Have you ever sent out an invitation to a party and then immediately thought, did I remember to put [this] or [that]? Sometimes, it’s easy to forget how to write an invitation. Most pre-made invitations will come with spaces for who, what, when, where and why. However, if you’re making your own invitation or need to put other information in the invite, you may forget!
Even still, you want to make sure you expand on those five areas a little. Let’s go through all the important details you need to include. At the end, I’ll have a nice easy checklist for you, so you can get it right every time.
Inviting People, Plus Ones and Children
The first step in how to write an invitation is the “who”. Now, this may seem super straightforward, but there is one thing you need to verify for your invitee: who is coming? Obviously, the person you are inviting is coming, but are they allowed to bring a plus one? Are kid’s welcome? Rather than have them guess, consider including this information in your invitation. It can look something like this:
You’re invited to Lauren’s Birthday Bash! Feel free to bring a plus one if you like. Kids are welcome also!
You’re invited to Lauren’s 21st Birthday! Feel free to bring a plus one, if you like, but please do not bring children. (We love kids, but this party is going to be adult!)
You’re invited to Lauren’s Birthday Party! Please see RSVP info below. Let me know if you can make it! We have reserved 1 space in your honor! 😊
Those are a couple examples of how to nicely state who you want to attend your party. There are no rules, it’s your party. But, at least this way you can know how many people you need to count on for your party.
RSVP Time
This is a super important thing to include in your invites. How else will you know how much food to buy, supplies you need or space even! So, make sure your invites include RSVP info. You want to be specific here. How do you want them to RSVP and what’s your phone number or email? (Don’t assume they have it). Also give them a date to reply by. People need deadlines. It’s already hard enough to get people to RSVP. Giving them enough information to do so, with some structure, will help lessen that headache.
What is the Event?
You definitely want to tell them what is being celebrated. Make sure to mention it’s a birthday, retirement, etc. That part is not too hard to remember. One thing to consider in addition to that, is the formality of your party. If you want people to dress a certain way, let them know. It’s as simple as saying something like this:
We invite you to Lauren’s Bday Bash! This will be a formal dinner, so wear your finest digs!
We invite you to Lauren’s Bday Bash! The theme is Hawaiian Luau, so wear a Hawaiian shirt if you have one!
We invite you to Lauren’s Bday Bash! A bunch of friends celebrating the big 3-0 together, casual clothes are welcome!
You can casually slip in some direction for them without sounding too demanding. Giving your invitees some direction on clothing can really help take some stress away from you and them. You won’t have to field calls or emails when people inevitably ask. And, those that are too afraid to ask, won’t be stressed about what to wear to your party. Win, win! When it comes down to how to write an invitation, the more specific, the better!
When is the Party Happening?
The typical “when” in a party invite includes a date and time. I like to be more specific. I usually add the day of the week and an expected end time. This way you don’t have people coming super late, forcing you to keep the party going.
Or, if they do, because people are people, then you still have set the expectation that you don’t need to keep the party going all night long. (If you don’t want to). So you’re when section can look something like this:
Saturday, June 6th, 2020 from 5pm to 9pm
It’s just a tad bit more specific than this:
June 6th at 5 pm
I’m always a big fan (in case you can’t tell) of specific information. Setting a standard of expectation relieves stress all around! If you’re just beginning with hosting parties, or a seasoned vet, it’s always good to revisit how to write an invitation. Fresh perspectives are great!
Where is the Party Taking Place?
Again, let’s start simple. Be sure to include the name of the location and the address. Beyond that, you want to make sure you tell them any relevant information about the location. Are there special instructions for parking? Do they need to enter at a certain place? For example:
Address: 1234 Main St.
City, State, Zip
Note: Parking is located at the back of the building.
-OR-
Note: Park anywhere you can find a spot in the neighborhood, come into the backyard directly through the side door!
These instructions and guidelines will help keep your phone quiet day of the party, or, if you’re in a public location, help save your friends and family from unnecessary parking tickets! Or even worse, towing! (There’s always someone who doesn’t read street signs!)
Why are You Celebrating?
This one is maybe a given but tell them why you’re partying. When it comes to how to write an invitation, I always like to include a little something nice about who we are celebrating (unless it’s myself). It will give the crowd an idea of the vibe and let them come up with something nice to say to the person you’re celebrating. Not to mention, allow them to buy the right card. Lol. Try something like this:
We can’t wait to celebrate Lauren’s Birthday with you! She’s turning 40 and loving life! Join us and celebrate the connections she’s made with family and friends!
We can’t wait to celebrate Lauren’s Retirement with you! After many years of service in the [insert industry], she finally gets to hang up her metaphorical hat! Let’s show her some love for her career accomplishments that she worked so hard to earn!
If you’re like me, and you don’t watch it, you can get a little wordy with that part. Keep it succinct and quick. No one wants to read a novel here! (I’ve totally been told at work that my emails are way too long, lol).
Miscellaneous Invite Info
If you’re doing a formal invitation and event, you may want to include an RSVP card. If this is the case, it’s always a good idea to include a self-addressed stamped envelope. People are waaaay more likely to actually RSVP if they don’t have to go buy a stamp.
I also think it’s super fun to include something kind of fun in the invite. It could be a sticker on theme or confetti. (You know your friends, some people hate confetti). This is totally optional, but can make a theme party super fun.
If you’re having a costume party or a potluck and you’re assigning something to your guests, include a little notecard with their instructions. For example, in a potluck situation, you could have a card in the invitation envelope that says “please bring a dessert”. That way you don’t have too many repeats. Or if you’re doing something like a crayon party, you can include a card that says “wear the color red”.
Wrap Up
Oh my goodness, that is a lot to think about. If you were ever unsure how to write an invitation, hopefully those anxieties are lessened now. Some things, I’m sure, you already knew and some things were probably new. But all this info does no good if you forget pieces of it. So, grab your free copy of the invite checklist below. You’ll also get an invite tracker so you can track who to invite, their contact and if they’ve responded AND cute printable envelope seals. And you are good to go with the invitations!
Other Posts You May Like:
Pros & Cons: Should You Use Electronic Invitations?
7 Gorgeous Invitations from the BHLDN x Minted Collaboration
