If you’ve just moved into a new home or apartment, there’s a great way to show off the new residence to your friends and family members. You should consider an open house warming party. These events are some of the most popular today and have long been a great choice for graduation parties. Many of the benefits include being easy to plan and very casual. This makes them quite enjoyable for the guest and for the host alike. Of course, before you start sending out Moving Announcements and the open house party, you may have some questions about this type of event. You’ll find some answers below that will help guide your preparations of the Open House Invitations, http://www.cardsshoppe.com/moving-announcements/open-house-invitations.htm

How is an open house different from most parties?

With most parties, the host actually plans out some events and activities for the guests to enjoy. Think about the last birthday party you attended. In most cases, the party’s host has a set time to bring out the birthday cake, to open presents, to start the festivities, etc. That means the host is usually always thinking about what needs to be done and how to coordinate all of the events in an effective way. With an open house, the party lasts for a set time but guests can arrive and leave any time throughout that period. With the housewarming open house party, you provide refreshments that guests can enjoy throughout that period, for example.

What should I say in the invitations for the house open party?

You won’t find these invitations to be much different than writing any others. Of course, you can definitely have fun with the wording. You’ll want to keep the Moving Announcements, http://www.express-invitations.com/moving-announcements/ and the invitations open house party simple – that sets the tone for the rest of the fun party. You’ll find an example below:

We’ve finished the move and now we’re ready to party. Join us for an Open House Party. The festivities start on June 2nd from 5 pm to 9 pm 555 New Resident Avenue, Chicago Illinois 00003 We’ll have refreshments ready. Feel free to bring your own choice of liquid refreshments.

Notice that these invitations don’t have any type of RSVP details because something that formal is also not needed. You want guests to be able to drop in as they want. Also, if you don’t want any children at the event, you may want to add an “adults only, please” message.

Do you have any open house party ideas?

One thing you should consider after sending your Moving Announcements, http://www.cardsshoppe.com/moving-announcements/ but before mailing the Open House Invitations, http://www.express-invitations.com/moving-announcements/open-house-invitations.php is the refreshments. You definitely want to keep the food menu simple because your guests need to be able to easily access the food. As the host, you also don’t want to serve anything that might make your job more time-consuming than necessary. Chips, popcorn, meat trays, relish trays, cupcakes, cookies, and even pizza are all excellent choices you might choose. Don’t forget to mention whether or not guests can drink alcohol on the premises in the open house party.

I know you may be overwhelmed with the whole idea of planning a graduation party and you are worried about things like:  Am I going to have a graduation open house or a graduation party?  How do I pick a date?  How much is it going to cost?  What is a good graduation party menu?  How much food do I need?  Before you get stressed out with the details, stop and ask yourself this question:  ”Why am I planning this graduation party or graduation open house?”

When you have answered this question, you are ready to proceed.  As with any great task, the first thing you must determine is, “what is the outcome you want?”  Steven Covey, in his book, Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, said “Begin with the end in mind.”

You have poured your life into your child’s from the time they were an infant until their upcoming graduation.  You have spent many nights helping with homework, going to sporting events, and listening to their stories.  All these great moments remind you how hard you have worked to get them to this point in their life.  But this event is not going to be about you, or how nice your home looks, or how great a party you put on.  It is about celebrating your child.  Focus on what you want your child to know and experience from this event.  It can be about their accomplishments, their friendships, or any number of things.

I suggest you put together a list of things you want the graduation open house to highlight.

Here are a few suggestions:

– high school academic accomplishments – high school sports or extracurricular activities – Friendships – Family – Past special occasions – Future plans

Once you have determined your reason(s) for having a graduation open house and have decided how you are going to make treasured memories for your child, you are ready to begin planning.

www.bestgradparty.com

Choosing the date should be a simple thing, right?  One would think so, but there are several factors to consider before simply picking a date and marking it on your calendar.

