Graduation is a special time for special people.
A graduation is a special time for your friends and family to celebrate your upcoming accomplishment. Because schools and universities have differing rules about attending the ceremony, some additional thought must go into mailing the invitations. Here are some things to consider when inviting others to join you on your big day.
Time is of the Essence
With open graduations time is of the essence because you have the option of having an unlimited number of guests. There is a greater likelihood that with advanced notice, family members who live out of state will plan to attend. If this is the case, allowing one month for a high school graduation and two to three months for a college or university graduation is adequate provided that you are on target to graduate. Start making your list at the beginning of the semester in which you plan to graduate to ensure that no one is left out. Consult family members or friends when making the list to help you remember everyone.
If you can only accommodate a certain number of guests, start this process the same way and send everyone else on your list graduation announcements instead of invitations. You can invite those who receive announcements to join you and your family to celebrate after the graduation.
Formatting
As mentioned before, you may be sending graduation announcements and graduation invitations. Graduation announcements announce your graduation with the date, time and location of the graduation. The language is more generic (i.e. "Friends and family of John Smith are cordially invited...") Graduation announcements are usually provided or available to order from the school. If guests are limited, it should be clear on the announcement so that people don't confuse it for an invitation. An invitation looks very similar to the announcement but the language is more specific (i.e. "On behalf of John Smith, we cordially invite you to..." or "Mr. & Mrs. Mark Brown and family are invited to join John Smith at the commencement ceremony for Pretend College on...."). Whether an invitation or an announcement, it should be accompanied with a handwritten note from the graduate communicating their intent for sending it. For instance for an announcement, you could say, "Dear Uncle Kevin: It's been a difficult couple of years but I just wanted to let you know that I will be graduating in June. Your support has been invaluable. Unfortunately, tickets are limited but I would love for you to join us after the graduation for dinner." For an invitation, you could say, "Dear Uncle Kevin: It's been a difficult couple of years but I just wanted to let you know that I will be graduating in June. Your support has been invaluable and I would love for you to join us on June 17 at the graduation ceremony. Tickets are enclosed for you and a guest. I hope to see you there." If no tickets are required, indicate that in the note or be sure it's printed on the invitation. Be sure to include a reference for questions on the location, parking, etc. You can direct them to your school's website or provide a phone number they can call if they have questions. Sending personal notes are admittedly time consuming but are a nice touch.
Mailing
Personal preferences can differ. To save time, you can print mailing labels for both your return address as well as the addressees. If you prefer, you can hand write the addresses. Use a guide like the one mentioned in the Reference below to write neatly and in straight lines. Use formal titles and complete names (See References). Be sure to purchase stamps as soon as the list is complete so that you are prepared to send all announcements or invitations at the same time. Because standard mail can be unpredictable, you could aim to send them one week earlier than planned. For this reason, you should consider taking them to the post office to send versus leaving in a mailbox for a mail carrier to pick up. If an invitation or announcement is returned to you, follow up with the guest to confirm or correct their address and re-communicate the details of the day.
Follow Up
Whether guests attend the graduation, celebrate with you post-graduation or send a graduation gift, you must send handwritten thank you cards to acknowledge their support. Ideally, they should be sent the week after the graduation. In this case, they are better late than not at all. Provide an email address or mailing address so that guests can keep in contact with you on your new ventures.
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