Whether it’s a friend, family or co-worker saying good bye is not just the best thing. However, just because it’s a sad moment does not mean that we won’t be faced with it at some point. If you are thinking of how to honor someone you are about saying farewell to, one great way is a party. Below are great tips on how to organize a farewell party.
#1. The venue
The venue very much depends on who the person is. If it is a family member it could be held at home; if it is someone from the office then the office hall should be fine. Generally no matter who it is, the party could be held almost anywhere. It could also be the favorite place of the person. The venue is also dependent on the style and budget you have.
#2. Menu
The type of food depends on the style of the party. However no matter the type of food being served, the favorite dish of the person must be available. You can choose to make it at home to save cost or hire a caterer to cook. Most times finger foods are just perfect. Also, remember to order or make a special cake with his or her favorite flavor and write ‘farewell’ on it.
#3. Gifts
Talking about gifts, try to give something that can last long, so that they can always look back on it. Also, encourage other guests to do the same. Avoid gifts that can easily perish like foodstuffs and so on. Examples of suitable gifts could include clothes, electronics, paintings etc. However if gifts are not required, just say so on the invitation card.
#4. Entertainment
The larger part of most farewell parties depends on toasts. If the toasts are too many and too long the guests will start getting bored. So get a few people (close ones) to say sweet and positive things about the person leaving. Remind them that it has to be short but humorous and say how they will miss him or her.
Another form of entertainment could be music. Get a playlist of all the songs that the person likes and play those through the party. You can also come up with games where questions will be asked the person and guests will be expected to come up with the right answer to see how much they know the person. All other forms of activities should be based on what the person will appreciate and be comfortable with.
#5. Flashbacks
A session should be set aside for what is called ‘flashbacks’. In this period, a video should be made of different photos of the person leaving showing their most memorable moments. This can be very emotional for some people especially if you are attached to the person leaving
Saying farewell is like saying goodbye to a person for good (at least physically). So the least you can do is to make sure the person leaves with pleasant memories of a place he or she once called home. Make him or her know that they will be missed.