If you plan early, your task is less complicated because there are fewer potential conflicts.  First, check on the date of graduation.  Each year, celebrations are held earlier; many are set even before graduation.  This helps spread out the events so people are free to attend more of them.  The bulk of graduation parties and graduation open houses are scheduled on graduation night and for the next two weeks.  Fewer guests will attend the further from graduation the event is scheduled. Although it would seem like waiting a month would be a great idea because your graduate’s open house will not conflict with others’, many friends will lose interest in celebrating graduations after a few weeks, June weddings often take away potential guests, and others just want to get busy enjoying their summer at the lake, rather than going to another graduation open house. 

Second, check the school calendar to be sure there are no conflicting activities.  Then just decide on a date that will be convenient for you and your family, and notify extended family, neighbors, and close friends of your teen and family of the date and time and you are all set.

Once the date is chosen and people are notified, it will be difficult to change it.  It is possible, but not preferable.  Like a wedding date, there will always be people who are important to your family who will not be able to attend and you will just have to be sure that the most important people in your lives will not have a conflict on the day you have chosen.

If you are not fortunate enough to choose your date early, you will need to take into account a few things:  First, are the neighbors having party at same time so there would be a parking problem?  Secondly, what dates and times have your teen’s closest friends picked?  (If a best friend’s open house is on the same day from 3:00-6:00 p.m. and your open house is from 4:00-7:00 p.m., the friend may be able to join your party for the last half hour, but your teen may not be able to attend their friend’s event.)  Have your graduate check dates and times of their friends’ open houses and ask them to prioritize the ones they want to be sure to attend.  Then steer clear of those dates.  Lastly, if out-of-town relatives are coming, what day would work best for their travel schedules?  A Friday or a Sunday night doesn’t allow them time to travel without conflicting with weekday work schedules.  If you have a lot of traveling guests, a Saturday graduation open house might be best. 

If it’s too difficult to choose your date because of these and other factors, consider:

– Choosing a date before graduation – Scheduling your event on a weeknight – Having a weekend brunch or early lunch – Or, if necessary, pick a date several weeks after graduation

One final hint:  three hours is an excellent amount of time for a graduation open house.  Events that are four or more hours long allow the opportunity for lulls in attendance, which detract from the party atmosphere.  Also, with most of the preparation and clean-up on that day, three hours of entertaining will be perfect; more than that may lead to exhaustion for you and your family.

Once you have picked the date and time of your graduation open house, you are well on your way.  It won’t be long and you will have all your graduation party ideas pulled together.

Laurie Phelps

www.bestgradparty.com

Graduation is the stage where you look back at many years in the education process and hope that will someday be of great help to you. Although there are lots of choices waiting to be made, there is an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment soaring through your being. As they say, in the words of a Dr. Seuss, “with brains in the head as well as feet in the shoes, you can always steer yourself in whatever direction you wish to choose!” Graduation is a time to celebrate. And what better way to do so than by giving a graduation party?

After graduation, family and friends often celebrate with the graduate. It’s a huge achievement that usually takes years to finally complete. For this reason, many people decide to have a http://www.graduationcardsshop.com/party_open_house_invitations/categorycontent-7.htm graduation party or graduation open house party. Whatever grade or graduation level the graduate has completed, graduation party invitations and graduation open house invitations are a must and the first step in making the celebration one that the graduate and the guests will remember forever.

Whether the invitations are college graduating party invitations, high school graduation party invitations, Home School graduation party invitations, junior high school party invitations, 8th Grade graduation party invitations, middle school graduation party invitations, kindergarten graduation party invitations, nursing school graduation party invitations, or other types such as law school graduation party invitations, medical school graduation party invitations or other programs or grades, there are many things that need to be taken into consideration when creating the invites.

Deciding on who should be invited to the graduation party is the first major task when creating college graduation, high school graduation party invitations and HomeSchool graduation party invitations. Looking over your Christmas card list is a place to start as this will have the family and friends that need to be there. The graduate should also asked who they would like attending their party. It’s also a nice idea to send college graduation party invitations and high school graduation party invitations to the parents of the graduate’s friends.

