When To Send Graduation Announcements

Graduation can sneak up on you in no time, whether you’re a student prepping for finals or the proud parent of a high school or college senior. Like most people, you’re likely wondering “When do you send out graduation announcements?” and “Who do you send graduation announcements to?” The good news: we’re here to help. While last-minute planning can lead to graduation announcements being sent out late, recipients with little time to prepare for the celebration or gift-giving, and, as well, people in your circle accidentally being left off your mailing list, our guide will steer you—step by step—through the process of determining when to send graduation announcements, who to send graduation announcements to, and more. But waitwhile you’re thinking about this all-important matter of timing, browse our updated assortment of 2023 graduation announcements to find the perfect grad card with which to celebrate your son or daughter. Seize the moment before your high school or college senior’s big moment and order and send out grad cards today.

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When Do You Send Out Graduation Announcements?

Generally-speaking, graduation announcements should be sent out at least two weeks before the event. If your grad announcements don’t include a graduation party invitation, you can even send them up to six weeks after the event.

With that kind of wiggle room, you might still be asking yourself, but really, when should you send out graduation announcements? If you’re really on the ball, it’s always better to mail your graduation announcements earlier—in the weeks prior to the graduation ceremony. This allows others to receive the news of your high school or college senior’s impending graduation just before it actually occurs and it gives these friends and family members the opportunity to celebrate along with you and your graduating son or daughter. And just as you thought to yourself—when do you send out graduation announcements—your timely mailing of these grad cards extends to others time to do things like send congratulations cards and shop for thoughtful graduation gifts.

And while we’re on the topic of when to send graduation announcements, an important consideration is how far your cards have to travel. If you’d like to get timely notice out to friends or family across the country or even internationally, factor that extra postal time into your timeframe. Doing so will make sure you mail your graduation announcements with plenty of time for those more far-flung contacts to receive them (and for them to respond with notes of congratulations and perhaps gifts for your son or daughter).

When to send graduation announcements card example

How To Send Graduation Announcements

Answering the all-important question of when do you send out graduation announcements is not the only thing to keep in mind in graduation season. Making sure your graduation announcements and invitations are properly addressed helps to ensure they’ll arrive in your loved ones’ mail in time. If you’re worried about making sure you get everything right on the envelopes, read our helpful blog post on how to address graduation invitations. Then check off the boxes for how to send graduation announcements below:

  • Order your Graduation Announcements Well in Advance: Order your graduation announcements at least a month in advance in order to get them in time. And if you want a graduation photoshoot for fresh photos to feature on your grad cards, plan even farther ahead.
  • Make a Mailing List: It’s important to make sure that all your loved ones know about your achievement. For help crafting a mailing list, look to the section below.
  • Check for Correct Titles: Make sure you’re using the correct titles for each recipient. For example, you’ll want to pick the right “Mrs.” or “Ms.” to avoid any accidental faux pas.
  • Double Check Addresses and Spelling: The best way to ensure your letters get to where they’re going is to use the correct address and spelling on the envelope.
  • Check for Correct Postage: If you’re using square envelopes or your letter weighs more than average, you may need additional postage.
  • Send in plenty of time for each recipient: Like mentioned above, you need to send most letters at least two weeks in advance, and even sooner for long distance friends and family.


Who To Send Graduation Announcements To

Once you’ve determined when to send out graduation announcements and how to send out graduation announcements, it’s time to decide who should receive one. Creating a mailing list and compiling addresses plenty ahead of time will also help keep things organized and proceeding in a timely fashion. When it comes to this step, think about the people who have made an important impact on your young scholar’s life, but also family friends who’d like to continue to be kept abreast of your child’s academic and life path. Another good rule to follow is to send an announcement to anyone your family would send a holiday or Christmas card to. We’ve compiled a short list as a guideline for you to follow when determining who to send graduation announcements to:

When do you send out graduation announcements sample card
  • Close Friends and Family: These folks are a must! They probably already know most of the details for the big day, but of course, they would love to show off stylish magnet graduation announcements on the fridge. No one loves bragging about your accomplishments more than your friends and family.
  • Acquaintances: Those who you would send a Christmas or holiday card to should most likely receive a grad announcement as well. If you can find their address somewhere in the house or on your phone, that’s also a great indicator that you should send an invite their way.
  • Tutors, Teachers, Classmates: Don’t forget about the ones who were side by side with your graduating senior through their educational journey. Anyone involved in the grad’s high school or college career should be considered.
  • Ask the Grad: Get a list from the graduate including who they would want to send an announcement to. This way, you can assure that you haven’t overlooked anyone.

When Do You Send Out Graduation Announcements: More Resources

When it comes to the question of when to send graduation announcements, keep in mind the date of the event, don’t forget about the distance of your card recipients, and make sure you include those recipients special to the grad on the guest list. If you need more tips and ideas, visit our posts on proper graduation announcement wordinggrad announcement etiquette, and inspirational graduation quotes, and be sure to explore our wealth of custom graduation announcements, with and without photos, gold foil, and more. We even have guides on how to make school-specific, custom color grad cards (like Texas A&M graduation announcements and UGA graduation announcements).