Farewell Party Idea for Friend

“Goodbyes are not forever,

Are not the end,

It simply means I’ll miss you

Until we meet again.”  

-Anonymous

Farewell parties stir a handful of emotions. On one hand, you are very happy for your friend and on the other hand, you are sad to see them go. But one thing is certain about going away parties, they give us the opportunity to express our love once more. So, if you have a farewell party to plan, it’s time to brace up and give it your best shot. It is an opportunity for you and your friends to create a lasting impression.

This article is divided into two sections;

• How to plan a going-away party
• Themes for going away party

A couple of articles you might find interesting are;

• Retirement party ideas for nurses
• Farewell gifts for a female boss

HOW TO PLAN A GOING AWAY PARTY

A great farewell party takes a lot of effort, creativity, dedication, and a solid plan. When planning for a farewell party, some of the things you need to consider are;

1. THEME

A theme is like a scope, it shapes your party. It helps you to focus on what is important as you plan.  For example, if you pick a Bon voyage theme, you already know what decorations to go for and perhaps location too. You could decide to get a sailor’s hat for everyone, bake a boat cake, host the party in an actual boat or a house that is well decorated like a sailor ship, and play treasure games.

Themes are usually chosen based on;

• The celebrant’s experience at school, work, or neighborhood. What are they well-known for? What has been their contribution to a place or people’s life? What is their popular nickname?  For example, if he or she is popularly known as a think-tank or genius, you can choose an Einstein themed party.
• The symbolism of their new chapter.  Are they leaving because they were promoted or got a new job? Are they leaving in search of a new experience? Are they going to a higher learning institution? Will they be traveling far?  What type of job did they get? A pack-party, Bon Voyage, hot-air balloon, Robinhood, and fund-raiser themes might be suitable.
• The celebrants’ favorite hobby, game, movie, cartoon character, or wish etcetera. Basically, what a person loves most.

It is important to ensure that your theme aligns with colors, decoration, setting, and entertainment.

2. VENUE

The choice of venue is dependent on a lot of factors. Most times it is dependent on the theme of the party. For example, a hot air balloon theme will less likely be held in a house. Other factors include the type of guests, the number of guests/friends, cost, celebrant’s preference, and convenience. The party could be held at a friend’s place, a park, a hotel, an office, a sports field, or any reserved location. What’s important is that you are strategic about the choice of venue.

3. DATE & TIME

As far as planning is concerned, the date and time should be one of your primary focus. Many parties fail to reach their estimated potential because the date and time were not convenient. Imagine putting a farewell party on February 14, 6 pm. The likelihood that many people will attend the party is less. When picking a date and time for the party, consider these helpful tips;

• Ensure that it doesn’t clash with well-known events on the calendar
• Sample your audience for feedback. Randomly call some guests and check with them whether the time and date are suitable. If the majority are not in support of it, perhaps you should consider changing it.
• Make sure the date and time will be convenient for most guests
• Send invitation well in advance to afford guests the opportunity to prepare for the event

4. GUEST LIST

Many farewell parties are usually a closed event where only familiar friends of the celebrant are invited. But it can also be an open event especially if the celebrant is well known and loved by the community. If the celebrant is aware of the farewell party, it will be a good idea to run the guest list by them. A few tips to making a good guest list are;

• Identify those that are close to the celebrant. This information can be gotten from the celebrant or their family members.
• Specify how many people can tag along with the celebrants friends. For example, the invitation card could read “ To Ms Sarah and Family”.
• Encourage guests to respond to invitations on time. It tells you the number of people that will be attending the party and if need be, you can invite more friends.

5. PROGRAM/ ACTIVITIES

Plan the program. What activities will fit the party and in what order should they be followed? This helps you to delegate tasks well in advance, identify tools needed to perform each activity and lastly, it helps you, your co-planners, and the program to be organized. Some activities you could plan for are;

• Who opens the farewell party and how are they expected to do so?
• Who will coordinate the background music? (if any)
• Who will coordinate the program? Who is your Master of ceremony?
• Cutting of cake. Will there be a cake?
• Games. What games should be played?
• Gifts. Are visitors allowed to bring gifts? What type of gifts? Cash or household items?

6. COST

The actualization of a plan is dependent on cost or budget. Budgeting can be done before you start planning for the party or after. If people are willing to contribute to the farewell party, should the contribution be done after quotations have been gotten or should the plan be based on the contribution of people? It is important to find out the cost of the party on time.

THEMES FOR GOING AWAY PARTY

Some common farewell party themes are;

1. BON VOYAGE

This theme is chosen when the celebrant is traveling far. This is done to honor the celebrant’s journey and their new chapter in a faraway land. So much creativity is needed with a theme like this. For example, you could decide to make it “the pirates of the Caribbean Bon Voyage” theme. In terms of setting, a Bon Voyage farewell party can be held on an actual boat or a house. This may be dependent on cost and convenience. Wherever you choose to host it, what makes the difference is your creativity.

2. HAWAIIAN

People use this theme when the celebrant has been posted to a Caribbean country or even an African country. It is a way of appreciating their friend’s soon to be new way of life. This is probably one of the easiest themes to work with. Bright tropical colors, organic food, or designed food and snacks and a wide range of flavourful drinks. This theme works well in summer.

3. PACKING PARTY

This is where a group of people come together and help their friend to pack up and clean up their house and at the end of the day, they celebrate together. This is a chilled and fun way of sending a friend off. A lot of people prefer this type of farewell party because of its intimate nature. Friends bond better when they cook together, play songs they love, and dance to it, but most importantly, they get to help their friend to pack up and clean their house.

4. HOT AIR BALLOON

As the name suggests, this farewell party is held in a hot air balloon. This is one of the coolest ways of sending off a friend. Just like the Bon Voyage theme, people choose this theme when friends are relocating to a far place. The choice could also be a show of class or a desire for adventure. When organizing this party, your main focus is refreshments and booking of hot air balloons. Try to book the hot air balloons in advance. Provide guests with the necessary information about partying in hot air balloons. Guests with physical ailments should be exempted from this party due to bumpy landing. Sadly, a disadvantage to this theme is that it is dependent on the weather.

5. BARBEQUE PARTY

An outdoor barbeque party is a good option if you are hosting a big farewell party for your friend. What’s cool about this theme is that Americans have a grill culture. You are more likely going to find people buy into this party idea as well as turn up for it. Statistics show that almost two-thirds (64%) of US adults have a grill or smoker HPBA, and 8 in 10 consumers between the ages of 25-34 already have a grill Mintell. Even more interesting is that 45% of grill owners bring a full size grill to a cookout with friends and family; which means that you do not have to buy grills for the event.