While creating the mailing list of all the people that will be receiving college graduation party invitations and high school graduation party invitations, it will save time by printing two copies of the list. This will make it easier when it is time to send graduation party thank you cards to those that attend the party or send a gift.

When choosing a design for the college graduation party invitations, there are many wonderful designs online. http://www.cardspersonalized.com/Graduation-Party-Open-House-Invitations-Cards-9-76.htm Customizing graduation party cards is a great way to make them more personal and many online stores have many options. If there are no acceptable designs online, individuals can always send in very personal items such as photos, or other special memorabilia that can be placed right into the college or high school graduation party invitations. Something such as the program from the ceremony, for example, might make for nice party invitations.

Everyone knows that even small kids feel proud about making the transition from preschool to kindergarten, and parents love to encourage their child. The lovely designs for Kindergarten Graduation and Preschool Graduation Invitations are destined to make you say ‘wow’! Similarly, there are unique graduation announcements cards for Junior High School, 8th Grade & Middle School Graduation Party Invitations. All these wonderful customized graduation announcements cards are very affordable and can save you a lot of time as well. Allowing online professionals to assist with the creating of your graduation invitations cards gives you time to enjoy the rest of your preparations without worrying about making the graduation announcements on time.

The college graduation party invitations wording ideas or high school graduation party invitations wording verses will help set the tone of the party. If it’s going to be an informal affair, the graduation party invitations sayings can be playful with something such as, “Help us celebrate, her schooling is done! Ready to take on the world, Here she comes!” If the party is going to be a bit more formal, it can simple state, “We request the honor of your presence at Rebecca Smith’s graduation open house.” The wordings on the graduation party invitation can also be made more personal and reflect the tone of the party.

When so many people are graduating at about the same time, you really want to do something a little bit different in order to maximize the turnout at your own event. One of the best ideas for doing this is holding a Graduation Open House, http://www.cardsshoppe.com/graduation-announcements/graduation-open-house-party.htm. Because you don’t need as much room or as large of a budget, there are plenty of great reasons to consider this type of event.

What is an Graduation Open House?

If you’ve ever been to an open house for real estate, the concept is very similar. Instead of having a specific start and end time for the party and an expectation that guests will arrive at the beginning and stay until the end, this type of event assumes that guests will be coming and going throughout a set period. For example, if your graduation party wording says the open house will last from 2 pm until 7 pm, you can expect guests to filter in and out between those times at their convenience. Some may end up staying 30 minutes; others may end up staying the entire time.

One of the advantages for you as the host is that you don’t have to plan a specific entertainment schedule. Instead, you can simply provide a buffet table for guests and some music playing throughout the time then sit back and mingle. There’s no reason to have a schedule because people will be coming and going at their leisure.

Sending Graduation Open House Invitations, http://www.graduationcardsshop.com/party_open_house_invitations/cards/productlisting-7-43.htm

If you do decide to have this type of event, you’ll first want to make sure that guests understand the type of party you are throwing. Most people are more familiar with the traditional type of graduation party so be sure to explain that with this approach guests don’t need to RSVP because the entire thing is going to be more casual. Be sure to still send the invitations graduation open house, http://www.graduationcardsshop.com/party_open_house_invitations/cards/productlisting-7-43.htm a couple of weeks in advance.

You’ll also want to plan the refreshments accordingly. Since there will be no set time for food, you should create a buffet that people can eat from any time they arrive. That means it’s a good idea to avoid foods that could go bad if left out for too long. You might also want to avoid having any type of real meal. Instead, focus on fun snack foods, such as bowls of chips and popcorn. Maybe a chocolate fountain to add some fun. Keep things light and simple. For example, instead of having a cake that would need to be cut at a certain point, serve cupcakes on decorative platters so guests can help themselves at any time during the Graduation Open House Party Invitations, http://www.express-invitations.com/graduation-announcements/open-house-party.php

Finally, if you do plan on having guests bring gifts to the Graduation Announcements open house, http://www.cardsshoppe.com/graduation-announcements/ make sure to have a safe place set aside for these items and don’t plan on opening them until after the party is over.

