What's a better way to celebrate the end of your working life and the start of a new chapter than by throwing a retirement party? These retirement parties serve as the proper send-off to honor a retiree's life. By choosing the right venue and setup, you can host an intimate celebration with family members and closest friends or a gathering with a large group of colleagues. There are a variety of party venues to choose from — from restaurants and function halls to bars and outdoor spaces.
When trying to find the perfect venue for a retirement party, you don't have to limit your options to traditional party venues. In fact, the possibilities are endless and you can choose whatever setting you want that suits your personal taste as well as your budget. If you're unsure of which to choose, here are some of our top retirement party venues that you can consider.
Outdoor Venues
If you're having your retirement celebration in a place that has pleasant weather or beautiful scenery, you should think about booking an outdoor venue. Some potential options include gardens or parks, beaches or even a house with a spacious patio or backyard. Some of the best retirement party ideas for outdoor spaces include garden parties, an oceanside dinner under the stars or a barbecue cookout.
Private Dining Room
If you want to host a small retirement party with family members or your closest friends, a great spot to host it would be a private dining room. This type of venue is ideal for intimate gatherings due to the privacy it provides. What's more, you don't have to worry about the food catered during your event because the venue can prepare the meals for you.
Community Center
If you're on a budget but still want a high-quality retirement party venue, community centers can be a good option. Although its main purpose is for social engagement, a community center can often be rented as a venue for events and celebrations. What's good about choosing this kind of venue is that it often has in-house amenities that you can use. This includes audio-visual equipment, seating and even kitchen facilities. Also, rental cost for a community center is typically easier on the budget compared to usual retirement party venues like banquet halls.
A retirement party is one of the best ways to celebrate a person's last day of working and there are several ways to throw such a celebration. You can take a more formal route or opt to keep the gathering small and intimate. Another consideration would be the venue and how it relates to the personal preference of the retiree. When picking a venue, these are some of the factors that you should take into account:
Rental Cost
One of the most obvious considerations when searching for retirement party venues is the cost of rental. Needless to say, your chosen venue should be well within your resources, taking into account the other expenses that you will incur. It wouldn't hurt to ask the venue owners about the inclusions of the rental cost as well as packages or discounts that they have. Additionally, you should find out if there are any hidden charges or fees so that you don't go over your budget.
Location and Accessibility
Just like for any other event, your retirement party venue should have a central location that's easy to get to for those who are traveling with their own vehicles as well as guests who will be using public transportation. Also, there's a high probability that some of the guests will be older (about the same age as the retiree), which is why you should also check the venue's accessibility and if they have features such as ramps, lifts, etc.
Capacity
When you start planning a retirement party, one of the first things that you consider is your guestlist, which will then determine the venue capacity that you need. Make sure that there is enough space for your seating arrangements as well as the other amenities like vendors, stage (if necessary) and decorations. There should also be space for people to move around freely.
Just because a family member, a friend or a close colleague is retiring does not mean that you have to be sad. Think about it as the start of a new chapter in someone's life, which is definitely worth celebrating. This is an even more convincing reason to throw a retirement party.
Instead of a casual gathering in the workplace or a casual bar, book a rental place and come up with a retirement party theme. Having an interesting theme encourages participation among the attendees and ultimately ensures that everyone has a great time.
When picking the perfect theme, there are a couple of things that you can do. One of those is to consider the honoree's personality and preferences. For instance, if the retiree is a cinephile, it can be fun to host an awards show-themed event complete with a big screen and red carpet to boot. Is the retiree into comedy and stand-up acts? You can ask friends and family to do a roast where a friend or family member can share some jokes and anecdotes about the honoree.
You can also use creative decor to design a space that simulates a certain place or period that's memorable for the retiree. Bring the celebrant down memory lane by filling up the venue with photos, awards and other significant items that were part of the retiree's career. Another thing you can do is decorate the venue to mimic the boardroom where the retiree's business meetings take place.
All in all, there are endless possibilities when choosing a theme and you just have to let the creative juices flow.
