Aug 2

Aug 2 The Ultimate Guide to Graduation Invitations

How to Write Graduation Invitations

Graduation Invitations: High school, College & Grad School

Custom graduation invitations are a way to invite friends and family to share in your good news and special day. Invitations are different than announcements – they’re not just telling folks about your big achievement, they’re inviting them to come watch it happen!

An invitation should have a few basic details:
• The graduating class year
• The student you’re celebrating
• The date and time
• The location
• And an RSVP detail

Other wording to introduce the affair and the student is also appropriate, but it’s best to keep it more formal in accordance with the seriousness of the occasion. An example might be:

Please join us in witnessing the graduation of
Michael O’Brian
Class of 2016

Saturday, June 5th 2016 at 2pm
University High School
45 School Drive Potomac, MD 12345

Please RSVP by May 1
555.555.5555 / Michael@email.com

Other personalized graduation invitation examples include:
• Dr. and Mrs. Roger O’Brian invite you to join them at the graduation of their son…
• The graduating senior class of University High School and Michael O’Brian proudly announces their commencement ceremony on June 5…
• You are cordially invited to attend the graduation ceremony of Michael O’Brian on June 5…

College and post-grad invitations can be even more formal:

The Regents, The Faculty
And the Graduating Class
of
Harvard University
Announce the
Commencement Exercises of 2016
Friday evening, the twenty-eighth of August
Two thousand and sixteen
at eleven o’clock
Whitman Field

Michael O’Brian
Bachelors of Science in Engineering

In the case of such a formal invitation, a separate, stamped RSVP card would be included for guests to mail back.

Invitations should be sent out a month or more in advance to give people enough time to plan. This is especially important if you’re including out-of-town guests who need to book lodging and plane tickets. Most graduations limit the number of guests that are permissible per students. If that is the case, invitations should be sent out to closest family members first. If your school has room to accommodate everyone and his brother, it’s still best to keep your list of guests on the smaller, more intimate side. Remember, graduation ceremonies can run long – and while you might really like your neighborhood postman, he probably would enjoy the after party more than the actual graduation.

Last, but not least, envelopes should be addressed by hand with care. Formal standards apply and all abbreviations should be fully written out.

Dr. and Mrs. Robert O’Brian
22 Apple Street Court
Miami, Ohio 12345

The invitation should be placed face up inside the envelope. If there are two envelopes, the inner envelope should not be sealed. If there is tissue, it should be placed over the card.