Are you planning a graduation party for a loved one? Here are the most common graduation party planning mistakes that you’ll want to avoid while doing so.

Are you getting ready to plan a graduation party? This important milestone is one of the biggest events you will plan. You may be celebrating your child’s graduation from elementary school, middle school, high school, or college. Or someone in your extended family may be graduating. This is the time to celebrate the years that they went through. But if you’re not careful, the most common graduation party planning mistakes can potentially completely derail the festivities. Check out this list to avoid making them.

Making Food Mistakes

Food is one of the most important aspects of any party. It’s also the cause of the most common graduation party planning mistakes. It’s easy to go overboard and make far more food than anyone cares to eat. Conversely, you could accidentally not provide enough food. If your party is during a regular mealtime, plan on preparing food for that meal. Make sure you know how many people to expect so that you don’t waste money or food by buying more than you need. If you plan to throw your party between meals, you should still plan on having snacks available, and they shouldn’t all be sweets.

Having the Party on the Same Day As the Ceremony

The day of the graduation ceremony may be the big day, but there’s no reason that you should throw the party on it. Throwing your graduation party the day of the graduation ceremony is asking for trouble. The big day is busy enough with rehearsals, dressing, getting to the correct location, and everything else that has to happen. There’s no reason to add to that busy day with a party! Set the party before or after graduation day instead to lessen the stress on everyone.

Skipping the Music

Have you ever been to a quiet party? They tend to be pretty awkward. To avoid this discomfort, turn the music on! Music can add a pleasant ambiance to parties and give people an excuse to move and groove. You can consider getting a DJ and setting up a dance floor, or you can create your own playlist to play instead.

Skipping the Invites

Finally, don’t skip the invitations! Sure, you could send a text invite, but what fun is that? Most invitations are easy to make. Plus, they can make a lovely keepsake for such an important milestone. You can design a nice one to let people know of the event.

So now that you’re aware of the most common graduation party planning mistakes, you can take the necessary steps to avoid making them. There are several must-know tips for planning graduation parties that will help you along the way. As you avoid planning mistakes, you can pick the party date early and aim to have alternative foods for picky eaters, among other things.