit!! She did a dessert bar and had a lot of choices of desserts, cookies, cakes and they had lemonade and coffee. I am SOOOOO gonna do that for when our twins graduate. Midweek would be a great break and plus, more of her friends can come, cuz that's all the party is really about...hanging out with their friends.

Good Luck and CONGRATS!! What an exciting time.

 

[jen73]

double post

 

[powellrj]

Around here, the kids pretty much have their parties all month long. Many times they are a week or two before or after the event due to other parties and family obligations. I know last year DD was still going to friends parties in July and graduation had been in May!

 

[SydSim]

If all else fails, and she's going away to college, you can have the party even later in the summer - more like a "Going away to college/trunk" party.

 

[SeaSpray]

I don't think there's anything wrong with having the party before the graduation.

Last year when my son graduated college, the ceremony was on a Sunday afternoon. Due to family traveling from out of state, we had the party on Saturday evening. It worked out great!

 

[Kellydelly]

I personally would not do it before. In our neck of the woods grad parties start in early June and go through at least July, if not further. It is just usually a summer thing .

 

[minkydog]

Of those choices I would take Friday before graduation. Memorial Day weekend my be iffy, since a lot of kids will likely be going out of town.

We actually did DD20s party as a group party at my house. Her two best friends were graduating with her, so rather than having three separate parties which all the same friends would attend, we parents got together and planned one huge party. We had about 75 people and it lasted about 2 hours. We had about 20 pizzas, watermelon, strawberries, pineapple pieces, chips & dip, and a cake with all three names on it. I bought each girl a big mylar balloon with their name on it. We used them as decoration on the front porch and they took them home at the end of the party. We all had a blast and it was all done in one day.

 

[StephMK]

Can you ask around for the norms in your area? I would vote for the weekend before. DD graduated Memorial Day weekend and there were parties going on the whole month of May and not too many after the holiday weekend.

Friday night seemed to be a tougher night to have a party if the ceremony is Saturday. We had family coming into town and while we didn't expect DD to hang the whole time, it was more a family, get ready kind of night. I think in general, the parties that night were not as well attended. But if you have family traveling from out of town, it limits the options. We had DD's the Sunday night after the Saturday graduation.

There is also a thread on the Budget board with lots of ideas and suggestions. You are not too early to plan!

 

[ksjayhawks]

Graduation here is the 3rd weekend in May. Parties start mid-April and go through the first weekend in June. Very few on Memorial Day weekend as lots of people go to the lake/out of town.

I would not do her party on Sunday. She will be exhausted from all the activities of the day before, not to count being up all night.

Pick the day that works best for you. Are there relatives coming in from out of town that you want there? Then pick a day/time that works around them. As a pp stated, you will not be able to attend all the parties and neither will your friends/her friends. You go to the ones that you can, many times you are only at the parties for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the number that night or day. Kids especially party-hop.