Alright so summer is coming to an end (all the Starbucks-addicted 14 year old girls crying in the distance), which means that summer celebrations are coming to an end as well.
And if you're my age (waving cane), you've been going to graduation parties.
That's right, I graduated high school, and not only did I have a grad party, I attended 8 others. Which actually makes me feel really accomplished, because it's 8 more social events than I've attended in previous summers.
So now that I've gone to a bunch of grad parties, I feel like I'm experienced enough to give some insight on the magic that is graduation parties.
Let me tell you about my party. It was catered by a local frozen yogurt place, so instead of a "dinner party", we had a "dessert party". Everyone really liked this, because it was a refreshing change, and who doesn't want a nice cold dessert in the summer?
I had my party very early (the weekend after school ended), because no one will be on vacation then, and no one will be partied-out. We rented a party house for 6 hours, unlike many people who have it at their house and have an undetermined end time. We liked to have a specific end time, because it would avoid awkward moments at 9pm when you think no one else is coming so you start to clean up and then *that* friend shows up.
However, since the party wasn't serving dinner, we had the party in the awkward in-between-lunch-and-dinner time, when lots of people work. So that put a ding in my RSVP list. (To be honest, what put the biggest ding in the list was the fact that I was unpopular in high school and all of the obligatory invites didn't feel obligated to come). We invited 65 people, and I know at least 20 people didn't come, but after that I stopped counting.
But the important thing is to really appreciate the people who did come, who saw you as important enough in their lives to come to your party, maybe get you a gift, and enjoy themselves. At first I felt kind of bummed out because of the 6 tables in the venue, maybe 2.5 were filled at the most at one time, but now I'm fine with it, because every person at those tables were people I liked.
Next, some of my party experiences:
I would say the best meal was a 3-way tie, because they all served the exact same thing, but it was amazing. It was hamburgers and hot dogs cooked on a grill, which may sound boring to some people, but when I think of hamburgers and hot dogs on a grill, I think of family and get-togethers and fun. They were a lot better than penne covered in tomato sauce and chicken french.
The best snacks award is another 3-way tie between 2 parties. One party was catered by a dessert shop, along with a restaurant, so the desserts were gourmet goodness instead of store-bought (nothing against store-bought though!). Another party went Pinterest crazy, with a fish/ocean theme, because the hostess' last name sounded like a kind of fish, and so Fish became her nickname. The third party was all homemade goodies - brownies, cookies, cupcakes, everything! It was great.
The best snacks were the ones with variety and availability. One party had a veggie tray on every table (and the table I sat at quickly ran out of carrots or celery - yum!). Another party had chips and candy at every table (less healthy, still yummy).
Finally, the last and most important category, the most fun party, is another three-way tie. In all three of these parties, I was with friends I'd known for years; people I got along with, people I loved, and people who knew me well enough to joke around with me. Not to mention that two parties had a pool and one had a giant playground.
Advice for party-goers:
First of all, there is nothing fun about going to a graduation party where the only person you know is the host, and they can't keep you company because they have to be gracious hosts to all the arrivals.
This sucks because you came for the host, because you care about them, but either they go to a different school, or they hang out with different people, and you find yourself with no one to talk to.
This is when you spend as much time as possible observing the decorations, signing the scrapbook, etc. Then you help yourself to the snacks; once you've got a nice plate of chips, veggies, or whatever takes your fancy, you have two choices - sit by yourself or sit with some people your age.
The good thing about sitting by yourself is that you can play on your phone, people watch, or do whatever you want. However, you might get labeled the "loner", or people might think you're a snob for not wanting to talk to them. Not to mention the host might worry that you're not enjoying yourself.
Sitting with kids your age means that you can have some peer interaction, and maybe even make some friends. Hey, you may never see them again, but they helped pass the hours!
If all else fails, find a dog or a child under 10. They will keep you entertained.
But if there's a mutual friend, arrange for them to come to the party at the same time as you (or come together - carpooling is still in!). This way, you've got someone to talk to, play Kan Jam with, etc.
Some advice I have for party planners out there:
And if you're my age (waving cane), you've been going to graduation parties.
That's right, I graduated high school, and not only did I have a grad party, I attended 8 others. Which actually makes me feel really accomplished, because it's 8 more social events than I've attended in previous summers.
So now that I've gone to a bunch of grad parties, I feel like I'm experienced enough to give some insight on the magic that is graduation parties.
Let me tell you about my party. It was catered by a local frozen yogurt place, so instead of a "dinner party", we had a "dessert party". Everyone really liked this, because it was a refreshing change, and who doesn't want a nice cold dessert in the summer?
I had my party very early (the weekend after school ended), because no one will be on vacation then, and no one will be partied-out. We rented a party house for 6 hours, unlike many people who have it at their house and have an undetermined end time. We liked to have a specific end time, because it would avoid awkward moments at 9pm when you think no one else is coming so you start to clean up and then *that* friend shows up.
However, since the party wasn't serving dinner, we had the party in the awkward in-between-lunch-and-dinner time, when lots of people work. So that put a ding in my RSVP list. (To be honest, what put the biggest ding in the list was the fact that I was unpopular in high school and all of the obligatory invites didn't feel obligated to come). We invited 65 people, and I know at least 20 people didn't come, but after that I stopped counting.
