Graduation time is drawing near! Here are a few gifts that I have found that young lady graduates appreciate receiving:
For a college graduate, an elegant black handbag for upcoming job interviews.
Both college and high school graduates will cherish a lovely piece of jewelry, an engraved picture frame to hold a sweet memory, or a porcelain Herend box to place by their bedside for earrings, or to use as a pretty decorative piece.
It is always a delight to read your questions and recently, I was asked about the difference between a graduation invitation versus a graduation announcement.
A graduation invitation is requesting your attendance at the actual ceremony, and a graduation announcement is acknowledging an academic accomplishment.
A Graduation Invitation:
A graduation invitation is requesting your physical attendance at the graduation commencement. It is typically mailed six weeks prior to the graduation date, and a save-the-date card can be sent up to three months ahead. This advance notice is helpful for out-of-town guests to make their travel arrangements.
Do not take offense if you did not receive an invitation! Due to the constraint of limited school seating, invitations are mainly intended for immediate family and close relatives.
Respond to a graduation invitation as soon as possible because tickets are limited, and if you cannot attend, the graduate can then invite another close family member.
A graduation invitation is similar in format to a wedding invitation. If the school provides the graduate with an invitation and two envelopes, write the name and address on the outer envelope, and try not to use any abbreviations. Instead, spell out Street, Avenue, and the state- Connecticut. Slip the invitation into the inner envelope and only write the guest’s name on the front. For example: Mr. and Mrs. R. Stuart Holden, Jr. or, for a relative, simply, Uncle Herb. Use black ink… or blue ink is acceptable too.
A Graduation Announcement:
Since an announcement is not an invitation to attend the commencement, the announcement is sent after the actual graduation ceremony has taken place! Announcements can be mailed the day after, or up to two weeks after the ceremony. A graduation announcement does not include an invitation to a party because the party will have already taken place after the ceremony.
Graduation Party:
If you are hosting a graduation party, then you may invite whomever you wish! Party invitations should be mailed separately, and not inserted into the graduation invitation. It is a thoughtful idea to give a “start and end time” so that the graduate and their friends can also plan to attend other parties.
Graduation Gifts:
If you receive a graduation announcement, you are not obligated to send a gift. Of course, the graduate would appreciate your kind acknowledgment with either a congratulatory note or better yet, a gift!
If you receive an invitation to the graduation ceremony, a gift is expected. Either send a gift and request that it be delivered near or on the graduation date, or give your gift to the graduate on the day of the commencement.
It can be helpful to ask the parents of the graduate advice on what to give or what they need. I like to order a gift that can be engraved with either their name, their school, and/or a date.
Lovely writing paper or note cards with the graduate’s name is thoughtful and can be used for thank you notes. A Mont Blanc or Cross fountain pen or a rollerball pen with black ink is another idea. Sending flowers to the graduate on the day of the graduation is also thoughtful. A check or gift certificate is appropriate too.
For gentlemen graduates, a handsome picture frame engraved with their initials or school, a pair of engraved cufflinks, or a leather credit card holder or a business card holder are all worthy gift contenders! A tie with the school colors or emblem is nice, too.
Forbidden Faux Pas:
No-no: To send an announcement to anyone who has never met the graduate.
What is done: The announcement should be sent to people the graduate actually knows, not just their parents friends, or their Christmas card list. Rule of thumb: whomever receives an announcement should be able to recognize the graduate and vice versa!
No-no: To have a gift registry included on the invitation.
What is done: The guest will inquire to the graduate or their parents if they have a registry or a particular store they adore.
No-no: For the graduate to only talk to their friends at their graduation party.
What is done: The graduate should make an effort to talk to all of the guests attending their ceremony and party.
No-no: To send an “email” thank you note for graduation gifts.
What is done: A hand-written thank-you note is required for any graduation gift received, preferably within 48 hours, but up to two weeks, after receiving the gift.
XX
Holly
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