Category: Holidays

Graduation Announcement Wording Tips & Ideas

Graduation Announcement Wording Tips & Ideas

Published April 11, 2011

Find the graduation announcement wording that is right for you. Here are some ideas on what to write in your graduation announcements and invitations.

Example of wording for graduation announcements — Graduation photo cards can serve as both announcement and invitation.

Graduating from high school or college is a special event, and graduation announcements with pictures are an elegant way to share this achievement with friends and family. Not sure what to write for the graduation announcement wording? Check out some of these announcement examples.

Basic Graduation Announcement Wording

Announcements don’t have to be fancy or overly complicated. If your belief is “less is more” and you would prefer a simple look, just three pieces of information are needed.

Graduate’s Name
School’s Name
Graduating Year

An example wording for your basic announcement text:

Kate Monahan
East High School
Class of 2024

Formal Announcements

Reading more like a wedding invitation, a formal announcement has a sophisticated look and is a good choice for proud parents wishing to send out the announcements to their relatives and friends.

Names of Parents or Guardians
Graduate’s Full Name
School’s Name
Graduating Year
Graduate’s Major (optional)
Honors & Awards (optional)

A sample of a formal graduation announcement text:

Mr. & Mrs. Paul Monahan
Announce the graduation of their daughter
Katherine Anne Monahan
from East High School

On Saturday June 15th, 2024

Story Announcements

Sometimes graduates want to share more than just their name, school, and class year. Feel free to add additional information that you would like to share with everyone. Include a short paragraph on future plans after college, favorite school memory, or even an inspirational quote. Sharing these details creates a more personal card and lets family and friends know what you are up to after graduation.

Names of Parents or Guardians (optional)
Graduate’s Name (full name optional)
School’s Name
Graduating Year
Graduate’s Major (optional)
Honors & Awards (optional)
Future Plans
Quote

Mr. & Mrs. Paul Monahan
Are proud to announce the graduation of
Katherine Anne Monahan
from East High School
Class of 2024

Kate is attending Columbia College in Chicago this fall where she will study journalism.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Graduation announcement photo insert card with gold foil imprint — Shown: Personalized Black Photo Insert Card with graduation announcement wording sample. This card holds a 4×6 photo.

Invitation Announcements

Popular with high school graduations, announcements can also double as party invitations. Use this opportunity to invite people to an open house or celebration in honor of the grad.

Graduate’s Name (full name optional)
School’s Name
Graduating Year
Graduation Date
Party Address
RSVP Details (optional)

Suggestion for grad party invitation wording:

Class of 2024
Celebrate Kate Monahan’s Graduation
from East High School
May 11th @ 4pm at the
Monahan’s Home
1200 West Palm Court
Sarosta, FL 60615

Sending grad announcements is appropriate for ALL graduations including kindergarten, Montessori, junior high/middle school, high school, community college, state university, and nursing school. All the hard work and time pursuing your education is a reason to share your accomplishment with others by sending an announcement.

Have you written a unique graduation announcement that you’d like to share? Tell us your idea in the comments below.

Where to buy graduation announcements with pictures

Hi! We’re Studio Style, and we specialize in helping people celebrate momentous events—like graduation. Every year, we make photo insert cards, wallet photo cards, and custom printed graduation announcements for high school, college, university, and yes, even the younger years like kindergarten.

Six wallet photo insert cards for graduation announcements — Shown: Wallet Photo Insert Cards

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Paper Photo Frames For Valentine’s Day Events

Paper Photo Frames For Valentine’s Day Events

Published January 14, 2011

Send guests home with a photo memento of their special Valentine’s Day at your restaurant, cruise ship, gala, party or event.

With Valentine’s Day just a month away, it’s time to make final plans for your event. Whether you are planning a romantic valentines dinner at your restaurant, a special hotel weekend package or taking your event to the ocean, river or lake for a valentine dinner cruise, the right planning will make your valentine’s event one that couples will want to return to year after year.

Left: Valentine’s Day 4″ x 6″ Photo Folder / Right: Heart Dots 2″ x 6″ Photo Booth Folder

Event photography is often a part of special events and are a terrific way for your guests to leave with something tangible to remember their experience. All you need are a photographer, on-site printer or instant film camera and photo event folders.

Sell or give away the photos at the end of the event. It can be a money-making opportunity, or a complimentary gift to say thanks.

Here are a few different types of Valentine’s Day events happening across the country next month.

