My Dad just retired after 37 years (I added an extra year to the graphics I made below…oops) as an elementary school PE teacher. It’s amazing that he has any energy left! He was an awesome PE teacher who truly loved his job and loved the kids he taught. We had to honor him in some way. We decided a surprise BBQ retirement party with his closest friends was the way to go! It was a really sweet party honoring an amazing man’s career and legacy. Whether you’re planning a retirement party OR just a BBQ…here are some ideas and inspiration.
Invitations
Can I tell you how hard it is planning a SURPRISE retirement party for a man who shares text messaging, an email address, and a Facebook page with his wife?! We decided Evite would be the best way to invite all his friends and family. We were on the fence about the theme until we saw this fun BBQ Evite invitation design. It really set the tone for the rest of the party.
Food & Drinks
My dad loved Shane’s Rib Shack, so we decided that would be a perfect catering option. It was really affordable, too — just $12.50 per person for BBQ chicken, pork, buns, coleslaw, baked beans, peach cobbler, and sweet tea. Talk about a southern feast! I always like to have something for the gluten-free and vegan guests, so I added a salad to the mix.
In addition to the cobbler, I set up a little sweets & treats table. We encouraged guests to fill up a treat bag to take home with some of the goodies. It had all the goodies my dad loves – chocolate covered peanut candies (he has LOVED them ever since I can remember…we still always give him huge bags in his Christmas stocking), as well as a bunch of other kinds of chocolate candies, peanuts, popcorn, and lemon meringue pie. Guess where Dad went first as soon as he got to the party? Yep! Hit up the chocolates even before the BBQ. The man loves his candy.
Decorations
At each place setting, we set out a mason jar and this personalized paper bag with a napkin and plasticware. This is where I messed up how long my Dad taught…it was 37 years, not 38. He did say he subbed for a full year…so it’s pretty much 38 years. If you want to learn how I printed on these bags, check out How to Make Paper Bag Menus. For the table centerpieces, I created simple arrangements from grocery store flowers in these wooden crates.
Activities/Program
All the siblings joined forces to create a really fun video showing my Dad in action, some sweet memories, funny impressions of Mr. Rew from his students, and what they loved most about Mr. Rew. We then opened it up for anyone to say something about Dad. Everything turned out great and I think Dad felt really honored! Success!
Here are some tips you can take away from this party:
1. Check out your local BBQ place for really affordable catering!
2. Want to provide something special for the honoree? Set up a table with some of their favorite treats! Let guests have some at the party and take some to go. It doubles as a great party favor.
3. For a personalized touch, make paper bag menus or use the paper bags to print congrats to the honoree.
4. For retirement parties, it’s all about honoring the person! Think about special ways (like the video) of pointing out the person’s strengths and impact they’ve made through their job.
Hope this inspires you to party on! P.S. This is YOUR official invite to the party… join in on the Parties for Pennies Facebook page, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram , Google+ & Bloglovin
NEXT: See more real parties or get more party planning tips.
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