So you’re throwing a party?! Whoo hoo! Choosing the right invitation and wording it properly can set the tone for the entire shin-dig, and even influence your turn-out. To help you pack the house, clearly outline all the details guests will need on the actual invite, making it as easy as possible for them to say “yes”.
Sometimes even the most verbose of us are at a loss for words. So we’ve provided some guidelines on what information to include. Add your own personal flair to get the party started!
Determine what kind of event you are hosting on a casual to formal scale. Our invitations and announcements are perfect for a casual to semi-casual fête. Your personal wording should reflect the nature of the party. Then follow the old “who, what, where, when and why” rule of thumb, only not necessarily in that order. Imagine yourself standing face-to-face with an invitee — in what order would you normally give the information in a casual conversation?
We’re all for bucking tradition, but there are some standards we will discuss here.
For many parties (i.e. birthdays) gifts are generally implied without needing to call it out on the invitation. It is always acceptable to state "no gifts" on your invites, but the situation will dictate when you should list registry information on invites. For weddings, even second nuptials or beyond, it is never appropriate to put registry information on the invitation. For showers you may discretely include cards from registry stores that guests can select from, or list if gifts should fit a theme (e.g. a hardware shower for the groom, a lingerie shower for the bride, or a book shower for baby). And never ever, under any circumstance, ask for money on an invite.
Pull out your calendar for this one. First, the scale of the party will help dictate the lead-time necessary, as well as whether guests are coming from far away. For a wedding, or ball, where travel plans or specific wardrobes might need to be arranged, the more advance notice, the better. Then consider the surrounding dates. Does it fall near a holiday weekend, or big event? If you're hosting a party on a bowl game weekend, more notice will improve your turn-out. Even for a casual children's birthday, mail your invitations so they arrive no less than 2 weeks before your event date.
You will most definitely want to put a start and ending time on any party involving children. Not only do parents need to know when to pick up older kids, it's a savvy mom who keeps the party short and sweet. Keep young guests lists at a manageable level - experts recommend one attendee per year of the child. Expert mommies recommend four hours or less. Because there’s nothing worse than watching the guest-of-honor have a melt-down.
As the host, be prepared to send out a thank you or two after the party. A short note to thank guests who went above and beyond normal helper mode may be in order.
When wording invitations, the possibilities are endless. It all depends on the unique event and the personality of the honoree and host. Here are a few basic samples to help get you started:
You are cordially invited
to a celebratory dinner honoring
fifty years of marriage of
Dale and Naomi Wilson
Friday, the tenth of April
Seven o’clock in the evening
Grotto Ristorante
4715 Westheimer
Houston, Texas
No gifts, please.
RSVP 713-555-1212 by the sixth of April
It’s a Baby Shower
for Jen Duley and baby girl Duley!
Saturday, July 15
2 pm – 6 pm
2435 Goodwin Lane
New Braunfels, Texas
Hosted by
Johanna Martini and Nydia Perez
RSVP
Johanna@email.com
NydiaP@email.com
OR call Johanna at 210-555-1212
Paula Marcus
and
Joe Jamison
are tying the knot!
Come celebrate the couple
with us at a
kitchen shower and pizza party
We’ll stock their new kitchen with
gourmet goodies and chow on
Joe’s famous brick oven pizza!
Saturday, July 25
5 pm – 10 pm
2435 Goodwin Lane
New Braunfels, Texas
Please respond by Friday, July 24
Michelle Santos 830-555-1212
Little Lily’s turning two
and she wants to celebrate with you!
Sunday, November 12
2 – 5 pm
2435 Goodwin Lane
New Braunfels, Texas
Dress for fun and crafts!
We’re going to get creative!
RSVP to Liz Williams
830-555-1212
Grayce and John Smith
cordially invite you to a
Rehearsal Dinner
on the eve of the wedding of
Glenn Smith
and
Kristine Wilson
Friday, April 7
7 pm
The Wendeltrap
2301 Strand
Galveston, Texas
Regrets only
858-555-1212
It’s a Boy!
Alyssa and Jeremy Hines
proudly announce
the arrival of
Brando Vincenzio Hines
August 12th
5:38 am
7 lbs. 8 oz.
22 inches
Kyle, Texas