When the time comes to be heading off to college soon and you haven’t got all your essentials yet, then it’s time to throw a trunk party. A trunk party is essentially a get-together where guests give the college-student-to-be the essentials they need for college. These gifts can include stationery, items for the dorm room, or if you’re lucky enough, some fancy new gadgets. Trunk parties are a great way to get the kickstart you need for starting the next part of your life, and they can really reduce some personal costs of stationery e.t.c. They’re also incredibly fun.
Have a time and place
No party can happen if there’s no venue and all guests need to know when to meet, so this is definitely the most important part of the planning. The best time to have a trunk party is on weekends, when most people are off of work. It’s also possible to have one during the week in the evening but this might be difficult for guests to attend as they still need to get home early to prepare for the next day. If you’ve got the money you can rent a venue, but it’s much cheaper to have it at home. The venue also depends on how many guests you are expecting.
Make a gift registry
A gift registry is a list of the essentials you need for college and which store to find them in. It is meant to give your guests an idea of what it is you need so that they don’t have to guess what to bring. Consider the guests you will be inviting in terms of the price of the items on your list. If everything is too expensive for your guests, you might not end up getting anything you need. Or perhaps you could discuss guests clubbing in together for the more expensive gifts. If you want to be really fancy, you can create an online list that guests can tick so that there are no duplicates. Once you give the list out though, you should avoid looking at it just to keep the surprise!
Don’t forget to cater for your guests
Any party requires food, music, and some activities. Platter type foods that can be bought from the local grocery store is an efficient way to feed your guests. These usually include a variety of meats, cheeses, and some baked goods. Be sure to account for various dietary habits like vegetarians or vegans. Another cost-effective way to cater is to have each guest bring a tray of food that can then be distributed among the other guests.
Make a playlist for your trunk party of some of your favorite songs and some other popular songs that your guests may like. You can also plan some activities like games or having your guests write notes to you.
Thank your guests
Remember that your guests have put in quite a bit of money to bring you these gifts so you really want to make it clear that you appreciate them. The best way to show this is by giving each guest a unique thank-you card a few days after the party. It shows much more appreciation to write a unique thank-you note specific to the gift that the guest has given you than simply writing a generic note. Perhaps include how you will use the gift in your thank you note. Go the extra mile and really show your appreciation by buying a pack of decorated and colorful notes!
