Wording Tips For Writing Formal and Informal Invitations

Do It Yourself, Invitation Wording Add comments

The wording of an invitation is key to setting the mood of your event and conveying both the theme and level of formality. The tone of your wording is also the perfect way to get your invitees excited about attending, whether you are planning a wedding, surprise birthday party, baby shower, formal evening party or a backyard barbecue.

Formal Invitation Wording

A formal invitation might begin with: Doctor and Mrs. David Wilson request the pleasure of your company. Click here to see specific examples of traditional wedding invitation wording. Here is a list of do’s and don’ts to remember when writing formal invitations:

Make sure to spell out dates and times. Do not use abbreviations or contractions such as we’re or don’t. Make sure to spell out “Street”, “Avenue”, “Lane”, and other address abbreviations. Middle names, if included on the invitation, must also be spelled out and never abbreviated. All military or academic titles such as Doctor or Reverend must be spelled out. The exception to this rule is name titles, such as Mr., Mrs., etc. Here is an example of a formally stated date and time:

Saturday, the sixteenth of July
Nineteen Hundred Ninety Eight
at five o'clock in the afternoon
Never use punctuation at the end of a line. Commas are useful within the lines, however, to separate day from year and city from state.
Never include a zip code.
Use the British “u” in words like honour or favour.
Always use the third person.
You may optionally choose to use capital letters only for the first word at the beginning of a line and for proper nouns. Instead of Nineteen Hundred Ninety Eight, an equally formal way to state the year is: Nineteen hundred ninety eight.
Use Roman Numerals in names instead of “the second” or “the 2nd”. For example: William Jeffrey Ballard, II.

Informal Invitation Wording

There’s no limit to what you can do with informal invitation wording aside from your own creativity. This is your opportunity to make your event sound fun, relaxed, or extravagant. Let your imagination guide your writing, but remember to answer six important questions for your guests:

Who is hosting the event and who is being invited?
Where is the event being held?
Why are we celebrating?
When does the event take place?
What should I wear and what should I bring?
How do I reply?

A casual party invitation might say, Please join us, or would be delighted for you to attend. Click here for examples of informal wedding verses, or see below for a few examples of informal party invitations:

Casual Surprise Birthday Party:

Shhhhhh...Can you keep a secret?
Please join us for a
Surprise Birthday Party
in honor of
Alison Smith
Saturday, June 10th
601 Winter Street
arrive before 5:00 pm
park at least one block away
to the right of the house

Holiday Cocktail Party:

Please join us for Cocktails and Holiday Cheer!
Friday, December 14th 8:00 pm
Five Webster Lane Westchester
Diane and David Graves
Regrets only 555-5555

Graduation Party:

Christine is Graduating!
Let´s all get together for a
Luncheon Celebration
on Saturday, May twentieth
Two thousand and seven
at one o´clock in the afternoon
14 Appleton Avenue
Lowell, Massachusetts
Jeremy and Jennifer Falcon
Please reply by April 15
(555) 555-5555

Here is a themed Las Vegas Elope Announcment with creative and informal wording:

Las Vegas Elope Announcement