Retirement Celebration Ideas for the Best Send Off

While graduating, getting married, buying a home, and having kids are popular milestones worth celebrating with family and friends, there’s one occasion you might be forgetting: retirement. Sure, it often presents itself much later in life, but that’s no reason to not pay homage to the trials and tribulations that lead there.

This segues us to the pressing matter at hand: Whether your grandparents, parents, siblings, or significant others are retiring, a party should be top of mind. Sure, weeks-long retirement trips might be the new big thing when work years come to a close (and hey, we support that), but there’s no denying that one last bash for the books will be incredibly appreciated—both by the retiree and all the friends, family, and co-workers who have been cheering them on over the years.

The only question is, what makes a retirement party different from any other party? The theme and decorations! Whether you’re celebrating a teacher, nurse, doctor, K9 (yes, really), soldier, or retirement as a whole, ahead you’ll find 15 of our favorite shoppable and DIY retirement party ideas, like decorations and desserts, found across the web. Pick one and build a theme out of it, or combine a few for a quick and easy approach to the last hoorah. (And check out our graduation party ideas, engagement party ideas, and 30th birthday party ideas too!)