But the important thing is to really appreciate the people who did come, who saw you as important enough in their lives to come to your party, maybe get you a gift, and enjoy themselves. At first I felt kind of bummed out because of the 6 tables in the venue, maybe 2.5 were filled at the most at one time, but now I'm fine with it, because every person at those tables were people I liked.
Next, some of my party experiences:
I would say the best meal was a 3-way tie, because they all served the exact same thing, but it was amazing. It was hamburgers and hot dogs cooked on a grill, which may sound boring to some people, but when I think of hamburgers and hot dogs on a grill, I think of family and get-togethers and fun. They were a lot better than penne covered in tomato sauce and chicken french.
The best snacks award is another 3-way tie between 2 parties. One party was catered by a dessert shop, along with a restaurant, so the desserts were gourmet goodness instead of store-bought (nothing against store-bought though!). Another party went Pinterest crazy, with a fish/ocean theme, because the hostess' last name sounded like a kind of fish, and so Fish became her nickname. The third party was all homemade goodies - brownies, cookies, cupcakes, everything! It was great.
The best snacks were the ones with variety and availability. One party had a veggie tray on every table (and the table I sat at quickly ran out of carrots or celery - yum!). Another party had chips and candy at every table (less healthy, still yummy).
Finally, the last and most important category, the most fun party, is another three-way tie. In all three of these parties, I was with friends I'd known for years; people I got along with, people I loved, and people who knew me well enough to joke around with me. Not to mention that two parties had a pool and one had a giant playground.
Advice for party-goers:
First of all, there is nothing fun about going to a graduation party where the only person you know is the host, and they can't keep you company because they have to be gracious hosts to all the arrivals.
This sucks because you came for the host, because you care about them, but either they go to a different school, or they hang out with different people, and you find yourself with no one to talk to.
This is when you spend as much time as possible observing the decorations, signing the scrapbook, etc. Then you help yourself to the snacks; once you've got a nice plate of chips, veggies, or whatever takes your fancy, you have two choices - sit by yourself or sit with some people your age.
The good thing about sitting by yourself is that you can play on your phone, people watch, or do whatever you want. However, you might get labeled the "loner", or people might think you're a snob for not wanting to talk to them. Not to mention the host might worry that you're not enjoying yourself.
Sitting with kids your age means that you can have some peer interaction, and maybe even make some friends. Hey, you may never see them again, but they helped pass the hours!
If all else fails, find a dog or a child under 10. They will keep you entertained.
But if there's a mutual friend, arrange for them to come to the party at the same time as you (or come together - carpooling is still in!). This way, you've got someone to talk to, play Kan Jam with, etc.
Some advice I have for party planners out there:
- Have some variety. The majority of grad parties have pasta in sauce, chicken of some sort, potatoes in some shape or form, and salad. After like 2 parties with this kind of dinner, you're kind of bored.
- Label your food - popcorn looks like popcorn, so how am I supposed to know that it's covered in every spice known to man? Here I was going for something salty and suddenly my mouth is on fire! Also, your potatoes look an unrecognizable mound.
- Try to know your guests' food allergies, and indicate which foods contain said allergies (this is similar to labeling)
- Party games! Have indoor games like board games and card games for people to play when they aren't close enough to carry on a decent conversation, or they want to ruin their friendship over a game of UNO. If you've got some flat outdoor space, have some lawn games like Kan Jam, Ladder Golf, and Bocce. They're really easy to play, you don't need to keep points if you don't care, and they're a conversation avoider! Yay!
- Music. With every party comes awkward silences, and the best way to fill them is to have music playing. Try to cater to the audience. Don't play rap music if the majority of your guests will be over 30 (for those with more family members than friends... sorry)
- If you have a pool, use it! Tell people to bring their swim gear, throw some toys into the pool, and let them go wild. Pools are always fun, no matter how old you are.
- Take advantage of what you have around you. If there's a playground or a basketball court around, take it and run with it. I can't shoot hoops for my life, but when you get me together with a bunch of friends who also can't shoot a basket - boom, instant fun.
I had a really great time at most these parties (even though I got sick at a couple because I have several food allergies and intolerances that I choose to ignore when good food is around). Some of them I stayed the required hour and then gave a lame excuse to leave, because it was polite to come, but I had nothing to do and no one to talk to. B
But others, I stayed for hours. If the party was at a venue, I stayed until clean-up. If the party was at the person's house, I stayed until it was so dark I couldn't see two feet in front of me.
I really feel like those times with friends was really great, and really valuable, especially since we're all going our separate ways to college. Squeezing in a few last memories before we all need to move in and start classes is something I'll never regret.
And I know it's not like we'll never see each other again. Three of those 8 people whose parties I attended, I plan to see them at least once a year for as long as possible. But we're not seeing each other every single day in the high school hallway or in classes anymore, so it's going to be different.
Grad parties get 4.9/5, because of great memories, hilarious fun, but the occasional awkward silence...
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