Party Invitations Etiquette - DOs and DON'Ts

Have you ever been in charge of organizing a party or an event where you send out invitations and then wait for days on end for people to come back to you? Yes, I really, really dislike that. 

In my experience, people tend to respond quickly to what they perceive as important or expensive (such as a wedding, for example) but then "forget" about something as simple as a birthday party. Well, the cost and the amount of organization involved may not be comparable, it's true, but the effort and love organizers pour into the events they plan is just the same. I, for one, hate to hear my kids asking how many friends are coming to their parties and having to tell them that only a few have replied...It's just stressful and unfair. 

So in this post I'm sharing a bit about invitations dos and don'ts, with a little help from Eventbrite and the useful tool they have developed to help us all manage event organization. 

Here are a few tips for sending invitations and RSVPing appropriately, which is the first step to duly enjoy both the events your organize and the ones you attend as a guest.

If you're organizing the event: 

• Send invitations early, to make sure people save the date

•  Use or create invitations that are 100% readable. I've received a few that must have looked great on screen but were a struggle to read once in print

• Remember to add all necessary information your guests will need (date, type of event, address, dress code, etc.) and clear instructions on how to RSVP

•  If possible, follow up with your guests after sending the invitations, to make sure they have received them and provide any additional information they may require

If you've received an invitation for an event:

• Check your availability as soon as possible and let the person who invited you know in advance if you are or aren't going to make it. More often than not important decisions about venues need to be made in advance but depend on the number of guests attending. There's no harm in saying no if you can't really be there. It's better so say no beforehand than to avoid replying until right before the date

•  RSVP as requested

• Once you've committed to a date, add it to your agenda or calendar, to avoid future overlapping of events

• Pay attention to the other details included in the invitation, such as dress code, no-gifts requests, donations-instead-of-gifts, etc. Besides being the proper thing to do, by respecting your hosts' preferences you will the showing them that you care

Recently I have discovered Eventbrite, the world's largest self-service ticketing platform. They have a service that allows you to create and manage all your events, from the most complex to something as simple as your child's birthday party.

If it's an event where you're charging people to attend, you can sell tickets online through Eventbrite and they will charge a fee, but for all your "free" events (birthdays, anniversaries, family reunions, weddings, etc.), the service is absolutely free too. And if in today's world everything is online, why not RSVPs too?

And to inspire you even a bit more, check below some of the party printables I have shared previously here on the blog: 

Have fun, and happy Thursday,

Note: graphics courtesy of Eventbrite. This is not a sponsored post and I did not receive any compensation for writing it. All opinions are my own.

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

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