Graduation celebration ideas

UK graduation day is mostly queueing, photographs and a ceremony you can't hear properly, so the celebration is what everyone remembers.

Below: how to handle the day itself, party ideas for afterwards, decorations, gifts that get used, and card wording.

Most ceremonies fall in July or in November or December, so plan around the weather accordingly.

The day itself

• Book the restaurant weeks ahead - every family in the city is eating out that day.
• Gown collection takes longer than the email says. Arrive early.
• Bring flat shoes for after the photos.
• Take the family photo before the ceremony while the gown is still tidy.
• Agree a meeting point outside; phone signal on campus will be useless.
• Book a photographer slot in advance if the university offers one.

Party ideas afterwards

• Garden party at home the weekend after, once everyone's caught up on sleep.
• Barbecue with a banner and a cap-shaped cake.
• Long-table dinner for both sides of the family.
• Pub function room for the course friends, separate from the family do.
• Afternoon tea with grandparents who couldn't manage the ceremony.
• Joint party with a coursemate to split the cost and the guest list.

Decorations and photo ideas

• A banner in the university colours behind the food table.
• A cake topper with the degree subject on it.
• Photo wall: nursery, first day of school, first day of uni, graduation.
• Balloons in threes rather than an arch.
• A guest book for messages, kept with the certificate.
• Frame the ceremony photo before the party and put it on the table.

Graduation gifts that get used

• A framed print of the graduation date or the university city.
• Something for the first flat: good mugs, a decent pan, proper knives.
• A keepsake box for the certificate and the tassel.
• A watch or piece of jewellery that lasts.
• Money towards the interview suit - unglamorous, always welcome.
• A pin badge for the graduation subject, worn on the gown for photos.
• A card that says what you're proud of, kept long after the gift is gone.

What to write in a graduation card

• You did it - and nobody's surprised.
• Three years of hard work and questionable diets. Well done.
• So proud of you. Whatever's next, you've earned it.
• Congratulations, graduate. Now the real fun starts.
• From first day nerves to this. Brilliant.
• Onwards - and don't forget who did your washing.

Shop graduation cards

Cake toppers and decorations

Toppers, banners and confetti, designed in house and printed in the UK.

How to write it so it lands

• Book the restaurant well before graduation day - the whole city books out.
• Take the family photo before the ceremony, not after.
• Hold the party the following weekend rather than the same evening.
• Frame the certificate; it ends up in a drawer otherwise.

Where to shop next

• Baby shower ideas
• Celebration cake ideas and toppers
• Celebration of life ideas
• Engagement celebration ideas
• Retirement celebration ideas
• 50th wedding anniversary ideas
• Anniversary celebration ideas
• Celebration quotes
• Christening celebration ideas
• Housewarming celebration ideas
• Graduation cards
• New job cards
• Party supplies
• Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas

Frequently asked questions

How do you celebrate a graduation?

Most families do the ceremony and photos, a meal out on the day, then a party at home the following weekend once everyone has recovered. A banner, a cake and a card cover most of it.

What is a good graduation gift?

Something for the next stage rather than a souvenir of the last one: things for a first flat, a keepsake box for the certificate, a framed print, or money towards an interview suit.

How much money do you give for a graduation?

In the UK there's no fixed amount and cash isn't expected at all. Where people do give money, £20 to £50 from family is typical, often towards something specific.

When are UK graduation ceremonies held?

Most universities hold them in July, with a second round in November or December for winter graduates and resits.