There are just 21 days left until graduation. And with this momentous day comes: graduation parties! Whether you’ve been to a million “grad” parties or you’ve never attended one, it can be stressful to plan your own. From invitations to decorations to catering, where do you start?

First I think the most important thing to figure out is: where are you having the event? There is no wrong answer. There are so many options such as your own backyard, your favorite restaurant, or an event center. This is important because it then affects how many people you can invite. Obviously you can’t fit 100 people into your basement, so think realistically. Once you have your number you can start ordering tables and chairs. There are great rental companies for these such as Max and Ollie’s.

Now don’t forget to make invitations! I suggest using an online invitation such as Evite for your friends and doing paper ones for family, which can be easily made online at Walgreens. With this it may be nice to have separate times for friends and family to come to make sure you have ample time to celebrate with everyone. Having family come an hour or 2 earlier than your friends helps section out your day.

Whether you have an afternoon or evening party there must be yummy food! No matter what, make sure you like the food. After all this is your party celebrating you. Some ideas are catering food from your favorite restaurant, ordering from a deli, fast food catering (Chick Fil A, Chipotle, etc) and just making food at home such as hamburgers and hotdogs. With this, deserts such as cupcakes and cookies are a perfect way to celebrate. As a “grad party connoisseur” my favorite dessert was when one graduate got a Kona Ice Truck! It was awesome and a great way to make sure everyone got something for the desert that they liked.

Also there are many other aspects that you can add to make your day more special. These could be a bouncy house, a speciality drink (such as a Shirley Temple bar), a picture table, a slip and slide, water balloons, or even a photo booth spot. There are so many things you can create yourself or purchase to add to the grad party fun.

With graduation creeping closer, make sure you get on top of your grad party planning. And don’t forget to RSVP to your friend’s invitations too! Happy grad party season!