How Long Before Graduation Should You Send Invitations?

by Alex Melen on June 13, 2022

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It's that time of year again – graduation season! You’ll soon be leaving college or high school and moving into another phase of life. Before that, it’s time to plan a party for yourself to celebrate your achievements. After years of hard work, you deserve a night of fun to reward yourself! As you start preparing your graduation invitations and announcements, one question lingers on your mind - when should you send them out? We’ve got the answers to your question.

Graduation Invitations and Graduation Announcements

Let’s start by understanding the difference between graduation invitations and graduation announcements. Graduation announcements are used to notify family, friends, teachers, or other acquaintances that you are graduating. It typically includes your achievements and can be used for networking purposes. These aren’t invitations but can serve as one for graduation parties if you choose to include your celebration details.

Graduation invites, also known as open house invitations, are what you’d send out to invite people to your party. An open house party means guests can come and go freely within a certain timeframe. Because of the large number of visitors and the fact that your guests frequently have numerous parties to attend, open houses are common for graduation parties.

Sending Your Graduation Invitations and Announcements

If you’re throwing a party, we recommend you send out the invitations around 3 to 4 weeks before graduation. Do the same if you’re using your graduation announcement as an invitation. Seems like a little too early? Sending out invitations 3 to 4 weeks in advance is rather common especially when many parties are happening at the same time. You want to inform your guests early and let them add your party to their schedule.

However, if you aren’t a fan of parties and just want to announce your graduation, simply send your graduation announcements anytime from 2 weeks before your graduation or a month after. It’s alright to send them later since you won’t be inviting anyone over so there’s no need for them to plan in advance.

When Should You Order Your Graduation Announcements and Invitations?

It’s always good to plan early. You’ll get busier as your graduation ceremony draws near so don’t leave things till the last minute! You need to think about the design and message to include in your invitations and announcements. Ideally, it should represent you and showcase your personality. You’d also want to choose the best photos. Factor in the time you’d need if you intend to do a photoshoot to get some awesome photos. The message is important too and you’d want ample time to think about what to write.

 Fortunately, with technology being so advanced, customized graduation announcements and invitations can be delivered to you within days. Don’t take the risks though; you’ll need time to mail them out or settle any unforeseen circumstances. Make your order at least 6 weeks before your graduation or even earlier! There’s no reason you shouldn’t place your order early if everything's in place. You’ll have one less thing to worry about!

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