It's time to announce what you've accomplished thus far in life.  You've been working on this for 13 YEARS and there's a lot to be proud of! Many people have watched and helped you come this far and want to be a part of celebrating this special time in your life.  I have 5 tips for you when it comes to planning and designing your announcement. So, follow along below!

ANNOUNCEMENT OR INVITATION 

Let me start this off by saying, an announcement is not an invitation to an event. It's all in the wording. It's perfectly ok to announcement your accomplishments and not invite everybody under the sun to your ceremony or party.  It's also very common to only have "x" amount of seats per student.

Now it's time to decide on what kind of invitation you should be sending out, Ceremony Invitation, Ceremony Announcement or Graduation Party Invitation?

Ceremony Invitations

How many seats do you have available? Will they be attending your grad party? These are questions you should be asking yourself when creating your list.  It's perfectly ok to let your close friends and family know there is limited seating at the ceremony and that you would like them to attend your grad party.  It's also ok to just send out announcements, see below.

Ceremony announcements

Ceremony announcements are traditionally mailed after the ceremony has taken place and can be sent out between the day after the graduation to up to four weeks later.  These announcements can be sent out to those on your holiday card list or to those the graduate would recognize in person.  Traditionally these are sent out to those the graduate knows.  

Graduation Party Invitations

It's time to let loose and party! Invite young and old alike and all those who you think would enjoy celebrating with you in person. The form of invitation sent out should match the type of party held.  If you plan to have a formal party send a formal invitation.  If you plan to have a backyard BBQ you can send a less formal invite! 

IMPORTANT DETAILS TO INCLUDE ON YOUR GRAD ANNOUNCEMENTS / INVITATIONS 

Front

• name

• high school name and/or soon to be attending college

• year of graduation

• photo of senior

Back

• accomplishments

• special honors

• sports

• passions and/or hobbies

• party details and/or ceremony details

• more photos of senior, optional

WHO SHOULD YOU SEND  GRAD ANNOUNCEMENTS TO

You may choose to send announcements to let everyone from friends to distant relatives know that you or your child will be entering into a new phase of life.  A graduation announcement is a great way to reconnect with old friends from all stages of life.  Old friends or anyone who helped your child along the way.  You should know that it’s not necessary to send a graduation announcement to classmates of the graduate though, unless you’re having a party and what to invite them.