Best Graduation Party Theme Ideas | 24 Most Popular Highschool Graduation Party Theme Ideas
This post is about graduation party theme ideas.
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It’s officially graduation party season, which means that the party invites are going to start rolling in. You’re probably feeling the pressure to get your party together, and that party is all centered around your theme!
A graduation party theme can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be. Some people go as simple as just incorporating their school colors when buying decorations, and some go all out with making sure every single surface is decorating in a jaw-dropping theme.
Let this post serve as your guide to choosing the trendiest, most perfect highschool graduation party theme. There’s rustic, vintage, outdoor, and colorful themes, plus many more, all perfect for sending someone off to college.
Here are 24 of the trendiest graduation party themes.
GRADUATION PARTY THEMES
TAYLOR SWIFT
Time to enter your graduation era! There are so many Taylor Swift graduation party ideas to fit every era, from elegant pastels to bold glitter and disco balls. These decor and activity ideas are so much fun and a must for Swiftie grads!
1. FRIENDSHIP BRACELET STATION
You can’t have a Taylor Swift graduation party and not trade friendship bracelets! This also happens to be the perfect activity for grad parties because you can make a token to keep as you and your friends head off to different colleges.
2. DISCO BALL CUPS
Disco balls (or mirrorballs) are a Swiftie emblem. How cute would it be to serve beverages, like punch or soda, to your guests in these disco ball sippers? They can even take it home with them as a graduation party favor.
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3. LAVENDER HAZE
A lavender color palette for your party is magical and airy, perfect for the springtime when graduation takes place. It also gives major Speak Now and, of course, Lavender Haze vibes!
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4. RAINBOW STREAMERS
These rainbow streamers make for a bold and glamorous photo backdrop at your graduation party. The rainbow colors also ensure that every Taylor Swift era is represented!
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RUSTIC
I absolutely love the look of a rustic graduation party. My high school graduation party was rose gold and rustic, and the metallic look of the rose gold decor mixed with the rustic theme was absolutely adorable.
When planning for a rustic theme, try to incorporate lots of farmhouse vibes, through jars, twine, lace, exposed wood, flowers, and burlap. Colors that accentuate a rustic graduation party theme really well include metallics or pastels. Make sure that when picking a color, you only pick one accent color, and then pair it with a matte white. Less is more!
Here are some of my favorite rustic graduation party pieces.
1. PHOTO BOOTH WITH WOODEN BACKDROP
This rustic photo booth is absolutely stunning! I love how simple it is, with the strings of flowers and a simple sign.
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2. PAINTED JARS AND FLOWERS
This DIY graduation party decor idea is super easy, and perfect for the rustic graduation party theme. Paint the jars with your accent color or white, and fill with flowers or another decor of your choice.
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3. VINES OF FLOWERS DOWN TABLE
Instead of a centerpiece, this is a great alternative. Putting simple green faux plants and white flowers down the center of longer tables is perfect.
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4. CUTLERY CONTAINERS
It’s so fitting for a rustic graduation party to use metal cutlery, and it’s even more perfect to place them in large jars for display. I love how they’re also in a metal tin!
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5. WOODEN FOOD TIERS
Tiered displays are perfect for holding your food for guests. These wooden tiered stands fit the rustic graduation party theme wonderfully!
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RELATED: 11 VINTAGE GRADUATION PARTY IDEAS
1. TRANSLUCENT COLORED JARS WITH FLOWERS
Similar to a rustic graduation party theme, flowers are definitely a decor centerpiece.
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TROPICAL
Tropical themed graduation parties seem to be a new trend, but one that is gaining traction quickly. I love the bright colors and fun atmosphere that this theme provides. A tropical graduation party theme is filled with palm fronds, leis, pineapples, tropical flowers, and a menu fit for a luau.
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CARNIVAL
I love over-the-top themes for graduation parties, and a carnival graduation party theme is exactly that. Everyone’s favorite foods are guaranteed to be there, and all the fun that the carnival brings will be right there, just for you.
1. THEME SETTING SIGN
A great way to make sure that your guests know what your theme is to display it on a super cute sign right at the entrance. I love the colors that are set for the rest of the theme right from this sign.
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2. GAME STATIONS
Setting up game stations at a graduation party can be a smart and fun way to infuse energy and creativity into the celebration. Not only do they provide an interactive element for entertaining guests,, but they also foster a sense of camaraderie and friendly competition. With a variety of games tailored to different interests and age groups, everyone can find something they enjoy.
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3. CARNIVAL PHOTOBOOTH
Every high school graduation party needs a photo booth! These add a fun, interactive opportunity for your guests, and it’ll help document the amazing memories you created on your wonderful party day.
