Announcements Versus Graduation Ceremony

• There's a difference between your graduation announcement and the graduation ceremony invitation. The announcement does just that: It announces to everyone who's willing to hear it that your graduate has crossed the finish line. The ceremony invitation is the document that invites your special guests to the graduation proceedings. Know the difference in who will receive which invitation so that you keep track of who you ask to come to the ceremony. It has become more common that families send an announcement to everyone in hopes that the return will be a gift or donation, whether the receiving party can come or not. But that's a general etiquette "no-no." If the receiving party doesn't really know the graduate or won't be invited to attend, it can put said party in an awkward position, trying to determine whether they "have to" send a gift.
  
  

Invitation List

• Find out how many people you can invite to the graduation. Depending on the venue and the school, graduates may be limited in the amount of people they're allowed to attend. Although you may have a football stadium's worth of guests to invite, it's best to only invite guests who are close to the graduate -- such as grandparents and mentors -- if you're limited so you don't cause chaos for other students. Alternatively, host a graduation after-party where you can invite everyone you want.
  
  

Announcement Ordering

• The school is likely to send you home with information on ordering announcements that are uniform and consist with the entire graduating class. Depending on the company contracted to provide the announcements, photos and a personalized message may be included as a customized option. If you prefer to design your own announcements, include the same information as the school version so that you include important details such as the graduating school and dates.
  
  

Mailing Details

• Address your announcements properly by taking the time to get the full name and contact information for those you're inviting. Provide complete information for the addressee, including referring to them by their full name and title -- such as "Dr. and Mrs. David Smith."