Valentine’s Day Events On The Water

From romantic night cruises to family brunches, turning “love boats” are a great way to celebrate. Here are some options across the country:

Chicago, IL – Valentine’s Day Dinner Cruise
Baltimore, MD – Valentine’s Day Dinner Cruise
New York City, NY – Valentine’s Day Dinner Cruise
Norfolk, VA – Valentine’s Day Dinner Cruise

Get up and dance! Valentine’s Day Dances

Everyone loves a party, and dancing always livens up the atmosphere. Check with local park districts, non-profit organizations, and community leaders to see who’s hosting events in your area.

Fundraisers on Valentine’s Day? You bet!

Celebrate love and love of charity! Some organizations and non-profits hold fundraising events Valentine’s Day.

Celebrate this sweet day with photos

Whatever type of event you are planning this Valentine’s Day, event photography is an added extra that will sweeten your celebration.

Shown below: Full-color printed photo folders for handing out pictures at your Valentine’s Day event. These picture jackets can be printed with your logo, photos, or artwork to create a specially designed frame that reflects YOUR business or event. It’s a custom-branded photo souvenir for your guests!

How to Make Thanksgiving Day Your Family Photo Day

Published November 12, 2010

With the family together, Thanksgiving is the perfect day to cross “take family holiday photo” off your holiday to-do list.

Once we turn the calendar to December, much of our free time is spent Christmas shopping, wrapping presents, decorating, and baking cookies for those countless cookie swaps. Don’t forget all of the holiday party obligations and white elephant gift exchanges! With the flurry of activity in the month of December, it’s no surprise that many families make Thanksgiving their annual family photo day.

Why you should take family Christmas card pictures at Thanksgiving

Everyone is together. Siblings, parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents… the holidays are the best time to gather everyone for a big family photo op.
Everyone is usually dressed a bit nicer. There typically aren’t too many jeans and t-shirts at Thanksgiving dinner.
Not too hot, not too cold for outdoor pictures. This does depend on your climate, but the weather is usually perfect for snapping a few outdoor shots with the fall leaves for a perfectly autumn family photo.
Lots of candid photo ops. If you’re looking to send out humorous family Christmas photo cards, hang out in the kitchen while food is being prepped, watch the kids play games, or just keep your camera poised and ready during dinner when talk is cheerful and spirits are high.

Three young children are inside a house, making silly faces out the window at the photographer. — It’s often the silly, seemingly random moments that create the most memorable images for your holiday photo cards.

How to Make Thanksgiving your Annual Family Photo Day

There are two ways to take the perfect family picture for your Christmas cards.

First, you can hire a professional photographer. Book an appointment with a family photographer for sometime at the end of November—but call them earlier in the month, or even in October, as their year-end schedules fill up fast! Many photographers will come to your home or an outdoor setting (like a park). This makes your photos a personal reflection of your family’s style. If you like the polished look of studio style photography, go to a portrait studio where they have many options for backdrops and seasonal props.

If you are more of a DIY-type, shoot your own photos with a tripod. Just set the camera timer, and go! This method works for a lot of people. Taking family Christmas card pictures this way can take some time to get your pose just right, so it might not be the best option for families with young children or pets. If you fall into that category, consider asking a friend or family member to take the picture.

A family of four sit on the stone steps leading up to the front door of their house. — Sometimes a family portrait is as simple as just finding a nice place for everyone to sit! Consider the front steps or standing in front of a landscaped or natural area for your Thanksgiving family portrait.

Here are 5 Quick Tips for the Perfect Christmas Card Photo

1. Be you. Sound simple? It can be, but when the camera is ready, some people will freeze up. To get around this, ask a friend or extended family member to quietly snap some candid photos while you and your family are playing in the leaves, telling stories, or even baking cookies.

A dad throws leaves up in the air above a toddler. — Playful moments like this—playing in the leaves—are a fun memory to share for your family photo Christmas cards.

2. Don’t match outfits too closely. Don’t put everyone in a solid navy blue shirt with khakis. Instead, give a color palette as inspiration. That way, a solid navy blue top will go nicely with a wine-colored plaid top and a mustard sweater. Kate L. Photography has some excellent advice on how to choose outfits for your family photos.

3. Include the family dog or cat. Sometimes having an animal in the photo will make everyone more at ease. It can also make for some really cute images!

4. Don’t photograph yourself. Not feeling photogenic? Photograph something that your family holds near and dear to their hearts. Maybe it’s the family farm, a picture of some of your kid’s artwork, or maybe just the cat, dog, or even goldfish. Remember, with family Christmas cards, it really is the thought behind it.

5. Make it generational. Your extended family will love seeing the family lineage, from the oldest member to the youngest. It is sure to evoke fond memories, and it’s a great gift to give the youngest members of your family.

