The end of the school year is rapidly approaching. For High School Seniors, that means that Graduation time is here! First, we wish the biggest and most sincere congratulations to our Green Bay area Class of 2022! All your hard work is finally paying off, and it’s time to celebrate! However, there are some essential things that you should know when you’re making your plans for your graduation celebrations this summer.
Whether from high school, college, or even Kindergarten, graduation is a huge milestone in a young person’s life. You have worked hard, and your hard work deserves to be celebrated! Traditionally Graduation Announcements and Invitations are a massive part of the graduation experience. Throughout your school career, there have most likely been family, friends, classmates, and teachers who have supported your education and are proud of the hard work you put in to get to this point. So now is the time to brag a bit and let those who care about you know that you made it and to thank those whose support helped you get there!
Graduation Announcements
First, you’ll want to send out some graduation announcements. This is a simple card (usually a photo postcard) that announces to friends and family that you are graduating. An announcement is different from an invitation, which we’ll talk about next. Announcements are just a way to let the people who care about you know about such a huge milestone in your life. These announcements do not include an invitation to attend the graduation ceremony or any graduation celebration. You also should not expect to receive gifts from those who receive an announcement (although it’s certainly possible). These should be sent out within two weeks after the graduation ceremony. The people who should receive an announcement are those whom the graduate knows and those who know the graduate personally, not friends or coworkers of the parents whom the graduate has never met.
Graduation Invitations
Graduation Ceremony Invitations are sent out to a select few who will actually be invited to attend the graduation ceremony at your school. More often than not, schools have a limited number of people per student who can attend the graduation ceremony, so these invitations are generally limited to parents and grandparents. You’ll want to make sure that you send out the invitations a few weeks in advance and ask your recipients to RSVP as soon as possible, as tickets are limited.
Due to the limited number of people who can attend the graduation ceremony, it is common for families to throw a graduation party or open house so that family and friends can all come together to celebrate such a monumental occasion! If you’re having a graduation party, you need to send out invitations for that. If you’re inviting out-of-town guests, you need to send your invitations about six weeks in advance to give them enough time to make their travel plans and find accommodations. For local guests, shoot for closer to three or four weeks before the event.
Your invitations should reflect the tone of your event. For example, if you’re throwing a backyard cookout, you can go with something a bit more casual. However, if your event will be a formal dinner party, you’ll want to send out invitations that have a much more formal aesthetic.
Thank You Cards
One of the most exciting parts of a grad party is the gifts! Most of the time, a graduate will receive a card with a monetary gift to help them begin their journey into adulthood. Since receiving gifts is such a common part of the graduation season, you’ll want to be very intentional about it. Make sure that you keep track of who sends you a gift and what they give you. You’ll need this later! Shortly after your graduation festivities have concluded, you need to send out your Thank You cards. These should be handwritten notes sent out to each person from whom you received a gift. Traditional etiquette dictates that these should be sent out within two weeks of receiving the gift, so make sure you stay on top of it to avoid added stress.
Photos
Now that we’ve talked about all the different things that you are expected to send to announce your accomplishment to your family and friends, you’re probably wondering what these things are supposed to look like. All of the correspondence we’ve talked about so far should include a photo of you. If you’ve had professional senior portraits taken, these are what you should be using for your announcements, invitations, and thank you cards. You can typically order your announcements, invitations, and thank you cards directly through your photographer, so reach out to your senior portrait photographer to see what they’ve got to offer. Otherwise, you’ll need the photo printing rights in order to use your photos with a third-party printer. Either way, your photographer will know what’s best and the next steps you’ll need to take to proceed.
For the class of 2023, it’s time for you to start thinking about setting up your Senior Portrait appointments now. Give us a call today to get started!
