Graduation Announcement Etiquette

Graduation is a milestone in a student's life, whether it is from a high school or college. In such a case, you probably want to include as many family members and friends in the big news by sending out graduation announcements.

However, as is the case with every kind of event, even announcing a graduation has its own set of etiquette and rules. Here, we bring you the necessary graduation announcement etiquette that should be followed while informing family and friends about the big day in your life.

A graduation announcement should reflect your personality, so don't pass on this task, of writing and sending them, to your parents. Do it yourself. Nothing is more pleasant than a graduation announcement prepared and personalized by you. Follow these guidelines on the right etiquette while sending out these announcements.

Understand first, that a graduation announcement is not an invitation to attend the ceremony or the graduation party. It is just a way of letting all the important people know about the significant day in your life.

If you wish to invite people to the ceremony, the admission to which may be limited, then you ought to send out different invitations. The same goes for the party thereafter.

Decide on the number of people you want to inform. Is it just close family members and friends or everyone you can think of? Some people assume that a graduation announcement is a subtle request for a gift. If you don't want to portray this idea, then specify it in the announcement.

A simple line that says 'No Gifts, Please' will suffice. Even so, you might receive a few gifts. Always remember to send a thank you note as an acknowledgment as well as appreciation for the thought.

Since the admission to a graduation ceremony is limited, decide who you would like to see at the ceremony. Send out the admission tickets along with an appropriate invitation to the selected group. It is not essential that you invite everyone to the graduation party either.

However, if you think that because of the limited admission to the ceremony, you would like to make up by sharing this event with those who couldn't make it, you may send out invitations for a graduation party after the ceremony.

If you are sending tickets for admission or invitations for a party, remember to send them at least 14 days before the event. On the other hand, if you are solely sending out an announcement, it is appropriate to send them out up to 2 weeks after the ceremony.

When you order the announcements or prepare them yourself, ensure that it includes all your details. Have your name cards printed that will be sent along with each announcement. For the wording, ensure you put the venue, date, and details of your qualification.

Remember to add in the line 'request you to not send any gifts for the same'. To make things easy, you can refer to several graduation announcement templates available online.

The envelopes that you send out the graduation announcement in should be either blue or black in color. Also, there will be two types of envelopes, the outer envelope and the inner envelope. The outer envelope is formal, where you state the entire name of the addressee (e.g., Mr. and Mrs. J David) along with the entire mailing address.

Do not use abbreviations for the address. In the inner envelope, put in the announcement along with a graduation picture, if you would like to, and address it informally [e.g., Uncle John and Aunt Macy and their kids (Matt and Carla)]. Add in the invitation to the ceremony along with the tickets and the invitation to the party if necessary.

In the card holder, place in your name card. The folded edge of the announcement will go in first, into the small envelope, with the announcement facing the flap. The flaps of both envelopes should face the same way. Try to put a seal on the envelope for a unique touch.

As mentioned earlier, you will receive some graduation gifts when you announce your graduation. Remember to send a thank you note within a month of receiving the gift. You may like to add in what you will be doing with the gift, for a more personal touch and as a way of showing that you truly appreciate the gesture.

Apart from the gifts, in your thank you note also add a note of appreciation for those who attended the ceremony and the party. The sole purpose of announcing your graduation is to inform your near and dear ones about the new life you will be starting. By doing so, you also make your family and friends feel special enough to know about your achievements.

Follow these guidelines to send out graduation announcements so that you don't hurt sentiments, and ensure that everyone shares your happiness with you in a positive way.