Your Go-To Graduation Checklist

It’s finally time! You’re about to graduate and we’re sure you’re excited… and nervous. There’s so much to do in preparation for the big day, so in order to make sure you don’t forget anything, here is the ultimate checklist of everything you need to remember for grad season:

Send graduation announcements

Let everyone know about your big accomplishment! Customize your graduation announcements by including your favorite photo of yourself in your cap and gown. This is an event your close friends and family will want to remember.

Decide who is going to attend your graduation

By now, you should have heard from your university regarding how many tickets you’ll have to share for the ceremony. Narrow down who you want with you when you walk across the stage. It’s best to do this early just in case there are scheduling conflicts. 

Decorate your cap

This is your chance to really show your personality. What do you want your grad cap to say about you? Will it be a look into your future? Something funny? A note of thanks? It can be anything you want, but you should take your time making sure it looks just the way you like since it will be in all your pictures.

Pick out or buy an outfit

Speaking of looking good in pictures, it’s time to decide what you’ll wear for the big day. If you need to go shopping, do it early. The last thing you want is to stress about what you’re going to wear at the last minute.

The day before:

Iron your robe and stole

Don’t go into the big day with creases in your stole! The best way to get wrinkles out of your gown and stole is to use a steamer. In the event you don’t have one, an iron will work. Place a towel over the gown before you iron to avoid any burns.

Test walk in your shoes

Try walking in your shoes on a slippery surface and wear them for a while to break them in. Put on thick socks while you break them in so you don’t form blisters. The test walk is to make sure you don’t twist an ankle when you walk (thank us later).

Test your makeup look

This is especially important if you’re doing something new! Do a full face and try taking a couple of pictures from different angles. See what it looks like in the sunlight and what it looks like with flash. You definitely don’t want any surprises when your photos come back.

Make a plan for what you’ll do after the ceremony

If you’re planning on eating out, you may want to make a reservation. A lot of people will be hungry after the ceremony, so you’ll want to make sure you have a table somewhere.

Charge your camera battery

Graduation should, of course, be captured and recorded to look back on. Make sure your camera battery is fully charged and your memory card has plenty of room. 

The day of:

Confirm when and where you need to be for the ceremony

Check your email, then double-check it. Where do you need to arrive for the ceremony? What do you need to bring? And once you know what time you need to be there in order to make sure you’re comfortably seated beforehand?

Designate a photographer

You want to be able to live in the moment and not worry about the pictures! Designate one of your guests as the photographer so you can enjoy your graduation and live in the moment.

The next week:

Thank you notes

You probably got a lot of responses from those graduation announcements you sent out! Make sure to thank everyone for what they gave you, but also thank your parents or anyone else who supported you through college.

Order ceremony videos and photos

Most universities will have a photographer on hand at the ceremony. Be sure to place your order for these pictures, as you may want an official photo.

Frame your diploma

Last but not least, put your new diploma on the wall so everyone who visits your home or office will know how much of a ~genius~ you are.

Written by Hannah Falcon, Photography by Analisa Navarrete, Media by Kristen Phillips