Our 2020 graduating class got the short end of the stick this year. They worked hard, made good grades, and then the school year was abruptly pulled out from under them. Make sure your special graduate still gets the ceremony and celebration they deserve to put a happy ending on their senior year! We’ve put together some easy steps to plan a virtual graduation.
1. Set the stage
Walking across the stage to accept a diploma is a milestone in any graduate’s life. It signifies their accomplishment and closes an important chapter in their education. For your virtual graduation, set the stage to replicate traditional graduations! It doesn’t have to be an actual stage (but if you’re feeling crafty, check out these plans to build one). You can use your deck, patio, balcony, or even living room to create a space to hold the graduation. Add streamers, balloon bouquets, flowers, or other decorations to signify the space as the “stage.”
Next, set up your webcam so the area is covered. You might consider hooking your computer up to a bigger screen like a TV or projector to make the proceedings more realistic.
2. Invite the guests
Create graduation e-vites or a Facebook event to invite friends and family to join the ceremony via Zoom or another video platform. Encourage well-wishers to create signs to hold up to the camera for your graduate to see as they cross the stage. We’ve collected a few, courtesy of Canva, for you to share with your guests to download and print.
3. Decorate the graduation cap
It’s tradition to decorate the ol’ mortarboard with something silly, inspirational, or trendy. Help your grad create something memorable for their virtual graduation! The Pioneer Woman put together 50 of the best designs to get you started.
Check out more grad cap ideas here.
4. Plan the speeches
No graduation is complete without speeches from favorite teachers, counselors, principals, and maybe even a famous alum. If you’re close with the faculty, consider inviting one of them to join your virtual graduation with some kind words for their student.
If you’d rather let the professionals handle it, book a motivational speaker or spoken word artist to inspire your graduate and guests. For a light-hearted ceremony with laughs, consider hiring a stand-up comedian or roast master to poke fun at high school, college, or what to expect in the “real world” after graduation!
Book motivational speaker Josh Schneider on GigSalad!
5. Pass out the diploma
After your grad has decorated their mortarboard, it’s time to walk the stage to collect their diploma. Just like in the real thing, announce their first, middle, and last name before they walk across. And let those cheers fly! At a traditional graduation ceremony, you’re supposed to wait politely until all names are called. Throw that rule out the window and encourage your virtual graduation guests to cheer, blow noisemakers, and maybe even have a song queued up to play in their honor! According to Seventeen, these are a few songs that are perfect for 2020 grads:
- Look What You’ve Done, Drake
- Burn This City, Cartel
- Long Live, Taylor Swift
- Future, Paramore
- Something Big, Shawn Mendes
- Live Like We Were Dying, Kris Allen
- No New Friends, LSD, Diplo, Sia & Labrinth
- Young Forever, Jay-Z
- Graduation (Friends Forever), Vitamin C
- Seasons of Love, RENT Cast
6. Parade their accomplishments
Once the ceremony is over, lead your graduate outside to continue the festivities! For those who live nearby, invite them to join in a graduation parade in their cars. They can decorate their cars with messages of congratulations, drop off graduation gifts and cards, and send joy from a safe distance. Make it extra-special with stilt walkers, dancers, or jugglers! Check out our post on birthday parades for more inspiration for your graduation parade.
Finally, have a professional photographer ready to take special photos while remaining socially distant. You don’t want to forget this moment in history!
Book a local photographer on GigSalad!
If you’re planning a graduation party later when we can all get together again, check out these posts for more ideas:
With a little creativity, you can still help your special grad enjoy their big day and their amazing accomplishment! Planning a virtual party is the next best thing to seeing your favorite student celebrate with their fellow students and faculty.
Ready to book something awesome for your birthday parade? Find the best at GigSalad.
Megan is the Director of Customer Experience at GigSalad and has gained 9+ years of insight on what makes a great event on both sides of the booking process. Her favorite things include books, true crime podcasts, coffee, hiking, puns, and making people laugh.