Examples Of Invitation Card: Sample Ideas & Examples

Formal Wedding Invitations

Okay so formal wedding invitations are probably what you’re gonna use if you’re having a traditional church wedding or like a black-tie event at a fancy venue. I had this client back in spring 2023 who absolutely insisted on the most formal wording possible and then got mad when her younger cousins didn’t understand half the phrasing, but whatever.

The classic format goes something like:

Mr. and Mrs. Robert James Henderson
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
Katherine Marie
to
Mr. David Christopher Walsh
Saturday, the fifteenth of June
two thousand twenty-four
at half after four o’clock
St. Mary’s Cathedral
Boston, Massachusetts

Notice how everything’s spelled out? No numerals except for the year sometimes. The “honour” spelling with the ‘u’ is traditional but honestly you can use “honor” and nobody’s gonna call the etiquette police. Also “request the honour of your presence” is for religious ceremonies, while “request the pleasure of your company” works for non-religious venues.

If both sets of parents are hosting together, you’d write:

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Henderson
and
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Walsh
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their children

Then continue with the rest. It’s kinda formal and stuffy but some families really care about this stuff.

Semi-Formal Wedding Invitations

This is honestly where most of my clients land because it feels elegant without being like… weirdly old-fashioned? You can be more flexible here.

Together with their families
Emma Rodriguez and James Chen
invite you to celebrate their marriage
Saturday, August tenth
two thousand twenty-four
five o’clock in the evening
The Riverside Gardens
Portland, Oregon

See how much easier that reads? You can also do stuff like:

Join us for the wedding of
Sarah Mitchell & Ryan O’Brien
as we begin our new journey together

I actually prefer this style because it feels more personal and less like you’re reading a legal document or something. My cat knocked over my coffee while I was designing one of these last month and honestly the stain kinda looked better than the original design, but I digress.

Modern Casual Wedding Invitations

If you’re having a backyard wedding or a beach ceremony or just don’t want all that formal nonsense, casual invitations are perfectly fine. What annoys me though is when people go TOO casual and forget to include actual important information like the time or address, which happens more than you’d think.

Let’s do this!
Maya Patel & Jordan Kim
are getting married
June 22, 2024 at 3pm
Sunset Beach Park
Reception to follow at The Blue Anchor Restaurant
RSVP by May 15th

You can add personality here. I’ve seen:

• “Finally making it official!”
• “About damn time” (actual client used this)
• “Eat, drink, and be married”
• “The adventure begins”

Just make sure the essential info is still there. Date, time, location, RSVP deadline. That’s non-negotiable.

Birthday Party Invitations

These can be super fun because you have way more creative freedom. For kids’ parties:

Roar! Dinosaurs are taking over!
Join us for Lucas’s 5th Birthday Party
Saturday, March 8th from 2-4pm
at Parkside Community Center
123 Oak Street
RSVP to Mom at 555-0123

For adults, you might go with:

Surprise! It’s Tom’s 40th Birthday
Shh… he doesn’t know!
Friday, November 3rd at 7pm
Angelo’s Italian Restaurant – Private Room
Please arrive by 6:45pm
Contact Lisa to RSVP: lisa@email.com

I did this milestone birthday for a client in summer 2021 and the theme was “Over the Hill” and honestly the invitation design was hilarious with little tombstones and everything, people loved it.

Milestone Birthdays

For big birthdays like 30th, 50th, etc., you can get more elaborate:

Fifty & Fabulous!
Celebrating Jennifer’s 50th Birthday
An Evening of Dinner, Dancing & Memories
Saturday, October 12, 2024
6:30pm – Midnight
The Grand Ballroom at Hotel Riverside
Black tie optional
RSVP by September 20th to party@email.com

Baby Shower Invitations

Okay so baby showers usually have a host who’s NOT the mom-to-be, so the wording reflects that:

Please join us for a Baby Shower
honoring
Amanda Williams
Saturday, April 6th at 2pm
Hosted by Sarah Johnson & Michelle Lee
at Sarah’s home
456 Maple Avenue
RSVP by March 25th
Registry at Target and Amazon

You can theme these around nursery colors or animals or whatever. I’ve seen “A little peanut is on the way” with elephant themes, “Twinkle twinkle little star” with celestial stuff, all that cute stuff.

For co-ed showers (which are becoming more common):

Baby BBQ!
Join us for a co-ed baby shower
celebrating Amanda & Mike
and their little one on the way
Backyard BBQ & Games
May 18th at 4pm
The Peterson Residence
Bring your appetite!

Bridal Shower Invitations

Similar format to baby showers since someone else is hosting:

A Bridal Brunch
honoring our bride-to-be
Catherine Moore
Sunday, May 5th at 11am
Garden Room at The Ivy Restaurant
Hosted by the bridesmaids
Kindly RSVP by April 20th to
bridesmaidgroup@email.com
Registered at Crate & Barrel, Williams Sonoma

You can also do themed ones like:

Stock the Bar!
A couple’s shower for
Rachel & Tom
Bring your favorite bottle & recipe
Saturday, July 13th at 6pm
The Martinez Home

Or kitchen-themed, lingerie-themed, whatever makes sense for the bride.