Recycled photo insert card with photo of a boy. Inside message is a Christmas sentiment. — Use your Thanksgiving picture as your Christmas card this year. Pictured: Natural Flax Photo Insert Card (with custom imprint in black foil and handwritten message)

Turn your Family Photo into a Christmas Photo Card

Once you have the perfect picture, why not use it as your Christmas card? Personalized photo greeting cards are popular because they are affordable and easy to create. Simply order some prints, and slide your photos into photo insert cards.

Why photo insert cards work so well as Christmas Family Photo Cards

You have plenty of color options to choose from, including white, black, red, and forest green. We also have Christmas photo insert cards.
Our Simplicity photo insert cards require no glue or tape—just slide your photo under the window frame border.
This card that holds your 4″x 6″ photo can also double as a cheap 5″ x 7″ photo frame mat.
These photo frame cards are acid free and archival-quality, making them a safe way to store your prints.
Unlike cheap photo frame cards from craft stores, our window borders are glued down so the window frame edges don’t pucker. Tight window borders mean your photograph won’t slide around—or worse, slide out.

If you don’t want to send a card with your family photo inserted in the frame, you can design your own custom printed Christmas photo cards. If you need help designing it, we can help! Just call us at (800) 346-3063 or send us an email.

Whichever Christmas photo card style you choose, Christmas greeting cards made from your Thanksgiving family photo day are a fun, creative way to say, “Merry Christmas!”

So go on, get out and take that perfect (or imperfect!) family photo this Thanksgiving. You’ll have fun taking it, and the memories you’ll make are sure to last a long time.

Santa Visit Photo Holders: Three Easy Ways to Present Event Pictures

Published October 29, 2010

Make the most of your Santa photo events with custom paper picture frames.

The Christmas season seems to start earlier each year, and it’s easy to understand why. Christmas is a big part of our culture and a holiday that many people look forward to.

Every November Santa cheerfully shows up at malls, stores, town squares, tree lighting ceremonies, and holiday parties. He even shows up at restaurants for special “Breakfast with Santa” events (or even dinner with Santa!), which attract the whole family for a morning of fun, food, and festivities.

All of these Santa events share one thing in common: photos.

It is no surprise that many people make it a family tradition to visit Mr. Claus and his elves for their holiday picture. His image is iconic, and having that special photo of the kids on Santa’s lap is priceless.

These events draw hundreds, even thousands of people to businesses nationwide, making this an excellent opportunity to connect with customers, neighbors, and friends during the holiday season.

Some businesses offer the holiday photos as a complimentary service to their customers. Other venues may charge for a printed photo, often times donating the proceeds to a local food pantry or charity in the spirit of the season. In fact, photos with Santa have become a popular fundraiser activity for many organizations.

So if you’re taking pictures with Santa at your event, we have some inexpensive Christmas giveaway ideas for you.

Protect Your Photos with Santa Visit Photo Holders

Presenting photos with Santa in an inexpensive paper or cardboard photo frame protects the photos from fingerprints and accidental rips. It’s also a great way to market your business or event because you can personalize them with your event info or company logo, making these Santa picture souvenirs not just practical for holding event photos, but also effective marketing tools.

There are three main styles of card stock Santa visit photo holders.

Christmas Photo Insert Cards & Holiday Photo Frame Cards

Photo frame Christmas greeting cards make an instant, stylish frame for your 4×6 prints. Just slide your photo under the window frame border—no glue or tape needed!

Archival-quality and acid-free, your photographs are protected and can be used in scrapbooks and photo albums. These Christmas photo cards can even be inserted into a traditional 5″ x 7″ picture frame. The paper border acts as an instant mat for your photo.

Studio Style has two photo frame card options for your visit with Santa pictures: Christmas photo insert cards or blank photo insert cards.

Christmas photo insert card with peppermint candy design frames a picture with Santa — This candy cane photo insert card is perfect for handing out your pictures with Santa. The 5″ x 7″ card holds one 4″ x 6″ photo.

Paper Photo Folders

Santa photo folders hold your picture on the inside, and the cover protects the print from dust, fingerprints, and creases.

Photo folders are especially nice when the customer is going to be carrying the photo home, as photo folders protect their pictures better than photo insert cards might. These Santa photo folders also stand up on a desk for easy display.

Studio Style has dozens of Christmas photo folder designs to choose from. From a jolly Santa to yummy peppermint candies, we’re sure you can find a design to coordinate with your event décor.

But we have a little something extra for you: you can add your own personalization to these folders. We can print or foil stamp your company logo, event branding, or special message.

Designer tip: Are you sponsoring a Santa visit event? Consider ordering printed Christmas photo folders. Personalization on these designs is free, and we can add your logo to the back cover if the front cover is filled with the event branding.

