Minus 7 weeks ... Dare to be Different!

 

Weekly Reminder #4       In this e-mail we’ll present several ways to make your party stand out: Consider having a theme Rent something fun! Think about what you do well. If you and your graduate really like entertainment, focus on that. People will remember a live band more than your potato salad. If cooking is your forte, concentrate on a menu that includes some memorable items. If decorating and fun games turn you on, go for it! Focus on what feels right for you and your graduate.   We provide tons of ideas, but never expect anyone to do it all. So do what you do best and what the graduate wants. Our goal is to inspire you to be creative and imaginative.   Themes! School Spirit: Emphasize the school your child is graduating from by decorating with the school colors, logo and team jerseys. Dance: Does she love to dance? Splurge on a band or DJ and let music take center stage. Just serve snacks and soft drinks. Member of a Band? Have a backyard concert, and send out tickets for invitations. Thank You: Take some of the focus off the grad and direct it back at guests - especially people who have made a difference in your student’s life. Invite all of your graduate’s teachers, coaches, and special friends who helped them along the way. Off to College: Is your graduate going to college? Deck the walls with college pennants, banners and jerseys from her new school. Check out their college web site. Many colleges sell merchandise over the internet. Go to www.GraduationParty.com for the newest ideas. Here is a wonderful way to help your graduate keep in touch with her friends who are going off to college: Buy a large map of the United States and supply pins with labels for the kids to write their names on. Ask them to print their names and the names of their colleges on the label and put the pin on the map. It is a great conversation starter for the older guests as well. Does your graduate’s future college lend itself to a more specific theme party? Texas BBQ? Florida Beaches? Boston Seafood? Oh, the Places You Will Go - by Dr. Seuss: Is your graduate planning to travel? Ask your guests to recommend a destination by marking a spot on a map of the U.S. Maybe they have friends or relatives your graduate can visit. Hang travel posters that you can get from travel agencies. We even saw a miniature hot air balloon at one party!  Mexico: Did your graduate study Spanish? Did he go to Mexico? Decorating is easy for a Mexican theme, and who can resist a taco bar? Borrow a sombrero, rugs and wall hangings and display your memorabilia with it. Consider inviting your student’s language teachers. France: Did your graduate study French? Oui? Ooh la la, build on that theme. French bread, exotic cheeses, French pastries can be set-up around the French flag or a miniature Eiffel Tower. European: Is your graduate going to back pack through Europe this summer? Decorate with travel posters, and your invitation could be a passport. Beach Party: If you can’t get to a real beach or lake, fill up a plastic kiddie pool with ice and arrange your salads and other perishable food to keep them cool throughout the party. Serve beverages with cute straws and little umbrellas. Have plenty of beach balls, yard games, patio umbrellas, lawn chairs and beach towels. New York, New York: Is your graduate heading to Broadway? Decorate with signs that look like movie theatre signs and lights. Make your invitation in the form of a theatre ticket. Drama Party: Was your graduate involved in the school plays? Maybe you could borrow props from the school and invite a few friends to dress up and perform for the crowd. Private Showing: Is your graduate an artist? A photographer? Have a showing of his work. (Did you know you can rent easels from party rental companies?) This theme lends itself to a great invitation! Hawaiian Theme: Did you have a fantastic trip to Hawaii? Why not relive those memories and make some new ones. Serve Hawaiian chicken, fancy drinks in coconut shells with pineapple and other exotic fruits. Let Tiki torches set the mood! Sundaes on Saturday: A cute invitation idea that makes for a simple menu. Just buy big tubs of ice cream and set up a sundae bar. Texas or Southwest: Decorate with bandanas, red chili pepper lights, and howling coyotes. Serve southwest food or BBQ, corn bread, chips with guacamole and salsa. Popular TV Show or movie theme: When we first published our list of themes Friends and Survivor were popular shows. American Idol and The Class are the big hits, now. What shows does your student watch? Use the logo on your invitations, decorations and memorabilia. Fishing: Scott’s Angling for a Future Stars: Jackie’s Reaching for the Stars Casino: Charlie’s Hit the Jackpot! The following "theme decorations" (and others) are available at Shindigz.  Just click here and search on a theme you're interested in ...     