A graduation party website for the announcement, the party and the photos
A graduation site does two things at once: it announces an achievement to people who can't come, and it tells the people who can exactly when and where to turn up. Lead with the graduate's name, school and degree or diploma, then the party details and a short RSVP form. Add photos from the years that led here.
Two audiences, one page
Relatives abroad, old teachers and family friends want the announcement: who graduated, from where, in what, and perhaps what comes next. Classmates, neighbours and local family want the party: date, time, address, parking, food. A graduation announcement website that tries to be a scrapbook first buries the address. Put the two halves in that order, with a clear heading for each, and the party half ending in the RSVP form.
The announcement
- Name, as they'd like it written, and the year.
- School, college or university, and the degree, diploma or programme.
- Honours or distinctions, if the graduate is happy to share them.
- What's next, in one line: a job, further study, a gap year, or simply "taking the summer off".
- A short note from the graduate or the family, thanking the people who helped.
Ask the graduate before publishing anything. Some are delighted to see their grades on a website; others would rather the world didn't know their class rank.
The party details
| Detail | Write it as |
|---|---|
| When | Date, start and end time; say if it's drop-in |
| Where | Full address, a map link, and where to park |
| Food | Whether it's a meal, snacks or a barbecue, and if there are vegetarian options |
| Who's invited | Whether plus-ones and children are welcome |
| Gifts | Whether cards or gifts are expected, or a kind "no gifts, please" |
| Weather plan | For an outdoor party, where it moves if it rains |
| RSVP by | A date, repeated next to the form |
Two graduates in one family, or friends sharing a party, can share one page: put both announcements first, side by side, and one set of party details.
Collecting RSVPs
The simplest RSVP is the built-in contact form, which asks for name, email and a message: put "Tell us how many are coming and any dietary needs" above it. If you'd rather have separate fields for attending, party size and dietary needs, that's a custom form with up to 30 plain-text fields, posted to a site function that shows your own thank-you message. Replies are saved in your dashboard and can be emailed to you; to count heads easily, send each one to a Google Sheet through the Google Sheets connector. The RSVP website page has more on question wording.
A photo section from your own pictures
Choose eight to fifteen photos that tell a short story: first day of school, a team or club, a project they were proud of, friends, and one from graduation day if you have it before the party. Upload them to the build; the model sees each photo and places it, and the design gate requires alt text on images, which you should check describes what's actually in each one. After the party, ask for a change in a sentence to add a few photos from the day and turn the page into a thank-you.
Describe the site: "a graduation party page for Maya, BSc Biology from Leeds, party on 28 June from 2pm at our house in Harrogate, RSVP by 14 June, with a photo section". Playful (Fredoka) and Organic (Figtree) suit a family party; Editorial (Geist) suits a more formal announcement. A graduation invitation website works much like a party invitation, so the birthday invitation website page has useful ideas too.
Before you share the link
- It's public. Published pages have no password protection. Consider leaving your exact address off and sending it to people who RSVP, if the party is at home.
- No guest list manager. Count replies in your spreadsheet.
- No photo uploads from guests. Forms don't accept files; ask guests to share photos to a shared album and link to it.
- No gift money collection on the page. Link to a payment link from your own provider if the family wants one.
- No embedded slideshows or videos from other sites. Link out to them.
Questions people ask
When should we send the graduation party website link?
Three to four weeks before the party, with the RSVP deadline about a week before it, so you have numbers for food.
Can guests RSVP without signing up?
Yes. The form is on a public page and asks only for what you choose.
Can the site stay up after the party?
Yes. Change it into a thank-you page with photos from the day, or unpublish it when you're ready.