Graduation Invitations

A graduation invitation asks the recipient to attend a graduation ceremony or party and includes event details and an RSVP request. Meanwhile, graduation announcement cards simply share the good news with friends and family, with no RSVP needed. Both are available in similar card formats and sizes, so the choice between an invitation and announcement comes down to the wording itself. A graduation invitation could read, "Please join us in celebrating the graduation of [Name] at [Location]. Kindly RSVP by [Date]." A graduation announcement, meanwhile, might simply say, "We proudly announce the graduation of [Name], Class of 2026!"

Local guests? We recommend sending out your graduation invitations around 4 to 6 weeks prior to the celebration. Out-of-state guests? Give them some extra time to organize travel and lodging by sending your graduation invitations 6 to 8 weeks in advance. In comparison, graduation announcements are commonly sent out anywhere from 2 weeks before the graduation ceremony to as late as 4 to 6 weeks afterwards.

If you're inviting guests to the ceremony, we recommend one card per guest, as this is an extra-special invite that will be used as a keepsake. Ceremonies are often limited due to the number of commencement tickets per student, so this would usually be around four invitations, but do check with your school to be sure. That said, if you're inviting guests to your graduation party, we'd recommend one invitation per household. Intimate gatherings tend to consist of around 10 to 20 guests, which is roughly 4 to 8 households. Large open-house parties or celebrations thrown in alternative venues can welcome anywhere from 50 to 100+ guests, which would be around 20 to 40 households.

The graduation invitation should include the graduate's full name, the name of the school, event details such as the date, time, and location, and RSVP information. Additional details like academic honors or special awards to acknowledge the graduate's hard work. Including the parents' or hosts' names on the invite is also a nice shout-out for traditional family-hosted events. Don't forget to specify if you're inviting the recipient to the ceremony or the graduation party, so there's no confusion on the day!

• Graduation RSVP Cards: Give your guests the option to confirm their attendance ahead of time, so you know if your limited ceremony slots have been filled and have an accurate headcount for the party afterwards.
• Graduation Enclosure Cards: Pair your invitation with an additional enclosure card; this is where you can mention extra details like dress codes, parking tips, or online streaming information for guests who can't attend the ceremony in person.
• Graduation Envelopes: Choose a coordinating envelope for your graduation invitations, with free Guest Addressing available for qualifying orders. Double envelopes are the traditional format (with a formal outer envelope for mailing and an informal inner one to hold the card), but a single envelope works for modern invites.

Yes, you can often purchase matching RSVP cards and enclosure cards for graduation invitations. Many designs on Zazzle are part of a Collection, so you can carry the same look right through every element of your stationery. Just scroll down on the product page to shop other products in that Collection, if available. You can also contact the Independent Creator, the artist behind the design on the Zazzle marketplace, with your requests. Simply scroll down the product page to the About This Design section, and then select the 'Message' or 'Contact' button. Many Creators are generally happy to make changes to their design, where possible. Some may already have a variation of the product or design that will suit your needs, so be sure to check out their store by clicking on the Creator name under the title on the product page!

Once you place your order, your invitations will go through processing and production before being shipped to you. These timeframes can depend on what products you're ordering and the quantity of your order. Flat invitations, our most popular invitation type, typically take 2 business days to be produced, with no additional time added for customization. Quantities of over 50 can add additional production time to your order, but rest assured that you'll be able to see an accurate delivery estimate during checkout. You can also double-check the estimated delivery timeframe on the product page, which you can find above the 'Add to Cart' button.

Zip and Zip PLUS are our fastest options, but it depends on how close you are to the event in question! You've got a few options for shipping on the Zazzle marketplace, which will determine how long your order takes to get to you after it's been produced. Standard shipping takes 4 to 7 business days, Premium shipping takes 2 to 3 business days, and Express shipping takes 1 to 2 business days. If your event is looming closer, we'd definitely recommend looking at our Zip and Zip PLUS options, as they speed up both production and shipping timeframes to get your order to you within 1 to 2 business days. If that's still stretching you a little thin for time, Instant Download is also available on the product page and will have your design delivered to your phone within an hour, so you can send out your ceremony or party invitations quickly.

If you're planning to place more than one order a year, then the Zazzle Plus program is definitely worth it. Zazzle Plus offers free standard shipping for a whole year, which takes 4 to 7 business days after your order has been produced. Zazzle Plus Premium offers unlimited premium shipping all year, which takes 2 to 3 business days to be delivered after production time. On average, Zazzle Plus members save $25 per year, and Zazzle Plus Premium members save $100 annually on shipping costs, not including any additional savings that members receive from exclusive deals or discounts they receive as part of the Zazzle Plus programs.

If your order arrives damaged, defective, or there are any production issues, then get in contact with our customer service team so they can help provide a resolution. Opting in for the Worry-Free Design Review and Delivery service will ensure that you can return the product for a replacement, refund, or account credit within 30 days of receipt of the product, regardless of the issue.