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A farewell party is one that’s given when a family member, relative, or colleague is off to say goodbye. They can either be moving to the next town or state, overseas, or to a new office elsewhere.
Saying goodbye is never easy, and chances are, the emotions can be the same for you and the one who’s about to leave. This is exactly where a farewell party comes in as the best way to commemorate their last day in the office. It’s a good way to show them they’ll be missed and that you’ve valued your friendship and companionship at work.
As you start searching for office farewell party ideas for coworkers, it also pays to have a guide on what some of the basic dos and don’ts are. These parameters can help ensure you’ll throw the most amazing, heartwarming, and memorable farewell party ever:
Do: Decide On The Venue Right Away
If you’re holding the farewell party right in your office, then you won’t have to be as concerned about the venue. It’s only when you’re hosting it elsewhere that you need to be alert with booking the venue right away. The last thing you want is to have trouble with the logistics of your party as the venue is unavailable, particularly for bigger office farewell parties.
Do: Have Some Decorations
While you don’t have to go all out as if you were decorating a wedding or a grand birthday party, having a few decorations here and there can truly help set the party feel. Decide on a theme, so you and your co-workers can decide on the decorations to put up.
If you’re on a budget, let everyone contribute with decorations they may have at home. You could have moms in the office who have a stash of extra balloons and other party supplies from their kids’ parties that you can use. With that, you can have a well-decorated party without being wasteful.
Do: Ask For An RSVP
An RSVP is one of the best ways to know how many people you’ll have to prepare food and seats for. Be sure to have this on your invitation, and set it at least a week before the farewell party date itself. With an RSVP, you’ll have a hint on who’s coming and who isn’t, so you’ll never have to face that awkward situation of not having enough food for everybody.
Don’t: Go Too Wasted
There’s that fine line separating fun, social drinking and one that’s excessive and classified as wasted, whatever occasion the party is for. Don’t fall into the latter as that’ll only spoil and destroy the whole atmosphere of the party. Moreover, you never know what drunk individuals can do, especially once it has gotten out of hand.
You’ll want to maintain the positive mood of the party. Yes, you can provide drinks and refreshments, but not to the point when it’ll encourage too much drinking.
Don’t: Skip The Invitations
Parties nowadays may not have invitations anymore, but this doesn’t mean you should follow suit as well. Don’t skip the invitations as it’s a nice, minor touch to make the farewell party feel more well thought of.
In keeping with the digital age today, those invitations can also be digital. There are many online platforms that give you the liberty to come up with your own designs.
It shows your officemate that you’ve taken so much time and effort to give them a farewell party to remember, going as deep as thinking of the tiny details like an invitation. Most importantly, having that invitation may also serve as a reminder to your co-workers of an upcoming party, so they won’t accidentally forget about the party.
Don’t: Forget Gifts
Now that you’ve got everything ready for the farewell party, don’t forget the gifts. Plan this well enough with your co-workers if you’d like to give one big gift or have separate gifts. Just be sure that whatever you all give, they’re useful and easy to bring with them. This is taking the extra mile to show that the leaving co-worker is indeed special to the team.
Takeaway
There are many different ways to hold a farewell party. Regardless of the plan you have in mind, the dos and don’ts above work well as the parameters so the party will be successful. More than anything else, you’ll want that party to impact your co-worker. With that, they can depart your office on a positive note, sending them off on a fresh start in this new chapter of their life. As you can see, it does take a whole lot of planning, but it’s doable, and that effort is always worth it.
