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How many times have you held a party but forgot to actually send out invitations?
Do you think it is possible to have a party without inviting people?
In this post we are going to look at the following;
♥ Whether you need to use invitations for your party, and whether they need to be formal or informal.
♥ When to send out your party invitations.
♥ How to word your party invitations.
♥ Tips for what to include on your invitations.
The party invitation is Step 4 of the Party Planning Checklist.
The invitation is what will get people talking about your party and gaining their interest. You shouldn’t underestimate a good invitation!
To put it simply – if you want people to attend your party – you must invite them!!
Should you send a formal or informal invitation?
You can extend an invitation in many different ways and the type of invitation you choose to send may largely depend on your party budget as discussed in step 1 of the party planning checklist.
Examples of different types of invitations include: 
> Sending Emails
> Creating a Facebook event
> ‘Do It Yourself’ invitations
> ‘Custom made’ invitations
If your party is going to be a formal affair for a special occasion such as a wedding, engagement or baby shower, it is generally considered to be more appropriate to send a written invitation.
Not sure what to include on a party invitation?
There are several key elements that you must always include, no matter what type of party the invitation is for. These include the following:
1. Start your invitation with a clear statement detailing what type of party your guest is being invited to. You will need to specify the party theme which was discussed in step 3 of the party planning checklist.
2. It is important to clearly specify the date and time of the party. You may wish to include an approximate length of the party.
3. You must state where the party will be held. If your guests live a reasonable distance from the party location, it may be appropriate to include a map with the invitation.
4. If you decide to have a dress code, you need to stipulate this. For example, is it going to be formal black tie; or is it necessary to dress for the party theme?
5. Be specific about who is invited…. is it for children? If you are concerned guests may bring children, you may wish to write at the bottom of the invite “Adult-only party please!”.
6. Specify whether you would like your guests to bring anything, for example food or drinks. We will discuss this further in step 7 of the party planning checklist.
7. At the end of your invitation, ask your guests to RSVP. This stands for “Répondez s’i
l vous plaît” in French, which means “respond if you please”. Include the manner in which you would prefer to be contacted. You may wish to include a response card if it is a very formal affair, otherwise a phone number or email address would suffice.
Are you unsure about what words to include on your invitation?
It can sometimes be difficult to determine words to include on invitations, especially when the invites are for a formal affair. If you are stuck for some ideas, click here.
When is an appropriate time to send invitations?
Depending on the nature of your party, you will need to send out invitations 2-8 weeks before the party date.
For Parties that are more formal in nature, more notice will be required than for informal parties.
If you need to know numbers for catering, you will want at least a week’s notice to plan, so you will need to send out your invitations with enough RSVP time.
Finally, some Invitation Tips:
» If the party has a colour theme, use these colours in the invitation where possible.
» Do not ‘clump’ the information together. Place each detail on a separate line to ensure it is nice and easy for your guest to read.
» Do not be offended if not everyone you invite can not attend your party. It is quite normal for at least 10% of invitee’s to be unable to attend due to other commitments. Unless you are planning an event such as a wedding months in advance, people can get booked up!
Don’t forget to take a look at the next post on the party planning checklist: Step 5: Decorations.
Thanks for reading,
Catherine
Well, i have in the past organized parties and sent out invitations. But i have never thought of using social media to simplify this. I must confess that following your regular party tips has really widened my IQ on how to organize and make a good party. I look forward to more successful parties in the future following these tips.
Social media is a great tool for contacting people on, and if most of your friends use this, then it can be an easy, and cost effective way of completing your invitations. Party planning should be fun and not stressful, so if this works for you, then use it! As long as your guests get a feel of the party vibe – the task is complete!! There are plenty more tips to come….thanks for visiting!