Graduation Party Invitations

These are pretty straightforward but you wanna make sure you include what kind of graduation it is:

Toss your caps!
Samantha Rodriguez
is graduating from Lincoln High School
Please join us for a celebration
Saturday, June 1st, 2024
3pm – 7pm
The Rodriguez Family Home
123 Cherry Lane
Open house style – come and go as you please!

For college graduations you might be more formal:

After four years of hard work
(and maybe a little fun)
Michael Chen
is graduating from
State University
with a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering
Join us for a celebration dinner
Friday, May 17th at 6pm
The Waterfront Restaurant
RSVP by May 1st

Holiday Party Invitations

These can be as casual or fancy as you want depending on the vibe. For a casual Christmas party:

Ugly Sweater Party!
Join us for holiday drinks & appetizers
Friday, December 20th from 7-10pm
at the Johnson’s
Wear your tackiest holiday sweater
BYOB, we’ll provide the snacks

For something more formal:

You’re invited to our Annual Holiday Soirée
An evening of cocktails, dinner, and merriment
Saturday, December 14th at 7pm
The Sterling Estate
Cocktail attire
Kindly RSVP by December 1st

I always tell clients to specify if it’s adults-only or family-friendly because that’s a huge source of confusion and… okay I gotta say this is one thing that really annoys me about invitation etiquette in general – people assume things instead of just reading what’s actually written on the invitation. Like if it says “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” it means just the two of you, not your three kids, but people bring them anyway and then act surprised when there aren’t enough seats.

New Year’s Eve Parties

Ring in 2025 with us!
New Year’s Eve Party
Tuesday, December 31st, 2024
9pm until the ball drops (and beyond)
The Morrison Loft
Champagne toast at midnight
Heavy appetizers & open bar
RSVP by December 20th
Dress to impress!

Dinner Party Invitations

For casual dinner parties you can keep it simple:

Dinner at our place!
Saturday, March 16th at 7pm
Casual attire, great food, better company
Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions
RSVP to Kate by March 10th
kate@email.com or 555-0199

For fancier dinner parties:

You’re invited to an intimate dinner party
Saturday, September 21st
Cocktails at 6:30pm
Dinner at 7pm
The residence of Elizabeth & Charles Montgomery
Black tie encouraged
Four course dinner prepared by Chef Marco
RSVP required by September 10th

Retirement Party Invitations

These usually have a work connection so you might mention the company:

After 35 years of dedicated service
Robert Martinez is retiring from
Thompson & Associates
Please join us for a retirement celebration
Friday, August 9th from 4-7pm
The Conference Center
Light refreshments will be served
No gifts please, just your presence and stories!
RSVP to hr@thompsonassociates.com

Housewarming Party Invitations

Pretty casual usually:

We’ve got a new address!
Join us for a housewarming party
Saturday, April 27th from 2-6pm
Our new home at:
789 Birch Street, Apt 4B
Stop by anytime, bring a friend
Light snacks & drinks provided
No gifts necessary!

Baptism or Christening Invitations

These tend to be on the formal side:

With grateful hearts
Maria and Carlos Hernandez
invite you to share in the joy
of the baptism of their daughter
Sofia Grace
Sunday, the twenty-third of June
two thousand twenty-four
at eleven o’clock in the morning
Holy Family Church
Reception to follow at
The Garden Room Restaurant

Anniversary Party Invitations

For milestone anniversaries like 25th or 50th:

Celebrating 50 Years of Love & Laughter
Please join us in honoring
Dorothy & William Thompson
on their Golden Anniversary
Saturday, July 20th at 5pm
Riverside Country Club
Dinner & Dancing
Hosted by their children
RSVP by July 1st to
anniversaryparty@email.com
No gifts please

Sometimes kids throw surprise parties for their parents which is sweet but also stressful to coordinate – had a situation with this where half the guests showed up at the wrong time because they didn’t read “arrive by 4:45pm” and just showed up at 5pm when the parents arrived and ruined the whole surprise, but that’s a story for another day.

Bar/Bat Mitzvah Invitations

These are usually pretty formal since they’re religious ceremonies:

Mr. and Mrs. David Goldstein
request the honour of your presence
at the Bar Mitzvah of their son
Joshua Aaron
as he is called to the Torah
Saturday, the ninth of November
two thousand twenty-four
at ten o’clock in the morning
Temple Beth Shalom
Luncheon reception immediately following
in the Social Hall

Quick Essential Info Checklist

No matter what type of invitation you’re doing, make sure you include:

• Who (whose party/event is it)
• What (type of event)
• When (date AND time, spelled out or numerals depending on formality)
• Where (full address if people might not know it)
• RSVP info (deadline and how to respond)
• Dress code if it matters
• Any special instructions (bring a dish, adults only, etc.)

Registry info can go on a separate insert or on your wedding website but traditionally doesn’t go on the main invitation itself, though honestly lots of people ignore that rule now. Also if you’re doing digital invitations through Evite or Paperless Post or whatever, same rules apply for information but you can be more casual with formatting since people are used to that format being less formal anyway. I personally still love a good printed invitation but I get that it’s not always practical or… wait what was I saying? Right, the essential information is what matters most regardless of format.