'Best Of' Invitations Tips |
| 1. No gifts please |
You can note on your party invitation that you or the guest of honor would not like to receive any gifts. Just have printed,on the bottom right hand corner of the invitation, in smaller letters:
No gifts
No gifts please
Your presence is your present
Your present is your presence
Your presence is my present
Or you can spread your request by word of mouth.
|
|
| 2. Barbeque Invitations |
You can choose party invitations with a grill or a cow or a cowboy motif depending on your theme and menu. People love to dress down and go to a fun outdoor cookout.
Heather and Robert Klein
invite you to an
Open Pit Barbeque
at their ranch
Saturday, June twenty-sixth
arrive at five
´n stay till it´s time
to put the chairs in the wagon
-Menu-
Country Style Pork Ribs
Grilled Marinated Chicken Breast
Grilled Hamburgers
Sweet Corn on the Cob
Boston Baked Beans
Tomato, Cucumber and Red Onion Salad
Chilled Watermelon Slices
Give us a holler and say you´ll come
(555) 555-5555 |
|
| 3. Holiday Party Invitations |
Stand out from the crowd and have some fun with your holiday party invitations.
Tree-trimming party:
Please join us as we Trim the Tree!
Friday, December 11th from 7 until 10 o´clock
555 North Elm Street
R.s.v.p. The Smiths 555-5555
Holiday Cookie Exchange:
Come to my Cookie Exchange Party Bring your favorite cookies, along with the recipe
Saturday, December 18th 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
55 Main Street Edgetown
R.s.v.p. (555) 555-5555
Anne Berry
Holiday Open House:
December 15th, reserve the date for an Open House from 5 ´til 8
164 Hillside is the place to be for gathering around the Christmas Tree
Casual attire and plenty of food will help to create a festive mood. Hope to see you there!
Kara and Jack Smith
Regrets only 555-5555
Holiday Cocktail Party:
Please join us for Cocktails and Holiday Cheer!
Saturday, December 18th 7:00 pm
One Stratfield Lane Westchester
Dawn and David Smith
Regrets only 555-5555
Holiday Progressive Dinner:
We hope you´ll join us for a Progressive Holiday Supper Saturday, December eleventh
Cocktails and Appetizers at six
Hosts: Sandra and Ryan Smith
Supper at seven thirty
Hosts: Jessica and Aaron Jones
Dessert and Afterwards at nine-thirty
Hostess Merodythe Conner
R.s.v.p. to Sandra 555-5555 by December fifth
Christmas Wassail:
Come to my Christmas Wassail and celebrate the joy of the season!
Friday, December 18th following Caroling on The Square
555 Rockford Road, Wilmington
R.s.v.p. Laura Smith 555-5555 |
|
| 4. Basic Invitation Guidelines |
Details you need to include on your invitation:
Who the party is for/the guest of honor
Who is hosting the event
What the party is for (birthday, shower, etc.)
When (day, date and time)
Where (location with address)
If there is a dress code or the guests need to arrive on time or bring anything
If the guests need to respond by a certain date
Formal Invitation:
Mr. and Mrs. John Smith
request the pleasure of your company at a
60th birthday dinner
in honor of
Mary Jones
Saturday, the fifth of May
six o´clock in the evening
555 North Elm Street
Lumberton, North Carolina
R.s.v.p. by April 23rd
555.555.5555
Casual Invitation:
Please join us for a
60th birthday dinner
in honor of
Mary Jones
Saturday, May 5th at 6:30
555 North Elm Street
Sarah and John Smith
Regrets only 555.555.5555 |
|
| 5. Housewarming vs. Open House |
A housewarming party is a party to celebrate someone´s new home. You can bring a gift or a card to congratulate the new homeowner. Generally the housewarming is at the new house so people can tour through and see the entire home.
An open house can be held for a housewarming party, a business can hold to show off their facility or new products, a school to show off their facilities, a person can have for a holiday party. It basically opens up the location for people to come and visit, take a look around and make themselves comfortable and enjoy the event they are attending.
You can write your housewarming party invitation or your open house invitation in many different styles.
Formal Invitation for an Open House:
Dr. and Mrs. Lewis Sams
cordially invite you for Cocktails and Caviar and an evening at home
OPEN HOUSE
Saturday, December 10, 2006 six o´clock
310 Wildwood Lane
The favor of a reply is requested 555-555-5555
Casual Invitation for an Open House:
The last box is unpacked!
