High School Graduation Parties

Invitation Example

May is high school graduation season.

Around a month ago, people started receiving their invitations to the graduation parties of high school seniors they know. While there might be a "friend only" party later, this invitation is the "everyone I know" party (family, friends, friends of family, etc etc).

If you have a child who is a high school senior, you could end up attending (or your child attending) a lot of these parties as, in my experience, it's not common for them to be combined.  You might have one or two seniors celebrating at the one party, but most likely each person would have their own party.  Because there's not an infinite number of dates available, you may have more than one party on the same day, one a long time before graduation or a long time after graduation. 

The invitations (like the example above) are often made up with professional senior photos that seniors have done. The ones that I've seen are glamour shots, scenic, styled around hobbies or a combination of them. Aside from the invitations, the photos can also be wallet sized pics that friends hand out to each other to remember each other by. They will also use one of these photos to put in the Yearbook. I think it's a great idea to have these sorts of photos taken and hopefully because it's the norm it wouldn't be stupidly expensive either. I had a quick look and one I looked at charged $200 for the basic package and $300 for the deluxe plus $180 for the CD of images with exclusive rights. Another charged $180 for the shoot and had a $275.00 minimum for the images. From just those two examples you'd expect to pay about $400 - $500. Seems a little too rich for my blood but the pictures are a one time thing.... worth it? I'll let you decide :)

The parties themselves, that I've been to, involve cake (of course!) and/or cupcakes, chips, dip and other finger food as well as hamburgers (sloppy joes normally - have I explained what that is yet?) or brats (bratwurst) and things like that. Over the years parent's have keep everything you've ever done from when you were little until you were graduating. Projects, awards, ribbons, class photos...

As for what you do at these events... In my experience they're during the day (5pm - 8pm being the last one I went to) and you walk in, sign a guest book, hug the graduate and hand them a card with money in it. Some people then walk around and chat to people, sit and eat, look at the displays (of photos and awards etc) and that's it. It's also considered a bit of a congratulations for the parents as well.

I asked around and other common things are kegs and bonfires (depending where you live of course). These things sound more like what I'm used to in Australia but large parties for everyone, no cake and no money/presents involved (and of course most of us we were of legal age to drink!).

I have to admit that when I first found out that you're supposed to give money as a present it was weird to me. Mostly because it makes it seem like graduation is such a surprise or such a rarity that money (i.e. a bribe) needs to be involved in order for it to happen. In my opinion graduating IS the reward but I'm all for something that gives people an incentive to graduate. It's a huge deal in someones life and definitely something I believe everyone should have the opportunity to do.

Congrats to all the Grads!