Many of the better online printing stationery stores offer you more benefits and advantages for buying your invitations and announcements cards from them, such as:

* One-of-a-Kind and Exclusive Designs * SAME DAY Printing and Shipping * Add a Photo, Picture or Logo to Any Cards on Their Site * Modify Any Card Design or Color * Create a Design Just For You * Proof submitted within One hour AND make unlimited changes at NO extra cost * Receive Free 10 Cards and Free Shipping * See Your Personalized Open House Graduation Announcements, http://www.express-invitations.com/graduation-announcements/ BEFORE You Buy

Here is a checklist to help:

Compile a guest list.  Ask the graduate for a list. Decide on a budget. Decide on a location for the party. Decide on what type of food to serve. Order or create invitations. Order food if having catered. Purchase supplies for decorations. (don’t forget the film!), as well as, plates, cups, plastic silverware, etc. Send out invitations. Order cake Clean and decorate Let the party begin!

Here are some fun and unique graduation party ideas:

Make a scrapbook for the graduate. Start the book with baby pictures and all through school, with photos of friends and family, as well as, sports, awards, and activities. On the last pages, include what the graduate’s aspirations and college plans are. Display on the gift table for all to enjoy.Location Ideas: Videotape the party! They will have a keepsake to treasure and to share with others later. Decorate a box with an opening for cards for guests to put cards for the graduate. Hire a fortune teller or caricature artist for a unique and fun activity. Ask a friend or family member to take candid photos during the party. Then — add pages to your scrapbook later with photos from the party! Set up volleyball, or croquet for all to play. Set a child’s mini pool on top of a table and fill with ice. Place bowls of salads on top of ice to keep cool throughout the party.

 Graduation Party Location Ideas:

local parks often have pavillions with picnic tables.
(They also have tennis courts, etc.. ) country clubs banquet halls your home

Note: Allow at least 4 months prior to reserve space..graduations, reunions, showers, and receptions usually take place during the summer months so space is usually limited.

For more great graduation party ideas and tips visit It’s A Party-ful Life!

When so many people are graduating at about the same time, you really want to do something a little bit different in order to maximize the turnout at your own event. One of the best ideas for doing this is holding an open house graduation, http://www.graduationcardsshop.com/party_open_house_invitations/cards/productlisting-7-43.htm Because you don’t need as much room or as large of a budget, there are plenty of great reasons to consider this type of event.

Basics of the Graduation Open House Party, http://www.cardsshoppe.com/graduation-announcements/graduation-open-house-party.htm

Real estate open houses are similar in many ways to this type of party. Usually, the property is made available and open to visitors during a specific time frame. The realtor or host of the open is on hand to greet people and to guide the festivities but otherwise people are free to come and go as they please. The same is basically true of this type of event. If your graduation party wording says the party will run from 5 pm until 10 pm, you can expect guests to be dropping by throughout that time, staying for a bit, then going elsewhere.

One of the advantages for you as the host is that you don’t have to plan a specific entertainment schedule. Instead, you can simply provide a buffet table for guests and some music playing throughout the time then sit back and mingle. There’s no reason to have a schedule because people will be coming and going at their leisure.

Sending Graduation Open House Invitations, http://www.graduationcardsshop.com/party_open_house_invitations/cards/productlisting-7-43.htm

If you do decide to have this type of event, you’ll first want to make sure that guests understand the type of party you are throwing. Most people are more familiar with the traditional type of graduation party so be sure to explain that with this approach guests don’t need to RSVP because the entire thing is going to be more casual. Be sure to still send the invitations graduation open house a couple of weeks in advance.