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TRAVEL
Are you someone who plans on traveling after graduation? A travel-themed graduation party is perfect for you. I love the rustic and vintage themes that this theme pairs with perfectly, so it also works if you can’t decide between a few themes.
1. SIGN THE GLOBE
I love the idea of having all of your guests sign something, so you can use it as a decor item and remind you of your home. For a travel-themed party, a globe is a perfect fit!
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2. TRAVEL PHOTO BOOTH
Every graduation party needs a photo booth, and this is such a chic, beautiful backdrop for any photo. Plus, the globes make it absolutely perfect for a travel-themed graduation party.
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3. FOOD TABLE BACKDROP
Backdrops for your food tables are a great way to keep your theme integrated throughout the entire party.
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DONUT
Are you looking to make your high school graduation party extra sweet? A donut themed graduation party is super trendy, perfect for photo opportunities, and the dessert is definitely taken care of. Here are the cutest decorations for a donut themed graduation party.
1. DONUT WALL OR DONUT TABLE
Having a dessert table at a graduation party is essential. However, when you’re entire party is centered around one dessert, you can get a little more creative!
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2. BUNCHES OF DONUT BALLOONS
Keep the theme going throughout the party with these super cute bunches of balloons.
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3. DONUTS AND MILK
I love the idea of having donuts and milk on display! I recommend leaving the glasses empty, so your guests can fill it with the beverage of their choice.
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DR. SEUSS
We all grew up with Dr. Seuss books, and for some people, that was a huge part of their childhood. Considering this, it’s only fair that a Dr. Seuss themed graduation party will be a perfect fit.
1. CENTERPIECES
There are a plethora of Dr. Seuss centerpiece ideas. I love the fun colors that they integrate into the theme through the centerpieces. Here are my favorite picks.
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2. GLASS JAR DISPLAYS
I absolutely love the idea of picking out snacks that are inspired by the food mentioned in the Dr. Seuss books. Plus, everyone will get the references!
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3. LORAX TREES
Lorax trees are a fantastic idea for decorating different corners around the venue. I think these decor trees would be perfect for integrating into a Dr. Seuss themed photo booth!
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TACO
A taco themed graduation party is a new trend, and it is definitely a super cute one. I love the festive colors that this theme brings, on top of providing such a fun atmosphere.
1. TACO BOUTA FUTURE
I love how versatile of a decoration these balloons are. They’re perfect for hanging above a table or using for a photo booth.
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2. TACO BOUT A FUTURE – PHOTO BOOTH
Take the decoration from above, but turn it into a photo booth! I love the colorful streamers in the background and the cactus and Margherita balloons on the sides.
3. MARGARITA BAR
A Margherita bar is an absolute essential at a taco themed graduation party. I love when graduation parties display their beverages in glass containers, just like the ones above.
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FRIENDS
Are you a fan of the hit TV show Friends? A Friend’s theme graduation party is super cute! I love how creative you can be with all of the decoration ideas.
1. FRIENDS PHOTO BOOTH
The notorious couch mixed with a super cute backdrop. All of your friends will love this photo booth!
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2. PICTURE DISPLAY
This is a simple way to integrate the friends’ theme into your graduation party. Even if you don’t have your entire graduation party theme as friends, this is a super cute way to display your pictures.
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3. FRIEND’S CARD BOX
This card box is a great way to keep the friend’s theme integrated throughout your entire party. It’s pretty DIY, but it’s not too hard to complete on your own!
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FLORAL
A floral graduation party is perfect if you’re planning on having your graduation party be outdoors. I love the different color schemes that you can create by centering your theme around flowers, especially when using wildflowers.
1. FOOD TABLE BACKGROUND
I absolutely love how elegant this display behind this food table looks. Floral bunches always look great with metallic accents, especially rose gold.
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2. GIANT FLORAL LETTER
This super simple decor idea is easy, and can effortlessly be made to match your theme. If you’re loving this look, it’s really affordable to make, and you could easily create words rather than just a single letter. So cute!
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3. FLOWER FRAME PHOTO BOOTH
Every graduation party needs a photo booth, and this one is probably the prettiest for a flower inspired graduation party. This is probably the most simple photo booth to put together – totally worth it!
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ROARING ’20S (GREAT GATSBY)
Graduating in 2025s is a fantastic excuse to have a Great Gatsby themed party. It’s the roaring 25’s!!! There are so many amazing decor ideas for a Great Gatsby themed party – here are my favorites!
1. A LITTLE PARTY SIGN
Set the theme right at your entrance with this adorable sign. Plus, this clearly sets the black and gold theme throughout your entire party.
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2. BLACK, GOLD, AND WHITE FEATHER CENTERPIECES
These adorable DIY centerpieces are absolutely stunning and essential for a Great Gatsby graduation party. I love how easy they are to make!