Choose a Date and Time
You need to decide on a date when you plan to hold the retirement party. This is one of the most crucial steps because you need to check if the venue is available on your preferred day. Also, it gives the guests time to check their availability on the date you chose or to make plans ahead of time.
Finalize the Guest List
The first thing to do when planning a retirement party (or really any gathering) is to finalize the list of people to invite. Having a completed guest list allows you to send out RSVPs and find out how many attendees will be present during the retirement party. Having a finalized list is also important so you can book a suitably sized venue as well as the other vendors needed.
Book Vendors in Advance
Just like when booking a venue, it pays to hire the vendors needed for the party in advance. This ensures that you get them on your desired date and you might even get to snag some early bird discounts.
Document the Event
A retirement party is a huge milestone and the memories of this special event should be preserved. If budget permits, think about hiring a photographer or videographer to cover the events taking place on the day. A cheaper alternative, albeit more interactive, is to rent a photo booth that guests can use during the event. This way, you can leave the attendees to their own devices and they also get to take home a souvenir from the party.
When sending off a special person to the end of their career, you shouldn't hold back when it comes to creativity. After all, this is a once-in-a-lifetime celebration and must be one for the books. There are several kinds of venues that you can choose, whether it be indoors or outdoors, as well as potential themes that you can incorporate for the celebration.
Outdoor Event
If the weather is pleasant, you should definitely take advantage of an outdoor venue for the retirement party. You can choose to host it in a patio or garden for an intimate BBQ or opt for a beach party for a seaside celebration. The best venue is an outdoor space that can accommodate your expected guests comfortably; it's a bonus if the spot also offers picturesque views!
Play Trivia Games
Having a trivia game night is one of the best options for an engaging and stimulating retirement party. This type of activity is great for both small and large crowds, with a host (or two) acting as the gamemaster/s, to ensure a seamless program flow. You can ask questions based on the retiree's personal or professional life and test how much the attendees know about the guest of honor.
Tropical Theme
You can turn any venue into an island by assigning a tropical retirement party theme. You can choose decor that matches the theme, such as inflatables, luau outfits and even a customized cake with tropical flavors. For drinks, you can hire a bartender or mix your own tropical concoctions such as margaritas and pina coladas.
Throwback Theme
You can never go wrong with a nostalgic theme and this applies to retirement parties. A cool idea is to throw a "decades" party where guests can dress according to a certain decade of their choosing. This could include flapper looks to commemorate the '20s or "flower power" ensembles for the '70s.
Cooking Class
A unique way to celebrate one's retirement is to join a cooking class, especially if the retiree is a foodie. Not only is this activity a great bonding moment between close friends or family, it's also a great way to learn about various types of cuisines and to add new recipes to your cooking repertoire.
Retirement means no more business meetings, deadlines or waking up early to get to work. Hence, it is the best time to go out there and see the world. More often than not, retirement is the time when individuals use up their savings to book a flight to their dream destination.
One of the best retirement holiday destinations in the world is Florida. There's a reason it's called the Sunshine State: Florida has lovely weather nearly year-round, and it is home to diverse cities that can cater to retirees of all interests. The Florida Keys, in particular, is a favorite among retirees because of its white sand beaches, peaceful communities and abundance of activities — from golfing to yachting.
If you're looking for an international destination, Switzerland is another excellent choice for retirement holidays. This country exudes sophistication and is generally easy to maneuver, which makes it a popular choice for those who just want to relax without too much hassle. Not to mention that Switzerland is home to some incredible places, including Lake Zurich and Grindelwald.
Another idea is to book a Southeast Asian cruise and cover multiple countries in one trip. Most of these cruises pass through destinations such as Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, all of which are steeped in history and culture. The weather in Southeast Asia is warm almost all year long and the best part is the cost of living is cheap, which means your budget can go a long way!
While it is never easy to bid farewell to professional life, retirement is a big deal and the start of one's freedom. The best way to conclude this chapter in the retiree's life is by throwing a meaningful and memorable send-off celebration. You can find a wide range of retirement party venues at Giggster to suit all tastes and budgets.