Fun Stuff to Rent Rental companies offer a huge variety of essentials, as well as really unusual items that would make your party unique. We suggest that you visit a showroom. It’s really inspiring to see all the tables set up. You might get an idea for a game or special serving ware you can rent. We offer the following tips: Share a weekend rental with a friend. Since most items rent for the weekend, it’s easy to share tents, tables and chairs. Go in for a consultation. Know what you are getting. You don’t want to be disappointed when you get something delivered or come to pick something up. Unless you know exactly what you want and you’ve seen it before, do not order over the phone. Keep in mind that these are used items, so you might get a table or chair that has a scratch in it, or maybe a small stain. Our friend rented a cotton candy machine and let the grads all make their own. It was a huge hit. Tip; Make sure you do this outside! Rent large vases and decorate with bouquets of flowers and plants from the farmer’s market. You will be impressed by the low prices and quality. When renting table cloths, order extra in case you spill while setting up. Rent easels to display photos. If you can’t afford to rent both a tent and tables and chairs, consider borrowing tables and chairs from your church, friends or neighbors. Ask about high top tables. They are popular for an open house when people are not necessarily going to sit down the whole time. Since some rental companies only rent regular height tables, inquire about table extenders. They raise your tables up 8”. If you use high top tables you may not need to rent chairs. This keeps your guests circulating. Rent a popcorn machine. They are fun, and if you run out of everything else, you can still serve popcorn. You can return the unused popcorn! Compare the cost of renting chafing dishes to the cost of buying them. Upon delivery, count all of the items and do a quick inspection. Note any damages on the delivery receipt to avoid losing your damage deposit.   TIPS on Renting Tents Renting a tent for an outdoor party is like buying weather insurance. Call early. It’s a simple case of supply and demand. A 20’ x 20’ tent is designed for 40 people. A 20’ x 30’ is for 60. Consider renting tent lighting if your party will run late into the night. To protect your guests from a windy rain rent the tent sides. If possible, use the tent as an entrance to your garage or house. As people approach the house they will get a festive party feeling.   The following items are also available to rent: Moon Walk Dunk Tank Electronic Basketball Speed Pitch Bowling/Golf Game 9-Hole Mini Golf Golf Challenge Soccer Challenge Volleyball Croquet Bocce Ball Horse Shoes Pink Flamingos Bubble Machine Fog Machine Mirrored Balls Strobe and Spot Lights Helium Tank Cotton Candy Machine Sno Cone Machine Hot Dog Roller Nacho Cheese Warmer Pancake Griddle Popcorn Machine Frozen Drink Machine Large Coffee Maker Roaster Deep Fryer Chafing Dish Soup Warmer Heat Lamp Charcoal Grill Propane Grill Salad Bar Bar   Ice Tables - An ice table is basically a table with a very large, but shallow plastic cooler built right into the top. There is no lid. This is an excellent way to serve cold beverages as it is only six inches deep, so your guests will be able to see what the choices are. Rental companies rent a variety of table shapes and sizes. When renting tables, remember the tablecloths and table skirts. Companies rent linens to fit their tables - as well as fun decorations to put on them. Remember that there is almost always a delivery charge, which includes pick-up, so try to rent everything from the same place. Ask a friend with a truck to pick up the larger items and make sure they can return them after the party.   Can’t wait for the next e-mail? You may want to jump ahead and get started on some more of the details… order a copy of Graduation Parties! Everything You Need to Know From Start to Finish available from our website as a book in paper copy or a convenient downloadable version!  Click here to find out more about the book.   This 100-page guide provides great advice from experienced moms - like you! Or visit our website at www.graduationparty.com.  It also contains a lot of information including ideas, tips and hints for all your graduation party needs.  You can even order unique graduation-themed items such as invitations, decorations, and much, much more.   We will be sending you friendly reminders to help you get organized and avoid the last minute panic.  If you do not want to receive these reminders please reply to this e-mail with “take me off your mailing list” in the subject line.   If you have a friend that is planning a graduation party, please forward them this e-mail and suggest they sign-up for our e-newsletter. They can just click here to go to our Newsletter sign-up page.   If you have a burning question that is keeping you up at night, send us an e-mail, we will try to get back to you so you can sleep tonight.   Good luck!!   Ginger Venable ginger@graduationparty.com   PS: All of our newsletters are kept on our website. If you’ve missed an earlier version or if you want to take a peek at the upcoming ones just go to our website, www.graduationparty.com, and click on “E-Newsletters”.