Hosting a Fun Graduation Party | Celebrating My Master’s Degree
Spring of 2025 was a big deal for me, not only was I celebrating one year of being a United States citizen but I also graduated with my Master’s degree! I’m sharing all the decorations and some inspiration pictures that you can use for your graduation party! P.S. Congratulations on this milestone!
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In May 2025, I graduated with my Master of Information Management from the University of Maryland, College Park. This was a major accomplishment for me, not only am I the first in my family to get a Master’s degree but I also embarked on this graduate school journey five years after graduating from college with my undergraduate degree. So when it came time to celebrate, I wanted to go all out!
The Party Location
I tried so hard to find a private dining location for my graduation party but my expected party size was either too big or too small for the private dining spaces I found. In the end, True Food Kitchen was able to accommodate our party size but it did mean we wouldn’t have a private dining space but would rather be seated amidst other guests. I was willing to compromise on this because I knew 1) the food would be amazing and 2) it was close enough to easily bring in some decorations.
When I was reaching out about where in the restaurant my graduation party would be held, I specifically requested outside space and a space off to the side, suggesting a corner. In the end, we were placed smack dab in the front and center of the restaurant! As soon as any quests walked in, they were able to see my party happening (which was a little embarrassing but I got some lovely compliments)!
How to find a Private Dining Space for Your Graduation Party
If you are interested in having your graduation party at a restaurant, here are a few things to keep in mind from my journey in looking for a private dining space for my graduation party (and for my wedding).
Know your party size. The best case scenario is that you already know approximately how many people will attend your graduation party, or you have a very close range. Knowing your party size means you can pick the appropriate-sized private dining space and can calculate costs per person.
Keep costs in mind. Some restaurants charge an amount for the private dining space plus the cost of food, while other restaurants simply have a food minimum you have to hit. Ask the restaurant how they charge for the use of the private dining space, and if there is a minimum you must fulfill.
Ask about decorations. If you’re going all out with decorations for your graduation party, make sure to ask when you can bring in decorations and who is in charge of setting it up, and if you can have an extra table to set-up those decorations. Can you drop-off decorations the night before? Do you need to show up early to set-up or will a staff member set-up for you? These are all important things to plan when establishing your party timeline!
The Party Invitation
I sent out physical invitations for my graduation party but three people did not even receive them! EVER! So learn from my mistake and send out a digital invitation (or maybe a combo of digital and physical cards). There are a few important things to list on your invite:
- location of the event
- start time for the event
- and your theme (if you have one)
- contact information for the person organizing things (this could be you or a significant other or friend)
If your event is in a difficult area to find parking, I would also include some suggestions on parking spots to make it easier for your guests.
The Party Decorations
I went a little above and beyond for my decorations. Not only did I prepare balloon displays, but I also had a picture of myself (to help people find out table), a photo album, floral displays for the table, and a card box, and so much more!
Below I am describing and linking all the decorations I used!
In this picture, you can see some of the balloon displays I made (I had two total). These were super helpful in creating that fun party atmosphere and establishing a color palette! I used some of the balloons that came with the stands but I also got additional metallic purple balloons.
The GRAD boxes were also helpful in helping guests find where we located and were so fun to have as a background in photos! I especially loved that I could place balloons inside, but you could also place pictures of you at different ages.
Off to the side, there is a card box where guests were able to drop off their cards and any other small gifts.
Lastly, I used a linen photo album to showcase pictures from me as a little girl in elementary school all the way to the current year. This was a hit at the party since most people at the party only knew me in the past five or seven years!
Here you can see a few more decorations, including a 2×3 foot picture of myself! I got the picture printed at Staples and then used a frame from Michael’s. Here’s another gorgeous frame option, this one is available in gold!
To hold up the picture and frame, I bought an easel from Michael’s and it held up the entire party! I was so worried it was going to shift or fall but it did not, and set-up was super easy.
For the floral centerpieces (also from Michael’s), I added some sparkly text centerpieces. This picture shows one that says ‘Congrats Grad’.
Another decoration I grabbed but is a little hard to see in the picture are graduation cap straws. These were super fun for people to use with their water glasses at the restaurant.
Gallery of Graduation Party Pictures
After two years of studying and #grinding, I finally graduated with my Master’s degree! I wanted to commemorate all my work and studying with a graduation party and I’m so glad I had friends and family who were ready to help me celebrate!
If you’re planning your own graduation party, make sure to check out all the decoration links and my advice on booking a private dining space. Congratulations on this milestone, you did it!
This is a graduate school post about
Hosting a Fun Graduation Party!
