video calling

Make this graduation celebration unforgettable with these unique ideas for you and your partner! Whether your partner has finished college or grad school, these fun activities will make them feel so special and loved. We’ve put together a list of easy things you can do with friends, family, or just with each other. Graduation is the perfect time to celebrate hard work and accomplishments, and to express gratitude for completing a life goal. Celebrations can be big or small, based on your budget and time. You don’t need to throw a grand graduation party to have a great time! Surprise your partner with a thoughtful and unique celebration that comes from love.

Turn your backyard into a film-tacular celebration.

Make this day all about the graduate! Watch their favorite movie or a graduation-themed movie outdoors. Set up a projector and sheet to put your flicks on the big screen. Instead of basic popcorn, whip up a colorful charcuterie board—it’s the fancy Lunchables of our time! Hang string lights overhead to make the backyard glow with soft light. Then cuddle up and watch your partner’s favorite movies.

Organize a virtual graduation party.

Video calling makes get-togethers safe and easy! Decorate your living room with balloons, streamers, and a “happy graduation” sign. Then video call friends and family into a group chat. Have your partner run an errand and them surprise them with the virtual graduation party! Each friend and family member can prepare a loving message for the graduate and read it aloud over video. We also encourage family members to show-and-tell some hilarious baby photos on Zoom call! This graduation party idea is a fun and creative way to celebrate virtually.

Take photos to make a graduation photo book.

Hold your own at-home graduation photoshoot! Then make a photo book to capture those sweet memories. Take some photos of the graduate. Try a few of them in a cap and gown. Then take couple’s photos in your best graduation-worthy attire! Add the photos to a special book so you can look back on this special time. You can also turn their graduation photo into a personalized photo puzzle that you can enjoy together.

Hold a nostalgic “through the years” scavenger hunt.

Organize a graduation scavenger hunt inside your home! Hide nostalgic items from their childhood around the house. You may need to ask family members for specific items. Try hiding things like a trophy, an embarrassing baby picture, a baseball glove or dance shoe, a baby blanket, a retro piece of tech like an old video game console or a ye-old ipod. Hand your partner a list of clues that will direct them to each fun relic from their past. At the end of the scavenger hunt, hide a special graduation gift they can open.

Surprise your partner with thoughtful graduation gifts.

The best graduation gifts come from the heart. Show your loved one how proud you are with a graduation present they will cherish. Consider a unique present that is personalized for the individual, like a custom Happiness Journal that will inspire them to keep following their dreams. Instead of a graduation card, give them a personalized graduation book like I Wish You More on Your Graduation Day that features their name and messages of best wishes. Have friends and family write personal messages on the dedication page, and create a sweet gift the new graduate will treasure. If you are looking for a more romantic graduation gift, the Book of Us is a custom book that tells your unique relationship story. Edit the text to include loving and congratulatory messages for the graduate. It’s a beautiful gift where you can express your love and pride.

Start your “inspiring songs” playlist and cook a special graduation dinner.

Turn on some inspirational tunes and cook your partner a spectacular dinner to celebrate! Take this dinner up a notch by lighting candles, pouring wine, and baking a chocolate cake for dessert. For dinner, try making something special yet easy to cook like a one-pot seafood pasta or BBQ pork and pimento cheese sliders—use jackfruit as a vegetarian option. All you need to have a great graduation celebration is good food and each other.

Make a list of dreams and goals, for yourselves and for each other.

Graduation is a time to celebrate hard work and express gratitude for this accomplished goal! It’s also a great time to make a new list of goals and dreams. By envisioning new dreams, you stay focused, motivated, and inspired. These goals can be big or small—some for you personally, and some for you both as a couple. Now that you’ve reached graduation, maybe the new goal is to travel to a dream destination in the far future. As a couple, maybe the dream is to save for a house or start a family.