Graduation season is well upon us! If you haven’t done much planning yet, don’t worry – as caterers, we’re here to help make your graduation party planning easy. You’ve come to the right place to learn from the best – from building a menu to picking the best activities for guests, we’re giving you all our top tips and tricks, in a tidy, timeline and checklist just for you.
When you’re finished learning all the details below, be sure to download the one-pager of our Grad Party Planning Checklist – so you can pin it up on your fridge and keep your plans rolling.
Sliders, flatbreads, and savory bites – all crowd favorites at any graduation celebration.
4-6 weeks out from your graduation party:
While some grad party hosts may have rented their backyard tents as soon as their student started senior year, we believe you can plan an incredible grad party in 4-6 weeks, especially if you hire the right graduation caterer who’s planned these many times! Here’s where we think is a good place to start a little over a month out:
- Choose a theme or vibe for your celebration – If you’re hosting a high school graduation celebration and your graduate is moving on to college, choosing the school’s colors and mascot is a great way to go. Or if your graduate has a passion they pursued in school – soccer, debate, or art (perhaps the “culinary” kind?) – that can be woven into a theme as well. Build a Pinterest board and have fun with it!
- Pick the date – And a guest list! Whether you’re inviting immediate family or the entire graduating class, who and how many you’re hosting can help guide you on everything else, especially what kind of food to serve. Are you inviting over the whole football team? Perhaps serve a variety of sliders so they can eat on the go as they pass a ball for good time’s sake. How about a smaller group of professors and classmates? Hiring a caterer to pass hors d’oeuvres and set up stunning artisan cheeseboards might be the way to go.
These Tenderloin Button Sliders are the perfect pick for an elevated celebration and an active crowd.
Bonus tip: book your caterer and venue as soon as you have a date in mind. It’s a busy season for events, and dates get booked up fast for your key support team! Photo by Jen Brown Photography.
- Choose your caterer and decide on a dessert – This might be our top tip for easy graduation party planning. Most people might think about ordering a cake, but not enough are thinking about the rest of the food. We highly recommend hiring a caterer to make the food part easy. Cooking for a crowd can be one of the most time-consuming aspects of hosting, and you’ll want to spend your time enjoying the day. Check out our grad party-friendly spreads, including seasonal flatbreads, taco bars, and beautiful crudité arrangements for inspiration.
- Book your venue – Or prep your backyard! Both options can be easy, elevated, and economical. We’ve planned parties for parents who co-hosted graduation parties for their kids in the same graduating class at a venue. You split the bill, and students in their class have one less party to try to squeeze into their busy schedules this summer! That’s what this family did last year at our exclusive venue, High Line Car House.
Co-hosting a graduation party is a great way to celebrate big without breaking the bank. Ask about availability at our exclusive venue, High Line Car House, pictured above.
If you decide to host your party at home, you’ll just have some yard work to do, and if you choose to have the party spill outside, we highly recommend renting or buying a tent to add ease to your grad’s special day.
“This was THE best catering experience I have ever had! The crew was absolutely amazing, kind, knowledgeable, and simply wonderful. I have already recommended Together & Company to so many people. Everyone at the party complimented you guys and the food was superb! Thank you for making the party a success. I will definitely be in touch again. ❤️ Your kindness was felt with every detail. Thank you.”
– Jenni McMaster, grad party for Jackson & Isabella’s grad party 5/30/25
Send invitations
Keep this part simple! We’ve used Evite or Paperless Post to design digital invitations for events, and we think it’s a great move if you’re short on time. If going digital isn’t up grandma’s alley, you can always send her a paper card in the mail with a personal note!
While you’re grad party planning, you might discover you’d like more help with your to-dos. Fill out an inquiry form to let us know what you need, from catering and ordering rentals to decor and event setup.
2-3 weeks before your graduation party:
Finalize your menu and headcount
Knowing how many people are attending your party is essential to making sure everyone gets some delicious food. If you’re working with a graduation party caterer, they can handle the menu details and all you need to do is share how many people you expect to be there!
