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Mail graduation announcements two to four weeks before the ceremony for local guests, and within a few weeks after for everyone else, addressed by hand or in clear print. An announcement shares news and is not an invitation, so never include a gift request, and send one to family, mentors, and close friends.
One plain fact up front: LetterAgent prints letters on standard letter paper in a double-window envelope, with no inserts, so it cannot print or mail a formal announcement card set. You can still use the advice below for announcements you mail yourself, and you can send the news as a letter through LetterAgent to United States or Canadian recipients.
An announcement tells people you graduated. An invitation asks them to attend. That difference drives every choice: an announcement never includes a ticket, a dress code, or a request to reply, and it never implies the reader is expected at the ceremony. If you want someone at the ceremony, send them an invitation, not an announcement. People who receive only an announcement understand they are being told the news, not being asked to travel, and they will not feel slighted for not attending. Many families send invitations to a small local list and announcements to a wider list, which is the correct way to handle a ceremony with limited seats.
| Piece | Announcement | Invitation |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Share the news | Ask the person to attend |
| Reply expected? | No | Yes, by a stated date |
| Ceremony details | Date and school, for context | Time, venue, seating, tickets |
| Gift mention | Never | Never, in either case |
For people you hope will attend, mail two to four weeks before the ceremony, so the news arrives while plans can still be made. For everyone else, the window is generous: announcements mailed on the day of the ceremony or within a few weeks after are perfectly proper, and late announcements are far better than none. Some schools set a date after which announcements lose their point, but there is no postal deadline: the timing rule is social, not postal. If you are mailing to a long list, split it into two batches rather than rushing the addressing and making errors on half the envelopes.
Send announcements to family, close friends, teachers and mentors, employers who supported your studies, and anyone who helped you along the way. Do not send one to every acquaintance or to a whole workplace: a short, honest list beats a long, indiscriminate one, and people who barely know you may read an announcement as a gift hint even when you mean nothing of the sort. Children of the graduate's friends are usually covered by the parents' announcement, not a separate one. If you are unsure about someone, ask whether they would be glad to hear the news: if yes, include them.
A formal announcement set has two envelopes: an inner envelope bearing only the recipient's name, and an outer envelope with the full mailing address. The announcement card goes inside the inner envelope, which goes inside the outer envelope, with the flap facing up. A short personal note on a separate card is welcome and is the part recipients keep: a line about what comes next, like a new job or a move, makes the announcement feel personal rather than mass-produced. Do not include a gift registry card, a money request, or a reply card: an announcement asks for nothing, and adding any of those turns it into something else.
Handwrite the address if your handwriting is clear, or use printed labels in a classic font: both are accepted, and a neat printed label beats messy handwriting. Use the recipient's full name and title where you know it, and spell street names and postcodes carefully, since announcements are often mailed in batches and one wrong postcode can sit unnoticed. Use a standard envelope size for the card you bought: an oversized or square envelope needs different postage and can cost more to mail, so check the card maker's envelope guidance before you buy stamps. Weigh one finished envelope before buying postage for the batch, since a two-envelope set with a note weighs more than a single card.
If the ceremony already passed, mail anyway. A short note saying the graduation took place, with the date and the school, is welcome news, and nobody counts it as late in a rude way. If you moved since the ceremony, include your new address in the note so replies and cards reach you. For graduates whose ceremony was virtual or postponed, the announcement date can be the date of the actual graduation, not the ceremony date, and a line explaining that avoids confusion.
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