TABLE TALK VOL 11

Graduation Celebrations on a Budget: Ideas to Honor Your Graduate

Graduation season is in full swing, and for many families, that means graduation celebrations. If you're looking to celebrate your graduate on a budget, don't worry! There are plenty of affordable ways to honor your graduate. In this post, we will discuss some great ideas for celebrating graduation on a budget. Let's get started! 

Start by setting a budget.
Think about the guest list
Consider celebrating at home or a local park.
Have a backyard BBQ
Host a potluck
Pick a theme and run with it. 
Repurpose, Repurpose, Repurpose

Start by setting a budget. 
  Before you start planning, the first thing you want to do is set a budget. This will help you determine how much money you have to work with and what kind of graduation celebration you can afford. Once you have a budget in mind, it's time to start planning your event.

Think about the guest list
  One of the best ways to save money on a graduation celebration is to keep the guest list small. It is a huge accomplishment, and you want to invite everyone to the celebration. However, limiting the number of guests to close family and friends will help you keep costs down on things like food and drink. 

Consider celebrating at home or a local park.
  Renting out a venue for a graduation party can get costly really quickly. Instead, a great way to save is by hosting the party either at home or at a local park.
  If your home is not the ideal location, ask friends if you can use their outdoor space. This can be a great way to save money on the event.
  There is another added bonus to hosting at a local park, especially in the spring when the flowers are in bloom. If nature is doing its thing, that means less money you have to spend on décor. 

Have a backyard BBQ
  Another excellent graduation celebration idea that won't break the bank is to have a backyard BBQ. This is an excellent option if you are looking for an informal and relaxed graduation party.
  You can keep costs down by grilling burgers and hot dogs yourself and asking guests to bring sides or dessert. 

Host a potluck
  If a backyard BBQ is not your thing, host a potluck. This is a great graduation celebration idea if you want to try something different. You can provide the main dish and ask guests to bring their favorite appetizers or dessert. This is a great way to get everyone involved in the graduation party, and it's a cost-effective option as well.
  You can also create a theme where you ask guests to bring a particular type of food or a specific cuisine. For example, if you have a Mexican theme, you may ask guests to bring Mexican-inspired dishes. Or maybe we want to go for finger foods, so you can ask guests to bring their favorite appetizers. 

Pick a theme and run with it
  If you want to add fun and excitement to your graduation celebration, consider picking a theme. Once you have a theme in mind, you can start planning the rest of the graduation party around it.
  There are endless possibilities for themes, so it really depends on what your graduate is interested in. For example, if they are a huge Harry Potter fan, you could do a Harry Potter-themed graduation party.
  If your graduate is interested in travel, you could do a world traveler graduation party. This is a great way to get creative with the graduation party, and it can also be relatively cost-effective. 
  If you have a college graduate, consider focusing on the their major, such as Education or Journalism. Think mini chalkboards or fun press cards for the place cards and to label the food selections. 

Repurpose, Repurpose, Repurpose
You know all those graduation cards that your guests are bringing. Use them as décor. You can set up a space to hang the graduation cards for everyone to see or even use the graduation cards as place cards for guests.
  If you have any décor from other celebrations, see if the colors match your graduate's school colors and find ways to incorporate them into your graduation décor.
  Does your graduate have textbooks that they are no longer using? Repurpose them by using them on the buffet table to create heights and spaces where you will display all the food and drinks. 

Planning the perfect graduation celebration doesn't have to be expensive. There are many affordable ways to honor your graduate. By following the tips and ideas in this blog post, you'll be able to plan a graduation celebration that is both special and budget-friendly. So what are you waiting for? Get started planning today!

Do you have any tips for celebrating graduation on a budget? Share them with us in the comments below!