- Rentals are ordered – “Rentals” in the event world are things like tables and chairs, linens, and any extra furniture pieces you want to make your party guests feel welcome and comfortable. This is also the time to decide if you’d like any floral arrangements, and if you’re doing them yourself or hiring it out to a local florist! If you have a vision but have a hard time making selections, vendors like florists and planners are going to be your best friends. With Together & Company, you’d work with one of our amazing Event Producers, who can be as hands-on as you want them to be for your graduation party. Think of us as your one-stop shop for party planning!
Build-your-own menu experiences are always fun to offer at a party – take this taco bar, for example!
Go all-out with decor and hire a florist or planner, or go the DIY route! Either option makes your celebration space feel extra special.
- Book entertainment and vendors – Do you want to turn things up a notch and hire a DJ? How about choosing a photographer to capture memories while you enjoy the moment? All questions to consider, however we also think parties can be fun and remembered forever with a playlist you and your grad make together. Passing around disposable cameras is also a fun alternative for capturing memories. If you don’t know who to hire, get in touch with our Sales Partners and they’ll be happy to guide you towards our favorites.
- Order party supplies and decide on signage – a welcome sign is always a lovely detail at a party. Another nice touch might be menu cards to show what you’re serving at a buffet and if there are any allergens of note in each dish (Canva is a good place to design and print these!). If you work with a caterer, they will make that part easy for you, as they usually bring menu cards with dietary notes.
1 Week Before
You’re in the final stretch! Because you’ve done such good planning at this point, there are only a few things left to do:
- Confirm with your vendors – Call and check in with the folks you’re expecting to arrive on your event day, although some will give you a call all on their own!
- Create a memory table or slideshow – This is where the planning really starts to get special. Especially if you know you’re backed by a team who’s going to make the party smooth no matter what. Pour your favorite beverage and get the picture boxes or hard drives out of the closet and start reminiscing! To add to the memory-making, maybe invite your grad to join you so they can help pick out some photos that aren’t completely embarrassing 😉
After all your careful grad party planning, you’ll have time to focus on the memories, past and present!
- Set up signage (welcome, menu, photobooth, etc) – Trust us when we say you won’t want to be running around setting up signage and photo booth backdrops and props the day before your party. During the week leading up to hosting, pick out one of these tasks each day to chip away so you can make setup as stress-free as possible.
- Stock up on drinks, ice, and good vibes – If you don’t hire a bartender, make sure you have what you need in the beverage department! A good rule of thumb is having two bottles of water and two fun drinks per person. A few extras can’t hurt for good measure.
1 Day Before
The party is tomorrow! You made it this far and you are SO prepared. Only a couple more boxes to check:
- Decorate your space and set up – Time to drop linens and set tables! If you are renting a venue and there aren’t any events the day before your party, oftentimes the venue will allow you to come and decorate. If you host your party at one of our exclusive venues, our team can help you with this.
- Prepare for the details – Now that everything is in order, it’s a good time to prep your thank you speech or toast to the graduate. While you’re at it, charge your phone so it’ll be ready to take plenty of pics of the grad (and your food and decor setup before everyone arrives)!
- Pick up dessert and any lingering extras – The cake is ready, and you feel totally at ease for pick-up! If you notice anything missing while getting tables ready, pop by the store and grab anything extra you may need. If you didn’t get ice last week, pick some up today!
Grad Party Day!
Congrats! You’re prepared – Cue the playlist, set up food (or even better, our team is already there setting it up for you), and snap those selfies and group pics. You made planning easy on yourself, so now it’s time to relax and celebrate BIG!
Now that you’ve read up on all the details to make your grad party planning easy, download our one-pager Grad Party Planning Checklist so you can start checking those boxes!
Where the party planning gets even easier:
When you work with a caterer that can plan not just your menu, but every last detail! Our grad party weekends are filling up, so fill out an inquiry form today.