Your Go-To Guide for Graduation Party Invitation Wording

The years keep flying by and suddenly graduation feels like it’s just around the corner. If you’re planning on celebrating a special grad, writing and sending invitations is one of  the top items on your to-do list. And if you’re unsure about what to say, we’re here to help you navigate graduation party invitation wording. 

Whether you’re honoring a high school graduate, a college achiever, or a doctoral candidate, this guide will help you create the perfect invitation. You’ll find both elegant and fun wording examples for graduation invitations to cover formal and casual styles. Plus, we’ve included some of our favorite graduation invite designs for inspiration.

Graduation Party Invitation Wording Ideas and Examples

Ready to fill out your graduation party invitations but not quite sure what to say? Here, we’ll share what you should include in your invite. That way, your guests will know where to go and what’s expected of them. 

Plus, we’ll share some wording ideas that are suitable for this momentous occasion, whether you’re planning a graduation party that’s a formal celebration or a backyard gathering in honor of the grad.

What to Include in Your Graduation Party Invitation

When writing your graduation party invite, you want to include important details to make it easy for guests to attend. Here are some things you should make sure are in your invitation:

• The graduate’s name (list their full name and any titles for a formal party, or use their first name only or a nickname for a casual gathering with close friends and family members only)
• The graduation year
• The name of the graduate’s school and their degree
• The location, time, and date of the graduation party
• The graduation ceremony details (if guests are invited to attend that as well)
• RSVP information along with your contact information in case guests have questions
• The dress code, if required
• Special instructions (for example, if you are requesting gifts, suggesting donations, or asking guests to bring a dish to a potluck graduation party)

Graduation Party Wording Ideas

Now that you have a handle on the essential items to include in the invite, it’s time to get creative and add a personal touch. It’s a good idea to match the formality of your invite wording to the graduation party theme or tone. 

For example, if you’re having an evening graduation celebration honoring a doctoral graduate, your invitation language may be more formal. If you plan on having a BBQ at home to honor your high school graduate and all their friends, you can keep things more casual with your wording.

Here are some graduation party invitation wording ideas to consider:

• Join us in saying “Congrats!” to the special grad who’s put in the hard work and is ready to set off on a new adventure. We’ll be celebrating with a backyard BBQ starting at 5 p.m. after the graduation ceremony on June 29th.
• We cordially invite you to join us in celebrating Dr. Jordan Jay as she graduates from Princeton University with a doctoral degree in Archaeology. Please plan on attending a formal evening gala at six o’clock on the twenty-fifth of May, two thousand and twenty-five.
• Our little one is all grown up and ready to leave the nest. Come celebrate Joanie’s high school graduation with a casual brunch on Sunday after the graduation day. Get ready for some fun and games as we share where she’s decided to go to college!
• We’re moving our tassels and tossing our graduation caps with a special grad bash in honor of Dragan. Join us on Saturday, June 14th to honor his achievement and send him off to the next chapter in style.

If you’re still not sure what to say, consider including a graduation quote and building your invitation on the inspiration of those words.

Here’s an example of how that might look: 

“Change takes courage.” — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Carlotta has faced every obstacle head-on and has received her master’s degree in diplomacy. We know she is going to change the world, and we invite you to help us celebrate her achievements and what’s to come. 

Graduation Party Wording Examples

Want help visualizing how the event details and wording ideas come together on the invitation? We’ve put together two examples to bring these to life! 

Use them as a template and update them to match your specific party. You can even use them as inspiration for graduation announcement card wording if you’re not planning on having a big celebration after.

Formal Graduation Party Wording Example

It is our honor to present Dr. Thomas Cartright, who has recently earned his doctoral degree in public policy from Columbia University. 

We kindly invite you to attend a celebration in his honor at the Seaside Country Club on Sunday, the sixth of June at noon. A crab bake and luncheon will begin at one, following a brief cocktail hour.

Please wear formal attire to adhere to the event venue dress code. In lieu of graduation gifts, we ask attendees to donate to a local grass roots organization.

Kindly RSVP to Nancy Cartright via email [EMAIL ADDRESS] by the fifteenth of May.

Casual Graduation Party Wording Example

She did it, and we’re so proud! Catherine has graduated from high school, and we want to get everyone together for a big bash before she heads off to college.

Feel free to bring along other friends and family members to join in the celebration. The party will start at 4 p.m. after the graduation ceremony on May 16th and continue all night long!

No need to RSVP. We’ll have plenty of food, drinks, and fun for all!

5 Exceptional and Inspiring Graduation Party Invitations

With your graduation invitation wording in mind, you can pick an invite and get ready to send it out to everyone on your guest list. Whether you’re looking for a high school graduation invitation, a college graduation invitation, or a trade school announcement, Greenvelope has you covered. With dozens of graduation invitation templates, you’ll find the perfect one to celebrate your loved one. 

Plus, each invitation design is completely customizable, allowing you to put a personal touch on everything from the typography and wording to the color scheme. You can even include special photos of the grad.

Here are some of our favorite graduation party invitations to get you inspired.

1. Jumpstart Invitation

Design: Gwen B Design

Whether you’re sending college graduation announcements or inviting guests to a big bash on graduation day, a photo card like this modern invite, puts the honoree front and center. The contemporary design lends itself to formal and casual gatherings and is available in six artist-created color palettes to match any theme. To make it more unique, create your own color palette featuring the grad’s school colors.

This invitation is also backside-supported, which means you can put the essential details on the front and include more complete invitation wording on the back.

2. Vintage Florals Invitation

Design: Lisa Travis

If your high school or college grad loves nature, they’ll adore this floral invitation card design. It features a colorful border of handpainted, watercolor flowers. The center text box is perfect for adding event details, while the supported backside has more space to share a special story or the grad’s upcoming plans.

3. Get Down Grad Invitation

Design: Owl and Toad

Looking for a funny graduation card invite? This colorful grad invitation is sure to bring joy to guests’ faces and is ideal for casual, fun celebrations. Featuring funky, retro vibes, it sets the tone for a festive bash honoring the grad’s latest achievements.

4. Classic Deckled Edge Invitation

Design: Stacey Meacham Design, llc

This formal graduation invitation features elegant accents, making it ideal for elevated celebrations. A gold foil graduation cap and envelope liner add shimmer to the design, while the deckled edge creates a sophisticated air. This graduation card comes in four neutral shades but can be customized to any hue using the color wheel.

5. Then and Now Invitation

Design: Anna K Design

Your little one is all grown up, why not celebrate with a quick trip down memory lane with this then and now invitation. Featuring two photo slots, you can add a picture of the honoree when they were a baby or toddler and a second photo of them now. It’s the perfect way to reminisce and kick off a memorable celebration with loved ones.

Honor Your Grad With a Memorable Party and Invitations

At Greenvelope, you’ll find hundreds of digital invitations, including designs that are perfectly suited for graduation celebrations of all types. From formal and sophisticated templates for law and medical school grads to casual designs for a backyard celebration of a high school grad, you’ll find the perfect one.

Looking for more tips to prepare for this milestone? Continue browsing our Stationers blog where you’ll find advice for everything from graduation gifts to party-planning ideas — including a graduation party checklist — for the big celebration.