Gather at the restaurant, even if the photo is somewhere else.
The old Jackson County courthouse overlooks Main Street in Sylva. If that’s where the family is taking graduation photos, give me the dinner address instead. I can be ready in the private room while the last aunt is still insisting that everyone looked nicer in the previous picture.
For a sit-down celebration, start supper first. After the family toast, let the graduate choose a trusted witness to sit across from me. That’s the person who gets to swear the card never left the table. The graduate can handle the deck, play the skeptic, or simply enjoy seeing somebody else get called on for once.
Who gets a seat for the show?
My comedy magic is for adults 18 and up. If younger siblings are joining the meal, reserve the after-dinner session for the adults in a separate room or schedule it after the family supper. Tell me when the graduate needs to leave for the next celebration; a close-up set fits a divided evening better than a full séance. If you have the room all night, I can spend the rest of the booking at a station for the friends who missed the toast.