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3. BLACK, GOLD, AND GLITTER BALLOONS
These gorgeous balloons are a clear essential for any Great Gatsby themed graduation party.
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4. SIMPLE PHOTO BOOTH
Due to the everything black and gold color scheme of your Great Gatsby graduation party, a photo booth is so simple to throw together. I love how creative you can get with this! I included everything seen in the picture above and some additions that I think would be adorable.
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5. GOLD CANDY DISHES
If you can keep the gold theme going throughout the entire party, this is a perfect touch. It’s so easy to put together, just using a clear candy dish, gold-wrapped candies, and a gold scoop. So cute and so easy!
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BACKYARD BARBECUE
If you’re having a backyard graduation party, why not make it into a barbecue? It’s super simple to grill a bunch of food for everyone, and no one can complain about a barbecue. It’s a win-win for everyone!
1. S’MORES BAR
1. S’MORES BAR
I absolutely love the idea of having a DIY s’more bar. This is the perfect dessert touch for a backyard graduation party.
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2. WATERMELON TIERS
Displaying fruit on these three-tiered display shelves are perfect for a backyard barbecue graduation party. Make sure to line the trays with parchment paper!
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3. CUTE CHALKBOARD SIGNS
As stated in previous themes, a sign is a great addition to any graduation party. They’re super cute, and they help immediately set the tone of your theme.
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HOLLYWOOD
Who doesn’t want to attend a Hollywood themed party? A great way to bring something new to the graduation party season is to have a super fun, interesting theme like Hollywood. Everyone will love it!
1. EYE-CATCHING RED AND GOLD CENTERPIECE
These centerpieces are so cute! They’re super easy to make, and they’re super eye-catching.
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2. SIMPLE PHOTO BOOTH
This photo booth is so easy to throw together and fits into the Hollywood theme perfectly. All of your guests will love this!
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3. BLINGED OUT FOOD TABLE
Everything in Hollywood is over the top, so your food table needs to be too! Pretty much any blinged-out decorations will work here – just make sure that they match your theme!
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THE OFFICE
I absolutely love watching The Office!! It’s hilarious, relatable, and who doesn’t love binging a show that’s absolutely timeless? A graduation party theme of “The Office” will prove to keep your party guests engaged and laughing.
1. AIN’T NO PARTY LIKE A SCRANTON PARTY
I immediately giggle when I read this decoration… so will your guests! This is an insanely easy DIY.
2. FUNNY SNACKS
This is a great example of how you can turn simple snacks into a funny part of your theme. Pick out snacks that you can make a joke about from the show, and you’re all set.
3. PARTY GAMES
All partygoers love games, and I can bet that they even like The Office themed games a little more. A quick search online will show you how many of The Office themed games exist!
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CANDY
Do you have an insane sweet tooth? A candy-themed graduation party is absolutely perfect for you! I love all the fun colors, and how creative you can really get with this theme.
1. ROCK CANDY BOWLS
I absolutely love how beautiful this rock candy bowl looks. It’s a super-easy way to display this candy, too!
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2. INSANE CANDY TABLE
If your graduation party is going to be candy-themed, you know that you need an insanely decorated candy display table. Steal as many ideas away from this as you can!
3. GUMBALL NAME LETTER
I love decorating huge letters to match graduation party themes, and this one definitely takes the cake. It’s super easy and extremely inexpensive.
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POOL
Do you have a pool or know a venue where you can use a pool? This is probably the ideal graduation party theme – everyone entertains themselves!
1. BEAUTIFUL COLORS
The tip for an amazing pool party is to decorate it extremely well! I love all of the decorations around this pool.
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2. POOL PUNCH BOWL
I love the idea of keeping some cups and these big bowls of ocean blue punch in a couple of different locations around the party! The best part is, you get to pick what you want to put in the bowls for punch – although blue looks the best.
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3. SNOW CONE STATION
When I came across this idea, I couldn’t believe how amazing it was! This is an absolutely perfect idea for a super hot pool day to keep all of your guests happy and having fun.
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SCHOOL OR COLLEGE COLORS
This is a simple and popular graduation party theme. Pick either your high school colors or the colors of the school where you’re going to college. If you’re looking for something that’s pretty last minute, this is a great option!
1. CENTERPIECES
Alongside a photo booth, the easiest way to set a graduation party theme is with your centerpieces. These simple centerpieces are easy to adapt to any color, making them perfect for this theme.
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2. PHOTO BOOTH FRAME
This photo booth frame is super simple to make, and looks fabulous!
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3. BALLOON COLUMN
A welcome sign is perfect for every graduation party, and this one does a great job of incorporating the theme of your school colors.
