Party Invitation Etiquette

An invitation helps set the tone of a party to celebrate any special event. An invitation will most prominently speak about the style of the party, whether it is a formal, casual or an informal party. In order to avoid any confusion or misunderstanding about the party, you must take a few things into consideration. Let us have a look at party invitation etiquette in detail.

Etiquette for Party Invitation

• Planning a formal party should be done well in advance as the invitations need to be sent out at least 2-3 weeks in advance. This will prove beneficial in case of wedding invitations, if guests are required to travel out of state.
• One has to be very clear and consistent in the usage of American or British English and also in the usage of formal or casual language. Do not switch over from one to the other. Also strictly avoid making errors in spellings and grammar.
• In order to understand how to write a formal invitation for different occasions, you can refer to the article titled 'Formal Invitation Wording'.
• Before writing the invitations, make a list of the expected guests with their addresses. Also mark them once you prepare their invite so that you do not end up doubling an invitation.
• The purpose of the party, the date, place and time is the important information to be included in a party invitation and has to be mentioned clearly. Spelling out the date is the appropriate party invitation etiquette. As in - Saturday, the twelfth of September.
• It is not necessary to mention the year in case of informal invitations, but in case of a formal invitation, you also need to add the year, which should also be spelled out. For instance - Saturday, the twelfth of September, Two thousand and Nine
• Similarly, while mentioning the time in a formal invitation, spell it out. For instance - Eight o'clock in the evening.
• The location of the party should be mentioned clearly, with the name of the city and state for out-of-state guests. Abbreviations and short forms should be strictly avoided.
• The names of the hosts and guests should also be mentioned clearly. One needs to be particularly cautious while using doctor, reverend and military titles. Use punctuation marks wherever necessary.
• It is essential to mention the party theme or dress code at the end of the invitation. In case of a casual party, you can even mention whether the meal would comprise of only appetizers or if it would be a full course meal.
• Do not forget to attach an R.S.V.P along with the invitation. When you send the invitations beforehand, you will receive an early R.S.V.P which will be helpful in further planning.

The envelopes should be handwritten, even though the invitation is a printed one. One must also follow the formal style of writing a name on the envelope. Consider the following cases of party invitation etiquette of writing names on envelopes while sending out invitations.

Mr. and Mrs. Lawson (in case children are not invited)
(avoid using direct words like 'children are not invited')

Mr. and Mrs. Lawson
Jack and Marc (in case children are invited)

Mr. Johns and Guest ( to invite a single person with a guest)

Mr. and Mrs. Johns
Mr. Marc Johns (two separate invitations if the offspring is above 18 years of age)

Once you have written the invitations, double check the names and addresses and dates before sending them out. Proofreading the content to rectify mistakes is essential. One must also not forget to stick postage stamps on the R.S.V.P. Also one must remember to add a return address with a single contact number on the envelope.

Follow these simple party invitation etiquette and have fun, without getting embarrassed or bothered by any misunderstanding.