Help with HS Graduation invitations (on a budget)

[wdwmom0f3]

My DD is graduating this May and I need to go ahead and order her invitations. They offered them through the school but. I couldn't do that, way to expensive.

Can someone direct me to a website that you have used and been happy with, that is reasonable? OR, do you have any ideas that will help me? We need less than 20 of them.

Thank you in advance.

 

[disykat]

If you have a good picture (or the rights to a senior portrait) I'd just do photo cards from Costco or someplace like that. We've already done them for my son and they look great.

 

[shelwoj]

We took several pictures around the school, the park etc. that we are using as senior pictures. From those pictures I'm going to do a collage type photo card (Walgreens has them) and on the back I'm going to put the graduation invite. Hope this makes sense!

Whew, May is coming quick isn't it?!!

 

[louey]

My friend suggested this site to me, my daughter is graduating college in May and am looking for party invites. They seem reasonable?

http://www.polkadotdesign.com/graduation/

 

[kufan98]

We made ours on Shutterfly. They were very reasonable.

 

[maggiew]

I made mine at Vistaprint.

http://www.vistaprint.com/invitatio...&pagesize=24&sort=p_TO!desc&xnav=gnbreadcrumb

Maggie

 

[daughtersrus]

We got free postcards from Vistaprint. DD designed the front with a collage of pictures. The other side had the information about the party. You have to order 100 of them but since they're free, you only pay for shipping. It wasn't much. The postage was also less expensive.

I recently ordered some pictures from Artscow and I have to say that I was very happy with the quality. I ordered a bunch of 5X7 collage prints and was very surprised that they came with envelopes. My intent was to put them in frames. These took a lot longer to come. I think that it was a combination of ordering before Christmas and the company being in Hong Kong so the shipping time was longer.

 

[MrsPete]

Try ebay. Lots of people do things like this -- most of them incorporating a senior picture. I suspect it's cheaper than printing them yourself, what with the cost of ink.

One little thing I've learned recently: You probably shouldn't do your graduation announcements too early (I would be the person who would've done them in the fall, thinking I'd be pleased not to have to do them last minute). We've missed so many days of school lately for bad weather that our graduation day may be CHANGING. I would be very disappointed if I'd had them printed up and had to re-do it.

By the way, what does your school charge? Ours only charges .65/invitation, but they're UGLY. I'll probably end up spending more, but I want something attractive when I'm done.

 

[wdwmom0f3]

Try ebay. Lots of people do things like this -- most of them incorporating a senior picture. I suspect it's cheaper than printing them yourself, what with the cost of ink.

One little thing I've learned recently: You probably shouldn't do your graduation announcements too early (I would be the person who would've done them in the fall, thinking I'd be pleased not to have to do them last minute). We've missed so many days of school lately for bad weather that our graduation day may be CHANGING. I would be very disappointed if I'd had them printed up and had to re-do it.By the way, what does your school charge? Ours only charges .65/invitation, but they're UGLY. I'll probably end up spending more, but I want something attractive when I'm done.

Don't tell me this!! We are leaving for Disney that night!! The students who ordered them from the school would really be upset if they did this. I think the smallest order from the school, or company that they used, was like 199.00. That's just insane!! I think the highest was 600.00. Since I need less than 20, more like 12-15, I didn't want to sink a whole lot of money into this, and there are tons of students doing the same thing that I am.

Thank you all for the advice. I am looking at these options today and I will show them to her when she gets home. Maybe we can decide on something this week.

 

[labdogs42]

winkflash has inexpensive photo cards, too. I have had good luck with them in the past.

 

[MrsPete]

Don't tell me this!! We are leaving for Disney that night!! The students who ordered them from the school would really be upset if they did this. I think the smallest order from the school, or company that they used, was like 199.00. That's just insane!! I think the highest was 600.00. Since I need less than 20, more like 12-15, I didn't want to sink a whole lot of money into this, and there are tons of students doing the same thing that I am.

Thank you all for the advice. I am looking at these options today and I will show them to her when she gets home. Maybe we can decide on something this week.

The school's invitations would be right. They aren't delivered 'til spring, and the school's print company would be responsible for geting them right. It's only if you branch out on your own that you'd be responsible for letting the printer know about the change.

For that much money, I assume more's involved than just the announcements -- at our school they offer these packages, which are made up of stuff that most people don't really want (sweatshirts, '11 mugs, picture frames). However, if you order them individually the invitations are less expensive than Hallmark cards (only about 25% the cost). Though I will say this about announcements: The company that sells them at school encourages students to order a foolishly large number of cards. 20-30 is probably realistic. That many people CARE that your kid is graduating. If you send out 150 invitations -- and some people buy that many -- you're sending to people who'll say, "Who? Is this John's youngest kid? When did he have a boy?"

 

[ah1126]

Someone mentioned getting postcards. If you are going to be sending them in the mail I don't know if I would do this. We got a Christmas postcard this year and it was so beat up when it got to us that we couldn't read or see everything on the card. I am sure they would be perfect if you are just going to hand them out.

 

[MSSANDRA]

Look again at your son's school information.Packages from the company that DS's school used were expensive but there in fine print you COULD order just what you need. Our were less than a 1.00 each.

Also be careful of your wording if you do your own. Our school does announcements not invites. There are only a limited number of people you can have per student at the graduation at many schools.

 

[S. C.]

We did our grandsons photo invitations at Sam's club for his Graduation party. You design them yourself on the photo machine they have different formats for examples. I think it was about 30 cents per invitation, that includes envelopes. Took about an hour for them to print them out. We had already ordered 25 of the invitations from the school and some of those went to close family. The ones from school cost 63 cents each to send (if I'm remembering correctly) while Sam's club invites was regular postage.

 

[maggiew]

You are talking about graduation INVITATIONS for a party, correct? Not graduation announcements.

My recommendation for Vistaprint was for invitations.

Maggie

 

[fakereadhed]

I have a senior this year, and I sucked it up and bought the ones from the school. It was painful- they rob you! She is always such a good sport about the budget and works two jobs and NEVER asks us for anything that I'm not scrimping on her senior year. She has worn $25 dresses from the clearance rack(they were cute though!) so I'm buying the prom dress she has always wanted- even if it kills me to pay full price!

 

[MrsPete]

Look again at your son's school information.Packages from the company that DS's school used were expensive but there in fine print you COULD order just what you need. Our were less than a 1.00 each.

Also be careful of your wording if you do your own. Our school does announcements not invites. There are only a limited number of people you can have per student at the graduation at many schools.

Yes, it's important to read the whole form. They put those expensive packages front and center in big colors, and they imply that those are the only choices . . . But down at the end of the form you'll see that they offer each item individually.

You're right that you should verify your school's attendance policy before you pick out your wording. My school allows seniors to invite as many people as you want, but not all schools have the space to do this.

 

[MrsPete]

You are talking about graduation INVITATIONS for a party, correct? Not graduation announcements.

My recommendation for Vistaprint was for invitations.

Maggie

We're going to combine the graduation invitation /announcement and the party invitation. That's 50% of the reason that we're not going with the school's basic announcement. The other 50% is that the school's announcements are butt-ugly.

 

[nettekay]

Artscow for sure!!! i have ordered so many things from them! They ae great!!

 

[Leajess99]

If you have a good picture (or the rights to a senior portrait) I'd just do photo cards from Costco or someplace like that. We've already done them for my son and they look great.

This is what my aunt did for my cousin last year. They turned out nicely and it saved on the added cost of Senior portraits.