ByChris Posted on
Get black and gold graduation party ideas for table décor, centerpiece, and dessert. Celebrate high school graduation for your son or daughter with easy details, party tables, and ideas to host at home. For more themes and color schemed check out our graduation party ideas guide.
Black & Gold Graduation Party Ideas
Today it’s graduation party ideas with modern-classic style, featuring some cool diy elements you can do ahead of time.Graduation season is upon us so it’s time to start planning!
The key theme for this graduation party is the black and gold color scheme, and it’s established in the paper goods, decorations, and food.
There are also a few whimsical details like “graduation cap” bottle toppers, and “diploma” rolled napkins. Follow the links for more details where needed.
Graduation Table Decorations
Black, gold, and white look great together, and set the scene for classic graduation décor.
- Cover folding tables with my favorite fitted table cover.
- Add gold and white paper placemats. They’re economical for a crowd and are a great way to show place settings with or without plates on top – in case you’re serving buffet style where plates are on the food table.
- Roll up white napkins and tie with gold ribbon to look like diplomas. They add contrast to the black plates. For a budget friendly option, you can use disposable napkins, plates, and utensils.
- Serve mini bottles filled with our family-friendly golden graduation punch. The color of this signature drink coordinates with the rest of the party.
- Top the bottles with my favorite DIY graduation cap bottle toppers. In my opinion these MAKE the table!
Simple Centerpiece
- Place low-profile flower arrangements in the center of the table to allow for conversation flow.Large hydrangeas will fill out a vase nicely, and the white ones blend into the color theme.
- Print photo circles of the graduate, in various sizes and make floral picks that highlight the guest of honor. Simply adhere the photo cutouts to a craft stick or bamboo skewer and press them into the vase with flowers.
- Use more of the circles to make a chair swag for the guest of honor’s designated seat.
- Finally, you can provide a small favor at each place setting. Fill mini jars with black candies and tie them with gold ribbon or glitter tape.
How do you make a graduation party special?
You can give your party special touches with these decorations and activities.
- Display photos of the graduate, in frames around the space. Use images from different ages, activities, and with friends.
- Set up a photo booth area using a sheet or curtain as a simple backdrop. Add props like hats, signs, and novelty items. Create a hashtag for social media sharing.
- Have the graduates and friends create a special dance for TikTok.
- Upgrade the table setting with balloons.
- Decorate the outside entrance with balloon decorations to help guide guests where to go.
- Purchase a decadent chocolate ganache cake from the bakery and decorate with sparklers on top. Hand out more sparklers to the guests (just like 4th of July parties).
- Hang a shiny backdrop behind food tables, with metallic fringe.
- Prompt guests to write down words of wisdom for the graduate. Alternatively, have them write down a favorite memory with the guest of honor.
- Serve some of the graduate’s favorite foods.
- Set up a college table to display their chosen school. Cover it with collegiate colors, banners, mugs, and shirts or hoodies. Place printed motivational quotes for success, in frames.
PARTY TIP: Use New Years Eve decorations and these printable tags created for another project. Disregard the ‘2014’ and use the ‘Celebrate’ tags for a graduation party.
Dessert and Candy Table
Be sure to design a dessert table with the color theme in mind. This way the whole party has one cohesive look.
- Set up a sweets candy table as another focal point. Hang rows of tri-color tinsel garland for the backdrop. I made this by cutting a 20 foot garland into 4 foot sections. I started at the bottom and hung the first row. Each row above overlaps the lower one, and the colors alternate so you get a really cool look. Use this for a backdrop for photos too!
- One side of the table is for cake and cupcakes while the other side is a dedicated candy bar that can be consumed now or scooped into favor bags for later. It includes a variety of chocolates, sugar candy, and gummy candy.
- The cake is chocolate with gold dust. Place it on a pedestal and surround it with gold sprinkles. Place number sparklers on top and light them when it’s time to cut the cake. They provide about a minute of sparkly fun!
- Place modern cupcake toppers into the cupcakes. Frame one of the graduation announcements for a coordinating display.
Party Favors & Notes
Give the guest of honor a sweet memento to keep and cherish.
- Similar to showers and weddings, you can have guests write down well wishes for the graduate. Use coordinating cards that guests can fill out and drop into a box for the graduate.
- Or, do something a little different and invite guests to write down a memory they have of the guest of honor. This is a fun idea because depending on the person writing, it can be sweet and sentimental, or funny and maybe even embarrassing. You can read them aloud during the party before a toast is given, if you like.
- Set up a table for gifts and cards to be placed by guests.
Do you have a graduating Senior in your life? I hope these black and gold graduation party ideas have gotten your creative juices flowing so you can start planning your celebration!
And as always, use these tips for birthdays and showers too!
