In the flurry of excitement surrounding your Graduation Party, it’s easy to make mistakes. The invitation envelope won’t seal correctly, you forget to include information about parking at the venue, or you don’t send invitations until the last minute—all of these are common graduation party invitation mistakes that can be easily avoided with a little planning and forethought. Here are five common graduation party invitation mistakes to avoid when you send out your party invitations.

Having cheap invitations

Trying to save money on graduation party invitations is a common mistake. But it’s important to remember that cheap invitations just don’t look good. If you invest in your graduation party invitations, they will reflect well on your party as a whole—it’s one of those instances where less really is more. In addition, when people take time out of their day to come to celebrate with you, you should give them something nice to look at (and not something cheap). 

Finally, make sure your graduation announcements include all necessary information for people—especially since most of your friends and family will be traveling from far away. A great graduation party invitation ensures everyone has everything they need to attend. For example, if you have a theme, let people know what they can wear. 

Also include directions to your venue and any other logistical details. Most importantly, graduation party invitations are meant to get people excited about celebrating with you—so choose a design that reflects how proud you are of yourself.

Choosing a wrong venue

When choosing a venue for your graduation party invitations, it is important to have enough space, food and beverage options, and comfortable seating. Also, make sure that you pick a venue that is easily accessible to guests. Consider arranging transportation for anyone who has trouble getting around. 

If alcohol will be served at your party, find out if your chosen venue allows that kind of party. It can save a lot of headaches in advance. If you’re planning on having kids at your party, make sure there are activities available for them as well as entertainment to keep them occupied while adults catch up with each other after so many years apart. 

Choose graduation party invitations that match your theme and provide information about what to expect at your event. Don’t forget to include contact information so guests know how to reach you with any questions or concerns they might have. 

Remember to thank all your guests personally for coming to celebrate with you! Your graduation party invitation should also reflect your personality and taste, but most importantly—make sure it includes an RSVP deadline! That way you can plan accordingly when ordering food or drinks.

Not arranging food properly

When you’re planning a graduation party, it can be tempting to leave all of your organizing duties to your best friend or sibling. But there are a few things they may not think about when getting food together (which, of course, should always be arranged properly). For example, check that there’s a choice for people with allergies—whether or not someone has an allergy is often overlooked. 

If you know that some of your guests have certain dietary restrictions (vegetarianism being a common one), make sure there will be enough options for them. And remember to buy salt and pepper if they’re going to set out on tables so people can add their own at their own taste levels.

A graduation party invitation is a special event and shouldn’t be ignored! It’s important to ensure that everything goes smoothly from start to finish. It’s also important to make sure everyone is able to enjoy themselves in a way that works for them. These little details go a long way towards making a successful celebration. 

The last thing anyone wants is to feel left out because of something as simple as bad table etiquette. That’s why we’ve provided these tips for how to plan a proper graduation party meal. The next time you’re looking for inspiration, take a look at our list of ideas and get started today.

Having uninvited guests

If you’re throwing a party that costs money, it’s not cool to let your friends bring whoever they want. Paying for a graduation party is expensive enough, so if you need to keep costs down—and chances are you do—you don’t want to be letting people bring as many guests as they want. 

People who show up with others aren’t likely to help out much at your event and will likely stick around for only as long as their friend(s) do. Plus, having more people than expected can make things awkward. Instead of an intimate gathering of close friends and family, your graduation party could turn into a big bash where nobody knows anybody else. 

To avoid having uninvited guests at your graduation party, send out invitations in advance (yes, even to non-friends), or have a guest list on Facebook where you can see who has RSVPed yes and maybe already. You can also check in with everyone on Facebook about two weeks before the event to make sure they haven’t forgotten about it or invited someone else without telling you first.