Graduation Party

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-19-2003
Graduation Party
4
Tue, 06-19-2007 - 11:48am
Hi- I just wanted to ask a question to those who have given high school graduation parties, as my daughters is coming up on Sunday. We will be having about 90 people, about 65 are teens. The invitation stated 2 to 10 o'clock. ( that was a bad idea).
We are planning on having hot dogs, hamburgers, rigatoni, various salads, chips and other snacks, and of course, a graduation cake.
My question, does anyone know from experience how much food to buy/make for this party.
I am clueless about this, and don't want to run out or have a lot of food left over.
Thanks for any advice in advance.
iVillage Member
Registered: 10-16-1999
In reply to: shukat
Tue, 06-19-2007 - 1:28pm

My experience has been that only about half the people that are invited actually eat at the party because they have multiple parties to go to.

Avatar for heartsandroses2002
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: shukat
Tue, 06-19-2007 - 6:59pm

Last year for dd19's graduation party, everyone, and then some, showed up. Thank God I am a little bit of a nut when it comes to having enough food. And I bought a lot of things that could be frozen, like hot dogs, hamburgers, cold cuts, etc. And the rest I sent home with family.

This year, a little less than those invited showed up, but I had a lot of things going on and didn't go too crazy with the food. We had some leftovers but not as much as last year. Again, being able to freeze some of it was a blessing. The salads and subs were eaten up by family within a couple of days, so no big waste there. The salads I wound up ditching mostly because they take up room in my fridge.

You have 90 outstanding invites, most of which are teens. I'd probably have enough food (in variety) to feed 60 and make sure you don't cook it all at once. Usually our guests arrive in waves with family first and then later the teens come over after already grazing elsewhere, kwim? Beverages are always my great concern and snacky foods also.

Have fun!

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-29-2004
In reply to: shukat
Tue, 06-19-2007 - 9:21pm

We had our daughter's grad party about 2 weeks ago. We had invited about 50 or so people, and ended up with about 40. We did ask for RSVPs and got quite a few actually. I had a spiral sliced ham, a big bakery cake, various pasta salads, chips and salsa, chips and dip, a veggie platter, and a variety of other smaller things. Amazingly enough, it turned out to be just about right. I did end up pitching the rest of the pasta salad because it had been sitting out awhile. Most of the food I could bag and either freeze or just use up bit by bit the next few days. I opted to not cookout hamburgers and hotdogs. To me that was too much work during the party. But that's a personal choice. Despite my personal dislike for bakery cakes (too sweet)it was a big hit, and there was very little left. We said on our invitations 3-6 and ended up with several people, closer family friends, here until 7 or so. That was plenty of time. As someone else here on the board said, most parties are just one of several on any given day so it really isn't necessary to host a really long one. Again, personal choice. The main thing is to have fun and enjoy friends and family, and give your child a lasting memory of their graduation.

Nancy

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-25-2006
In reply to: shukat
Tue, 06-19-2007 - 11:42pm

We invited about 60, and just about all came. Most of the adults (30?) had not attended any other parties that day, and ate.

Many of DS's classmates didn't eat at all, as they'd been to 6 other open houses before ours. Ask to see if the kids will be attending other parties before yours that same day. If yours is the only one for most, count on them eating.

Ordered a full sheet cake--only needed 1/2.

60 subs--all gone. 10# grilled sesame chicken--all gone.

Lots of leftover pasta salad, baked beans, art/spinach dip, red-pepper dip which I ate over the following 10 days, while DS17 ate at other kids' open houses. Kind of nice not having to cook for 2 weeks.

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