Graduation Announcements: 5 Mistakes To Avoid
You worked tirelessly to earn your degree, and now it’s time to celebrate! Whether you are opting for a large party or an intimate family gathering, you need to send announcements alerting people to the event. You can opt for a traditional announcement with a picture of a diploma or get creative with the designs you choose. However, whatever style you opt for, avoid these common mistakes, which can leave your friends and family confused.
1. Choosing a busy font.
It’s possible to get incredibly creative with your graduation announcements, such as metallic monograms on high-quality stationery. After all, your graduation is big news, and you want to share your excitement with everyone. However, you don’t want too many designs and elements on your announcements. The wrong font could be hard to read, especially if you choose a dramatic script. Consider adding some dramatic elements to your mailers, but then opt for a simple font for important information like the time, place, and attire.
2. Leaving out important information.
Your guests will have questions about the invitations you send. Who can actually attend your high school ceremony? Where can your family members park? What should they wear? The last thing you want is for your friends to wear heels and then sink into the grass because your party is in your backyard.
The printed card should answer the who, where, what, why, when, and how about your graduation. Otherwise, your guests will be confused. If your invites are getting cluttered, you can use your grad announcements to let people know about the big day with a basic invite—almost like a save-the-date. Then, you can either create an event website or a detailed email with relevant information.
3. Missing spelling errors.
While a beautiful monogram can catch the eyes of your friends and family, spelling errors will stand out. You don’t want your graduation announcements to turn into “graduation annoncements” because you forgot to proofread before ordering. You will have to reorder your prints and won’t get a refund for your mistake. Plus, if your address is incorrect, your guests might not be able to find your party.
4. Forgetting RSVP requests.
If you are having a graduation party, you need to get a proper head count. This will help you determine how much food you need and how many people you can expect. Make sure you provide information on the best way for friends and family to RSVP. You can include a smaller card in the inner envelope to mail back, add a phone number for guests to call, or create a Facebook event to RSVP to. Also, try to set a deadline for RSVP submissions. That way, you can plan for the correct number of people a few weeks out.
5. Sending them too late.
Your invitations will take time to print and ship. You also need to give your guests advanced notice about the party. They want to celebrate your accomplishment and will make arrangements to travel to your home. This could include booking flights, finding hotels, and finding pet care.
Try to send out your envelopes early in the spring. This allows for planning time and gets your event on the schedule ahead of other future graduates. You don’t want people to miss your party because they were already invited to someone else’s.
Remember, the stationary isn’t as important as the message written on the card. Make sure your invitations are clear, detailed, and spelled correctly. This way, your guests can attend your party and celebrate without any problems. The effort you put into designing your cards will be worth the lower stress levels leading up to the big day.