Come join us for an afternoon of Refreshments and Merriment at our Open House
Saturday, May twenty-seventh
at one o´clock
2804 Fall Creek Evansville, Indiana 47711
James, Nora, Bryant, Will and Emily
R.s.v.p. (555) 555-5555 Bring the kids!
Or:
Housewarming Party
Join us for a Housewarming Party
Saturday, March 13th at 4:00 pm
The Gibson Family 893 Ridge Drive Newark
R.s.v.p. 555-5555 |
|
| 6. No Children, Please |
Some people may only be able to accomodate a certain number of people at their wedding because of financial or size limitations and cannot invite children because they need the space for additional adult friends.
Some people may want to have an adult celebration with drinking and dancing and would like the parents to stay late and "party" with them at their wedding and children and heavily drinking adults aren´t really an ideal mix.
You would not address "no children" on the actual wedding invitation. You make a few well-placed calls. Have your bridesmaids or your family say, "you know I hate to tell you but they can´t accommodate kids at this upcoming wedding. Please arrange for somebody to take care of them." It´s terrible to put it on the invitations. It´s such a strong negative to have printed on such a positive invitation - "no children" or "adults only". So just make a few telephone calls and tell them to spread the word, and they will.
Some couples may supply a couple of sitters or nannys to sit for children who may come with their parents. You can include this information with your save the date card or in the invitation.
Make sure you address the wedding invitations (inner and outer) with the parents names only and if you are not having any children, make sure you don´t allow some people to bring children and others not or you will end up with hurt feelings. |
|
| 7. Addressing wedding envelopes |
Many wedding invitations have double envelopes. This is from when they hand delivered letters and the outer envelope would arrive filthy and torn but it would protect the inner envelope so it was delivered in a pristine condition.
Wedding invitation envelopes need to be hand-written either in handwriting or calligraphy. Labels are not acceptable for wedding invitations.
The information on wedding invitation envelopes needs to be written out in full everywhere possible. This adds formality to the envelope.
Addressing the outer envelope:
Mr. and Mrs. John Doe Smith
One Elm Street
Lumberton, North Carolina 28358
Inner envelope:
Mr. and Mrs. Smith |
|
| 8. How do I indicate a cost per person for party |
In the strictest sense of etiquette, it is not proper to ask guests to pay to attend party. Etiquette experts agree that hosts should deploy cost-cutting measures (have an informal dessert party, whittle the guest list, etc.) rather than requesting guests foot their own bill.
While protocol does not advocate putting cost information on a party invitation, some people do in this day and age. If you do opt to put it on the invitation, it´s best to place it in the corner opposite the RSVP invitation, as shown below:
Please join us
in celebration of
JOHN´s 60th Birthday
DAY, Date at TIME
Hotel Fancy
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE
$20 per person RSVP: 333-333-3333
Remember to consider the feelings of the honoree in this decision. If the honoree is rather traditional and conservative, they would likely be embarrassed by such a request. If you must pass a cost on to your invited guests, the best way to spread the word is by word of mouth. |
|
| 9. Marriage announcement info |
Wedding announcements are similar to wedding invitations in that they should contain certain information about the event. Information to include on a marriage announcement is:
Who hosted the wedding
Who was married
The date
Where
Hosted by bride´s parents:
Mr. and Mrs. John James Smith
are pleased to announce
the marriage of their daughter
Elizabeth Jane
to
Mr. David Jordan Tisdale
Saturday, the fifth of May
two thousand and four
Saint Mary of the Mills
Laurel, Maryland
Hosted by bride and groom:
Elizabeth Jane Smith and David Jordan Tisdale
are pleased to announce their marriage
Saturday, the fifth of May
two thousand and four
Saint Mary of the Mills
Laurel, Maryland |
|
| 10. Baby Shower Invitation Wording |
You can be as creative as you like with your baby shower invitation wording. Here is a great example:
There’s a baby on the way
as you all know –
Let’s help Ginny and Scott
get their “Ducks in a Row”!
Shower Supper
Friday, May 6th
7:30 p.m.
555 Old Club Road
Laura & Jack
Riley & Ben
Connor & Chase
Ally & Will*
Tracee & Tommy
Regrets 555-5555* |
|
