Bumping this up… so what is the etiquette for parties when you also have a graduate? We were invited to several college grad parties for friends whose kids graduated. We also have a college grad but are NOT having a party.
We called people for a party and said no gifts. Someone called us for a party and suggested a red cross donation if we wanted to give something. Someone else said no gifts.
Our kids graduated a long while ago. We had high school graduation things, but never college.
For HS, there were SOOOO many graduation parties in June, that we decided to have a picnic the first weekend of August for both kids. It was sort of a last party as many were leaving for college shortly after. It was a very relaxing picnic with hamburgs and hot dogs, a few salads, some kind of dessert…and we specifically said…no gifts.
This was for neighbors and friends of the kids…our families live far away and we didn’t expect them to show up for a picnic. Grandparents were at the HS graduation ceremony and we went out to dinner then.
People where I live have large parties — some almost as grand as a wedding reception — for high school graduation. Neither of my kids had one, but the amount we gave to others had nothing to do with whether or not the gift was going to be reciprocated. Not having parties was our choice, as was attending others’ events and giving them gifts.
I don’t know if anyone who has college graduation parities here. My older daughter attends college out-of-state and at her school a lot of kids/families will have small parties at the kids’ houses, so we will probably do that with her housemates’ families. It will be more of a celebration for those kids, their families, and some of the girls’ close friends. We won’t invite any of our own friends or family as her school is hours away.
Got a bunch of $10 and $25 Amazon gift cards, ones not given as a gift can be used by the daughter as she gets her things for college. $10 if just my kid is going and we are not friends with the family, $25 for those where her and I both attend and/or we are friends with the family.
We are having a family only brunch in late July as sort of a fairwell as my daughter will be leaving mid aug for school 11 hours away
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My son graduated from college this year. We did not have a party and I am not aware of any of his friends having parties. It’s just not a thing around here. My mother sent him a very generous present. We went on a family vacation to WDW and his sister paid for his drinking around the world in Epcot. That’s about it.
My twin nephews graduated from high school yesterday. The ceremony was in the morning and they had a picnic type party in the afternoon. They live in a mountain ski town (3 hours away), traffic on holiday weekends is a nightmare, and weather has been sketchy lately (rain and hail) so none of us from the city went.
Will send checks.