Don’t forget to choose the refreshments carefully as well. Even though the Graduation Party Invitations, http://www.graduationcardsshop.com/party_open_house_invitations/cards/productlisting-7-43.htm state the party is casual, guests will still expect something to get their stomachs full and their thirsts quenched. Avoid serving alcohol since you don’t know where your guests have been or where they are going and since these types of parties don’t usually keep people around the whole night. However, you could serve some non-alcoholic drinks or allow guests to bring their own. Otherwise, make sure to have mostly snack foods at the open house graduation. Chips, popcorn, pretzels, cupcakes, and similar food items are the best options. There’s no reason to serve a real meal.

Even though the event is casual, some guests may still bring a gift to the open house graduation. Plan for a safe place where they can be kept until opened after the party ends.

Come and experience the MANY benefits of doing business online with the biggest shoppes and best way to buy graduate announcement cards and online party invitations for graduation.

• Unique and Exclusive Designs • See Your Personalized Open House Graduation BEFORE You Buy with patented Instant Preview Features • Proofs Emailed within ONE Hour, and You Can Make Unlimited Changes at No Additional Cost • Receive Free 10 Cards graduation and Free Shipping • Print and ship orders on the same day of purchase • Add a photo, a picture or a logo to any card • Modify Any Card Design or Color • Will Create a Design Just For You

Other graduation party invitations types include, high school party invitations, college graduate party invites, kindergarten invitations party and more.

After graduation, family and friends often celebrate with the graduate. It’s a huge achievement that usually takes years to finally complete. For this reason, many people decide to have a http://www.graduationcardsshop.com/party_open_house_invitations/categorycontent-7.htm graduation party or graduation open house party. Whatever grade or graduation level the graduate has completed, graduation party invitations and graduation open house invitations are a must and the first step in making the celebration one that the graduate and the guests will remember forever.

Whether the invitations are college graduating party invitations, high school graduation party invitations, Home School graduation party invitations, junior high school party invitations, 8th Grade graduation party invitations, middle school graduation party invitations, kindergarten graduation party invitations, nursing school graduation party invitations, or other types such as law school graduation party invitations, medical school graduation party invitations or other programs or grades, there are many things that need to be taken into consideration when creating the invites.

Deciding on who should be invited to the graduation party is the first major task when creating college graduation, high school graduation party invitations and HomeSchool graduation party invitations. Looking over your Christmas card list is a place to start as this will have the family and friends that need to be there. The graduate should also asked who they would like attending their party. It’s also a nice idea to send college graduation party invitations and high school graduation party invitations to the parents of the graduate’s friends.

While creating the mailing list of all the people that will be receiving college graduation party invitations and high school graduation party invitations, it will save time by printing two copies of the list. This will make it easier when it is time to send graduation party thank you cards to those that attend the party or send a gift.

When choosing a design for the college graduation party invitations, there are many wonderful designs online. http://www.cardspersonalized.com/Graduation-Party-Open-House-Invitations-Cards-9-76.htm Customizing graduation party cards is a great way to make them more personal and many online stores have many options. If there are no acceptable designs online, individuals can always send in very personal items such as photos, or other special memorabilia that can be placed right into the college or high school graduation party invitations. Something such as the program from the ceremony, for example, might make for nice party invitations.

Everyone knows that even small kids feel proud about making the transition from preschool to kindergarten, and parents love to encourage their child. The lovely designs for Kindergarten Graduation and Preschool Graduation Invitations are destined to make you say ‘wow’! Similarly, there are unique graduation announcements cards for Junior High School, 8th Grade & Middle School Graduation Party Invitations. All these wonderful customized graduation announcements cards are very affordable and can save you a lot of time as well. Allowing online professionals to assist with the creating of your graduation invitations cards gives you time to enjoy the rest of your preparations without worrying about making the graduation announcements on time.

The college graduation party invitations wording ideas or high school graduation party invitations wording verses will help set the tone of the party. If it’s going to be an informal affair, the graduation party invitations sayings can be playful with something such as, “Help us celebrate, her schooling is done! Ready to take on the world, Here she comes!” If the party is going to be a bit more formal, it can simple state, “We request the honor of your presence at Rebecca Smith’s graduation open house.” The wordings on the graduation party invitation can also be made more personal and reflect the tone of the party.