Santa Visit Photo Holders — Photo folders shown here: Jolly Santa, Peppermint Candy, Standard Event, and Green Holly

Cardboard Picture Frames

These look much like your traditional picture frame, but are made of heavy paperstock, smooth cardstock, sturdy cardboard, or thick mat board. All of our photo frames has some sort of easel back so you can easily display your event photos on your desk, mantel, or end table.

All of our frames are available blank. Want something unique to your event? Add your Santa visit event details or logo in beautiful metallic foil. Or, if you need to go all-out with your event branding, we have full-color, custom printed paper picture frames.

Paper photo frames make an affordable yet upscale giveaway option for the holiday season. We even have Instax, Instax Mini, Instax Square, and Polaroid frames for your Christmas event.

Black paper frame for Santa visit pictures — Our Grandeur photo frames are envelope-style frames that would work perfectly for your Santa event photos. The flaps close shut to protect the photo until it is displayed at home or on a desk at work.

Do I need Santa visit photo holders?

If you’re hiring an event photographer or printing pictures onsite, your guests will appreciate having something to get their photos home in. Here’s why:

Sliding an event photo into a paper frame or folder creates an instant photo souvenir. With your logo or event name on it, this photo holder also becomes a reminder of your business or event. What a great promotional product giveaway for the holiday season!

Photo folders protect from fingerprints, dust, food smudges… and they fit in a large purse. Whether you’re running the photo booth or are an event photographer printing photos onsite, give event guests an easy way to get their photos safely home.

We’ve made Santa photo frames for these types of events:

Breakfast with Santa (need some help planning your event? Check out some of these clever breakfast with Santa party ideas)
Dinner with Santa
Fundraisers & Charity Events
Customer Appreciation Events
School Events: PTOs often use a Fuji Instax camera at school events. If you have one, check out our paper frames for Instax Wide, Instax Square, and Instax Mini prints.
Pet Pictures
Churches
Park District holiday events
Open Houses for businesses or communities
Studio photography: Mini sessions are popular around the holidays
Any event in December with a photo booth

Christmas photo folders with Santa design for framing event photos — If you’re planning an event and Santa will be there, why not get Santa-themed photo folders? Shown: Jolly Santa and Santa Claus standard photo event folder

Work with Studio Style for your Santa visit photo holders

We make custom printed and imprinted Santa visit photo holders for malls, stores, community festivals, restaurants, fundraisers, schools, company parties… any holiday event you can imagine! Contact Studio Style today to learn how you can create a customized frame for your Christmas event.

Have a fantastic visit with Santa event this year!

Turn Your Wedding Photo Into a Christmas Card

Published October 15, 2010

Share the happiness and joy of your wedding day with Christmas photo cards.

The holiday season is a time for sharing memories with friends and family. While many people choose to share the highlights of their year with a traditional holiday letter, a picture is worth a thousand words! Chances are that your wedding day was one of the major highlights of your year, and likely a day where you both looked your best. Why not use one of your favorite wedding photos as a holiday card this year?

Custom Christmas Cards with Wedding Photo — Hey newlyweds! Use your wedding photo on custom printed holiday photo cards, and fall in love with the holiday season all over again. You can also put your engagement photos on a Christmas card.

Photo cards also double as a great way to get a photo out to everyone that asked for one. And for those greeting card recipients who didn’t attend your wedding, its a way for them to feel like they were there.

But we got married last March! Is it still okay to use our wedding picture for our holiday card?

Absolutely! As long as you were married within the last year, it is perfectly acceptable to share your wedding photo during the holiday season. After all it was a big event for the year, and Christmas is a time to reflect on those joys.

Can I use the photos from our wedding photographer?

Remember to check with your photographer to make sure you have the rights to reproduce their photo onto cards. If you purchased digital copies of the photos, check to see if the photographer included a digital print release.

Having a digital print release from your wedding photographer means you can have your wedding pictures printed anywhere. Just provide the print release when ordering your photos. In most instances, you just email the print release to customer service and they will keep it on file in case you order more prints.

Photo print centers require these releases if using professional images or copyrighted graphics—Studio Style also requires a digital print release if you choose custom printed Christmas photo cards. Not sure if you need a digital print release to order photos? Just ask your photographer.

How to use printed wedding photos in Christmas cards

If you received printed photos instead of the digital copies, you can always take 4″ x 6″ prints that you purchased from your photographer and slide them into photo frame style cards. It’s an easy DIY way to create instant photo cards! Studio Style offers photo insert christmas cards and custom printed holiday photo cards.

