Ideas for a graduation party: theme, table and atmosphere

A graduation party is the celebration where the new graduate is celebrated together with family and friends, shortly after passing their final school exams. There are no fixed rules for how it should look, which makes it easy to tailor the party to the graduate being celebrated.

In this guide, you'll find concrete ideas for planning, theme, table setting and atmosphere, so you can get started straight away, whether the party is held at home, in a hall or in the garden.

The short answer: theme, table and space for gifts

A graduation party doesn't have to be difficult to plan. Choose a theme that suits the graduate, set a table that signals celebration, and make sure there's a fixed spot for gifts and cards. From there, you build the rest of the party: atmosphere, light and the small details that make the day personal.

• Theme: the graduate's own colours or the school's colours
• The table: table setting and table decorations that match the theme
• Atmosphere: light, flowers and music
• Gifts: a gift table and a box for cards

Planning: guests, time and place

Start by working out how many guests are coming and when the party will be held. There are no fixed rules for decorations or timing for a graduation party, so it's entirely up to you whether it becomes an afternoon with coffee and cake or a whole evening with dinner and celebration.

Many hold the party at home, in a hall or in the garden, depending on how many guests there are and what the weather allows. Also think about what should happen along the way: speeches, songs, photography or just time to chat. Once the framework for guests, time and place is set, it's much easier to move on to theme and decorations.

Theme and colours: the graduate's own or the school's

A theme makes decorating easier because it gives you a clear framework to choose within. You can base it on the graduate's own favourite colours, or you can use the school's colours if the graduate has a student cap or ribbon that shows them.

Stick to a few colours, ideally two or three, so the table and decorations feel like a whole rather than a jumble. It also makes it easier to find plates, tablecloths and decorations that work together throughout the whole party.

The table: table setting, table decorations and a festive centrepiece

The table is where guests gather, and it's here that the theme really comes to life. Start with the table setting: plates, glasses and tableware that match the colours from the theme. Citron plates in stoneware or Appelsin plates in porcelain can give a fresh and colourful look, while Plate del mar plates work well if you want to keep things a bit simpler.

The table decorations tie it all together. A Citron bowl in ceramic or a Regnbue fish dish can be used for snacks or fruit in the middle of the table, so it's both decoration and part of the spread. See the full range of table settings and table decorations, and read more about how to build a beautiful table in the guide on table settings and in the guide about table decorations.

Atmosphere: light, flowers and a photo corner

Once the table is set, it's time to think about the rest of the room. Candlesticks and vases with flowers create a calm, cosy atmosphere, and they can easily match the theme's colours. See our range of candlesticks and vases, if you'd like to add to what you already have at home.

If you want a bit more of a party feel to the evening, disco balls in colours like pink or dark green can hang somewhere in the room and catch the light once it gets dark. See examples in disco balls. Set up a photo corner too, with pictures from the school years, so guests can reminisce about the years gone by while they wait for the party to start.

Gift table and cards: a fixed spot for gifts and money

Set up a table or a designated spot for gifts, so they don't end up scattered around the whole room. Put out a box or bowl for cards and any cash gifts, so guests have a natural place to leave them when they arrive.

If you need to find a gift for the graduate yourself, the shop has a dedicated category with graduation gifts. If you're unsure what to give, or how much, you can read more in the guide about how much to give as a gift.

Summary

A graduation party becomes easy to plan once you start by settling on guests, time and place. Then choose a theme in the graduate's or school's colours, set the table with a few matching details, and create atmosphere with candles and music. Finish off with a gift table, so gifts and cards have their own spot throughout the party.

Read also

• Table setting: how to set a beautiful table
• Table decorations: how to build the centrepiece of the table
• How to set the table for a confirmation
• How much should you spend on a gift? Rules and advice