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Welcome Home Soldier Party

We all appreciate the great job our young men and women are doing overseas.  It is sad to see them ship out and a great relief to see them return.  A welcome home party is a time honored tradition that we think is worth keeping.  So here are some suggestions on planning a party to welcome home your returning soldier.

Invitations

This really depends on how many you are having to the party.  A hand written invitation will work if you are having a few friends and family home.  If the celebration is larger you may want to consider a personalized invitation from Party411’s Creations for You.  This unique design lets you add the soldier’s name, company and where they served. 

Welcoming Your Soldier and Guests

Start with a personalized banners that makes your message loud and clear.  The banner can also serve as a back drop during the welcome home speeches that are sure to follow.  Consider giving each guest a bit of patriotic color to wear.  One example could be a Flashing American Flag.

Make sure everyone signs in so the guest of honor has a record of those that welcomed him home.  Most parents and friends have pictures of the soldier in uniform and with his unit.  Put some of those out for people to see.

Decorations

Much of this depends on whether you are renting a hall or having the party at home.  Most halls have an American flag available.  Make sure it is proudly displayed.  The same thing can be done at home.  I’ve been to two of these events that started with everyone standing to give the Pledge of Allegiance.  It was a powerful and touching moment.

That flag theme can be carried through with all your decorations.  See our Stars and Stripes theme for many great decorating ideas. 

For a complete selection of decorating ideas for your patriotic party, visit our Patriotic Party Goods section.

You will probably want two special tables set up.  The first is a tribute to the soldier and the people they served with.  Pictures, notes, letters of commendation are all appropriate.  Most soldiers I know are reluctant to step in the spotlight so talk with the guest of honor and make sure they are comfortable with your plan.  They all value their friends in the service so if you focus on the unit you should be ok.

The other table is a food table.  What you serve is up to you but it should include the soldier’s favorite meal.  Pot luck is ok for this type of event so if he likes Aunt Martha’s cookies don’t be afraid to ask Aunt Martha to bring some.  There are plenty of decorations available to set the table.  Everything from paper plates to centerpieces to Patriotic Candles. 

For a complete selection of decorating ideas for your patriotic party, visit our Patriotic Party Goods section.

Activities

You shouldn’t plan much in the way of formal activities for this welcome home party.  Most of the guests will be happy to spend a few minutes speaking with the returning soldier and sharing reminisces. 

If you have a projector and a screen putting a Powerpoint presentation of the soldier and their unit, with a history of where they served and action they saw can be a very powerful and emotional moment. 

Having folks say a few words is nice but you have to manage this type of thing.  Pick one or two speakers before hand.  They’ll be prepared with appropriate words and you’ll avoid the dangers of an open microphone.

Have the soldier speak if they are willing.  It’s really not a good idea to force this if the soldier is not comfortable with public speaking. 

In other words keep this party relatively simple and keep the focus on the guest of honor.  In fact, give out personalized candy bar wrappers with a picture of the soldier and a personal message as the perfect party favor.

It’s good to see you home!

Have fun, from the Party Girl and the Party-ettes!