A pocket style photo insert card makes it easy to remove the picture and frame it long after the holiday season is over. — A pocket-style photo insert card makes it easy to remove the picture and frame it long after the holiday season is over.

Sending a custom wedding photo Christmas card is a unique and personal way to keep in touch this holiday season. With many designs to choose from, we’re sure you’ll find one that fits your style.

We can help you find the best Christmas photo card

If you need help finding the best Christmas photo card for your wedding picture, Studio Style is here to help. Our graphic designers can either help you find the best Christmas card design for your newlywed picture—or we’ll design it for you. Call us at (800) 346-3063 or send us an email with your design ideas. We’re here to help!

Merry Christmas!

Products featured in this post: custom printed Christmas photo cards, Snow White Photo Insert Card, Green Holly Photo Insert Card, and Candy Cane Photo Insert Card.

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Halloween Photo Insert Cards: An Unexpected Way to Stay in Touch

Published September 3, 2010

Take a picture of your little pumpkin for spooktacular Halloween photo insert cards or party invitations that will put the TREAT into trick or treat!

Autumn is a great time taking pictures of kids, pets, or the whole family. The annual trip to the pumpkin patch (and subsequent carving party), a weekend of raking leaves, and of course dressing up in costume for Halloween all make for memorable photo opportunities.

Halloween photo greeting cards are the perfect way to share those precious photos with family and friends.

Halloween Photo Cards | 4x6 Photo Insert Cards for Halloween — Our Natural Flax, Black, and Snow White Photo Insert Cards are perfect for Halloween photo greeting cards.

While most photo card enthusiasts traditionally send their personalized greeting cards out at Christmas or to announce the birth of their child, Halloween is an unexpected—and fun—time of year to send out special fall-themed greeting cards to friends and family.

Never made your own Halloween greeting cards before? We’re here to help with photo tips (like when to take the pictures) and what to write in the card (we’ve included plenty of puns because puns are fun). So grab a slice of apple pie, pour a cup of pumpkin spice latte, cozy up, and learn how easy it is to create one-of-a-kind Halloween photo insert cards.

Where to take pictures for your Halloween photo insert cards

Here are some fun fall photo ideas for your personalized Halloween picture cards:

Halloween Party
School Costume Parade
Costume Contest
Apple Orchard
Pumpkin Patch
Pumpkin Carving
Halloween Wedding
Halloween Parade
Haunted House
Hay Ride
Raking Leaves – be sure to get an action shot jumping in the leaves!
Halloween Birth Announcement
Oktoberfest Celebration
Fall Festival
Set up your own DIY photo booth, right at home (don’t forget the Halloween backdrop!)

Have some little ones involved in the photo shoot? Get some bonus tips for taking Halloween pictures with kids.

How to decorate your DIY Halloween greeting cards

Use a plain black photo holder card to make your Halloween picture really stand out. Just slide your 4″ x 6″ photo in—no glue or tape needed!
Gelly Pens (especially metallic) work great on darker colored cardstock. Use a bronze, copper, or pumpkin-orange pen to stay with the Halloween theme.
Rubber stamps are an easy way to accent your card with spooky imagery. Choose a lighter color cardstock for most stamp inks, or use a highly pigmented metallic ink to stamp on darker papers.
Decorate with washi tape! Add some pizazz to the window border frame on our photo insert cards with some Halloween-themed washi tape.

What to write in Halloween cards

Halloween is one of those holidays where you can get away with puns in your greeting, message, and sign-off. Not that you have to, but may as well get away with it when you can, right? Here are some Halloween card messages and wishes for you to use:

Intros and greetings:

Hello, boils and ghouls! (The perfect intro for fans of the classic Tales from the Crypt).
Ghoulish greetings
Howl-0!
To the coolest ghoul I know
Ghostly greetings
Trick or sweets!

Messages for Halloween greeting cards:

Wishing you a night full of frights and a bag full of delights.
Have a boo-tiful Halloween!
Happy Halloween to my favorite little goblin!
Have a killer Halloween!
Wishing you the best Halloween sugar high
Eat, drink, and be scary
Boo to you from our crew
Here’s to all the thrills, chills, and treats this Halloween
Here’s to delightful thrills and spooktacular chills
Have a spooky time!
Here’s to frightful fun and tasty treats!
Have a fang-tastic Halloween!

Sign-offs (closers):

Beast wishes
Bugs and kisses
Stay spooky
Best witches
Chills and thrills
Happy haunting
Happy Hallo-scream!
Creep it real

Do you have a Halloween photo idea? Or maybe you used a really clever greeting card message. We’d love to hear your creative ideas! Share with us in the comments.

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