Graduation Invitations – Proper Etiquette

Graduation can be an exciting time for anyone. It's a culmination of years of hard work and a day that sometimes seemed out of reach. But it's finally here and it's time to celebrate! One of the most important things to do for your graduation party is to send out invitations to those you would like to attend. This shows them that they are appreciated and you would love to see them there. But like many forms of invitations, there is proper etiquette to follow when sending out your graduation invitations.

Writing your graduation invitations doesn't have to wildly complicated, especially if you follow common etiquette rules. Although these are not grounded in such deep tradition as wedding invitations and the like, there is still a level of formality and procedure that should be followed. First, make sure you give your guests enough notice. This usually means you should send them out at least six weeks in advance. If it is a less formal gathering such as an all day open house, four weeks notice is usually considered optimal. But if it has a theme, longer than six weeks may be ideal to allow your guests time to locate and otherwise prepare a costume.

When writing your message on your graduation invitations, there is some key information that needs to be pointed out to your guests. Make sure you list the names of the party hosts, the name of the graduate, date and time of the event, details on the venue, and dress code. You may also consider including a map to your location in case people get lost as well as response cards and return address labels.
When addressing the envelope, make sure they are all hand addressed and don't use any abbreviations. For instance, put 123 Parker Street instead of 123 Parker St. Also, consider using a calligraphy pen.

Put your return address on the back flap of the envelope, centered, and leave your name off. Make it clear in your graduation invitations as to whether or not a meal is planned. You may also want to consider giving your guests the option not to bring gifts. If you do receive gifts, make sure you follow up with thank you cards to all of those that brought one. Some people think it may be rude to put an end time on your event but if you feel you need to, there's nothing wrong or rude about it as well.


Jeff Fain is an author for Dependable Printing. Please visit Dependable Printing for a great selection of graduation invitations and announcements.