High school or college graduation calls for a graduation party. Typically, the parents of the graduating student throw these parties. Whether the graduation party is a small and intimate gathering of close friends and family members or a huge production with hundreds of guests, it can be a headache to prepare. Follow these tips to make event planning for a graduation party less of a hassle.

1. Choose a Location and Date

The setting for your graduation party depends greatly on the type of party being held. A small to medium sized party can easily be held in the graduate’s backyard. A larger party may require renting out a banquet hall or a park pavilion. You should also consider the types of activities you’d like to offer at the party. Many graduates enjoy throwing pool parties or barbeques, while others prefer a simple indoor party.

The date of the party will largely depend on your schedule. Most graduation parties are held in May or June. In some cases, throwing a graduation party at an earlier or later date than other students may help to avoid conflicts with other students’ graduation parties.

2. Invitations

As with the party location, invitations largely depend on the type of party. Larger parties are usually open house, meaning that guests can come and go as they please and bring friends if they wish. For a smaller party, you’ll want to send out invitations that include the location, date and time of the party and an RSVP date.

3. Food and Beverages

The biggest attraction of many graduation parties is the food. Most graduation parties feature a sort of buffet style arrangement, with a variety of snacks and desserts and a few selections for the main meal. Popular choices include burgers and brats, submarine sandwiches, tacos, and pasta dishes. Often, graduation parties will feature a large sheet cake that says Congrats Graduate!

Alcohol is served at many graduation parties. While this is rarely an issue at college graduations, where nearly everyone is at least 21 year old, it may pose a problem at high school graduation parties. Parents should use discretion when deciding whether to serve alcohol.