Online birthday invitations: wording, timing and RSVPs
When to send birthday invitations, what to write for a child's party or a milestone birthday, how to handle siblings and plus ones, and how to get replies on time.
The short version
- Send invitations two to three weeks ahead for a child's party, four to six weeks for a milestone birthday, and earlier if guests travel.
- Say exactly who is invited: the child alone, siblings too, or the whole family.
- Give an RSVP date about a week before the party, so you can order food and favors.
- For a surprise party, say so in the first line, and send it only to people who can keep a secret.
A birthday invitation needs the same five things as any invitation (whose party, when, where, who is invited, and how to reply) plus one thing birthdays add: what kind of party it is. A two-hour trampoline party for eight-year-olds and a fortieth dinner for thirty adults need very different words, and guests take their cue on what to wear and bring from the invitation.
When should you send birthday invitations?
- A child's party: two to three weeks before
- A teenager's party: two to three weeks before, usually as a message
- A milestone birthday (30, 40, 50, 60 and beyond): four to six weeks before
- If guests travel, or the party is a weekend away: two to three months before, with a save the date even earlier
What should a child's birthday invitation say?
- The child's name and the age they are turning
- The date, the start and end time (parents plan around the end time)
- The place, with the address and anything about parking or entry
- Whether parents should stay or drop off
- Whether siblings are welcome
- Anything to bring or wear: socks for a trampoline park, a swimsuit, old clothes
- An RSVP date and how to reply
Lily is turning 7! Join us for a trampoline party on Saturday, May 8, from 2 to 4 PM at Jump Zone, 14 Mill Road. Grip socks are provided. Drop-off is fine. Please reply by May 1.
What should a milestone birthday invitation say?
A milestone party for adults reads more like an evening invitation: who is hosting, the occasion, the time, the place and the dress code, with a line about gifts if you want to discourage them.
Please join us to celebrate Margaret's 60th birthday. Saturday, June 19, at 7 PM, The Boathouse, Rhinebeck. Dinner and dancing. Cocktail attire. Your company is the only gift she wants. Kindly reply by June 1.
Shh, it's a surprise! We're throwing a party for Tom's 40th on Friday, March 5. Please arrive by 7:30 PM sharp at 22 Oak Street; Tom arrives at 8. Reply to Sarah, not to Tom!
How do you get replies on time?
Make replying take seconds, and put a date on it. A link with a reply button gets answered far faster than "let me know" in a group chat, and you can see at a glance who has not answered. A week before the party, send a short reminder only to them.
What about the whole class?
Many schools ask that if invitations go out at school, the whole class (or all the girls, or all the boys) is invited. If the party is smaller, send invitations privately to parents instead, which a digital invitation makes easy.
Can you get a birthday invitation designed for you?
Yes. We design digital invitations for birthdays to order, made for that party rather than picked from a catalog, with replies collected online. It is $49 once, and you see the finished invitation before you pay anything.
Parents plan around the end time. Put it on every child's party invitation.
Common questions
How far in advance should you send birthday invitations?
Two to three weeks before a child's party and four to six weeks before a milestone adult birthday. If guests need to travel, send invitations two to three months ahead.
What should a kids' birthday invitation include?
The child's name and age, the date with start and end times, the address, whether parents should stay, whether siblings are welcome, anything to bring or wear, and an RSVP date.
Is it okay to send birthday invitations by text?
Yes. A digital invitation sent by text or WhatsApp is common for birthdays, and a link with a reply button gets faster answers than a message asking guests to let you know.
An invitation designed for your occasion
We design it for your event, with replies collected online, for $49 once. You see it finished before you pay.
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