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BLACK AND GOLD
Black and gold graduation parties are so trendy and so fabulous. I love how great the gold metallic looks against the black! Plus, there’s a huge variety of black and gold graduation party decorations that you can find online.
1. BLACK AND GOLD MASON JAR CENTERPIECES
The most simple centerpiece is just spraypainting a jar, and sticking a neutral-colored faux flower in it. So easy, and so cute!
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2. BLACK AND GOLD BALLOONS
I love how these black and gold balloons look with the clear and gold confetti balloons. Perfect for keeping the theme running throughout your entire party.
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3. PHOTO BOOTH
Every graduation party needs a photo booth, and I love the look of this black and gold striped one.
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ROSE GOLD
Just like a black and gold theme, a rose gold theme is so cute and so trendy. I love the metallic notes, and rose gold is such a beautiful color. I highly recommend taking advantage of the rose gold trend to the fullest!
1. MORE PAINTED JAR CENTERPIECES
Love the painted jars with faux flowers as centerpieces? The rose gold ones are my absolute favorite. Here’s everything you need to copy this centerpiece –
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2. PHOTO BOOTH!
A rose gold photo booth is the best photo booth. Just look how cute this one is!
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3. REFRESHMENT STATIONS
I love how rose gold is incorporated throughout this entire refreshment station. You aren’t restricted to serving just water, but I love sticking with the clear beverage dispenser.
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PINK AND GOLD GLITTER
I like to think of a pink and gold glitter graduation party theme like a toned down and pulled apart rose gold theme. Still super cute, less trendy, and more timeless.
1. GOLD GLITTER CENTERPIECES
Sick of the floral centerpieces? Don’t be, because floral centerpieces have been around for like an eternity. Here’s another super cute one.
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2. PINK AND GOLD BANNERS
I really don’t think there’s an easier decoration to hang up – you literally just hang a banner. It doesn’t get easier than that! Plus, they look super cute when there’s a lot of them.
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3. SIMPLE PAPER STRAWS
A lot of people are still in the habit of buying and using straws. It’s a vital habit to practice buying less plastic as a whole, not just straws. Our planet seriously needs it! For your graduation party, try minimizing plastic, and do so with these super cute straws!
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PASTEL RAINBOW
Ever since I stumbled across this graduation party theme, I have been in love!! It’s so gorgeous, and the colors are perfect for the end of spring/through the summer. I definitely recommend trying this one out!
2. PINK AND GOLD BANNERS
I love how creative this dessert table is. If you recreate this, make sure it is the centerpiece of the theme and party!
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2. PASTEL DIPPED STRAWBERRIES
Who says chocolate-dipped strawberries have to be just brown chocolate? Get some pastel-colored chocolate, or color some white chocolate pastel-colored, and look how cute these are!
3. PASTEL PAPER STRAWS
The paper straws are making a reappearance! Here are some super cute paper ones. You can put them in a jar, too!
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TIFFANY BLUE, BLACK, AND WHITE
Here’s another color combo that’s absolutely perfect for the end of spring or the beginning of summer. I love the look of tiffany blue, and it pairs so perfectly with black and white.
1. TIFFANY WELCOME BOXES
I love when graduation parties have welcome signs, and this one is so simple and cheap to make. It just requires the tiffany blue wrapping paper included below, some boxes, and some black letters and ribbon. So easy!
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2. TIFFANY BLUE DESSERTS
I love the idea of placing tiffany blue-hued desserts on these tiered dessert displays. So easy, and so cute!
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3. GLAM PHOTO BOOTH
This is definitely the most glam photo booth out of all of these themes. I love it! Not only is it super simple, but it’s also perfect for a tiffany themed party.
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YELLOW – SUNSHINE, SUNFLOWERS
This graduation party theme is guaranteed to keep all of your guests happy and smiling! I love the bright look of yellow in general, and even more when it’s incorporated into a theme through flowers. So cute!
1. LEMON AND FLORAL CENTERPIECES
I absolutely love these centerpieces. They’re super easy, and they look absolutely stunning. Plus, you can repurpose all of the jars!
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2. YELLOW FLOWERS PHOTO BOOTH BACKDROP
Some huge, yellow flowers attached to a photo booth backdrop is so stunning for a photo booth. I love how easy this is!
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3. YELLOW CANDY DISPLAYS
These simple candy displays are perfect for incorporating into your dessert table and keeping the yellow theme running throughout your entire party.
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THIS POST SHOWED YOU 23 ABSOLUTELY PERFECT HIGHSCHOOL GRADUATION PARTY THEME IDEAS, PERFECT FOR A SUMMER GRADUATION PARTY.
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