Planning a graduation party?  We’ve been scouting around and have found some good resources you should check out to make your food, beverage and logistics work out well.

For Pinterest fans, check out Mrs. Pin Addict’s Graduation Party Ideas. The site has links to cool concepts like a photo montage in a personalized letter frame, a split-screen photo showing your grad in kindergarten on one side and as a high school grad on the other (freaky!),  and lots of fun t-shirt and cake ideas.

Naturally, Martha Stewart has a bazillion graduation party ideas like this: “Put a celebratory seal on graduation-party invitations, and then continue the theme — and the color scheme — by decorating party wares such as soda bottles and bags of candy.” Now, why didn’t we think of that? Another of Martha’s ideas: drink-flags with the logo of the graduate’s college in the beverage. (And while you’re at it, you should make the beverage a Maui Wowi smoothie – click the link below for a price quote.)

 There are countless food choices for graduation parties, but here’s one we  thought was incredibly goofy, in a good way: Stuffed Salami Diplomas. You heard right. Roll up pieces of salami with some spreadable cheese inside and tie them with a long string of celery.  We’re speechless on the sheer brilliance of that one.

 In many ways, of course, graduation parties are just like any other party. We’ve catered our smoothies and coffees at thousands of them. So here are a few tips to remember:

 1. Have a weather contingency plan:  It really pays to have a tent, even a small one, if only for your food. If it rains, people can duck indoors and come out when it stops, but your food can’t. Soggy sandwiches, anyone?

 2. Set an early arrival time for your suppliers: We routinely see partygivers become frantic when the caterer, the band, the caricaturist, the balloon company or any other vendor is late. Set a deadline of 90 minutes before party time for all vendors to arrive, even if their setup takes only 30 minutes (like Maui Wowi’s does). If they’re on time and do a great job, reward them with a tip. If they’re late, no tip, simple as that.

 3. Are you vendors insured? We are really surprised that so few people ask us to produce a certificate of insurance and name the host an additional insured on the policy. This is routine for our college and corporate events, but not private parties.  Ask us, we’ll do it.

 4. Have plenty of trash/recyclable bins: Unless you want your lawn littered with paper and plastic have more than the minimum number of trash and bottle receptacles – and put someone in charge of emptying them throughout the party. Nothing worse that having overflowing trash at the end of your party.

5. Consider portable toilets: Do you really want people traipsing through your house to go to the bathroom? If you’re having 50 or more people, spring for a portable toilet and make your indoor facilities off-limits. Here’ a good article on how many porta-potties you might need: http://portapottyblog.blogspot.com/2013/06/how-many-portable-toilets-do-you-need.html.

 Finally, we’d be remiss if we didn’t remind you that having a Maui Wowi smoothie and/or Hawaiian shave ice bar is a must for a graduation party, whether it’s college or high school grad you’re celebrating. Whether your theme is island/beach or not, everyone loves the Maui Wowi tiki bar and especially our smoothies – you’ll get to choose multiple amazing flavors like strawberry banana, mango orange, black raspberry, kiwi lemon lime, peach and even cappuccino. Just complete the form below for a quote.