Work party invite wording

Most work party invitations fail on information, not tone. People don't need it to be funny - they need to know what time it ends, what it costs and whether there's anything they can eat.

Below are templates for each kind of work do, written so you can paste them into an email or a calendar invite and change three words.

Send the invite six weeks out for a Christmas party, two weeks for anything else, and chase once. Anything more than one chase reads as pressure.

The six details every work invite needs

• Date, start time and finish time - the finish time matters most, because lifts and babysitters depend on it.
• Venue with the full address and a line on step-free access.
• What the food is, and whether there are vegetarian, vegan and allergy options.
• What it costs, and whether the company is paying.
• Whether partners are invited.
• Who to reply to, and by when.

Christmas party invite wording

• You're invited to the [Company] Christmas party - Friday 12 December, 7pm to 11.30pm, at [Venue, address]. Three-course meal and a DJ, paid for by the company. Drinks are on your own tab. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free menus available - let me know by 21 November.
• It's that time again. [Company] Christmas do: Thursday 11 December, 6.30pm till late, [Venue]. £25 a head covers dinner and the first drink. Partners welcome. RSVP by Friday 14 November so I can confirm numbers. Shop this card
• Christmas lunch this year instead of a night out: Wednesday 17 December, 12pm to 4pm at [Venue]. Company is paying, and the afternoon is yours after. Step-free throughout. Reply by 28 November with any dietary requirements.

Office party invite wording

• We're doing a summer social on Thursday 17 July, 4pm to 7pm in the [office/roof terrace]. Food from 4.30pm, drinks provided, soft drinks and alcohol-free options too. No need to reply, just turn up.
• Team afternoon: Friday 6 March, 2pm to 5pm. Quiz, cake and an early finish. All in work hours, nothing to pay for. Let me know if there's anything you can't eat.
• Office party, Friday 20 June, 5pm to 8pm at [Venue]. Buffet provided. Come for an hour or stay for all of it - both are fine.

Leaving do invite wording

• [Name] is leaving us on Friday 28 March after six years. We're going to [Venue] from 5pm - come for a drink and say goodbye. Card is with me if you'd like to sign it before Thursday.
• Send-off for [Name]: Thursday 14 May, 4pm in the [meeting room], cake and a short speech, then the pub after for anyone who fancies it.
• [Name]'s last day is Friday. There's a card going round and a collection if you'd like to contribute - completely optional, no amount expected. Drinks at [Venue] from 5.30pm.

Office birthday and work anniversary wording

• It's [Name]'s birthday on Thursday - cake in the kitchen at 3pm, and the card is with me until then.
• [Name] hits ten years with us this week. We're marking it at 4pm on Friday with a card, a proper thank-you and something sweet.
• Birthday round-up: [Names] all have birthdays this month. Cake and cards on the last Friday, 3pm, kitchen.

Lines that make an invite land better

• Come for an hour or stay for all of it - both are completely fine.
• There's a quiet room upstairs if you need five minutes.
• Plenty of alcohol-free options on the bar, not just tap water.
• Nothing to pay for on the night.
• Step-free access throughout, and accessible toilets on the ground floor.
• If you'd rather not, that's genuinely fine - no explanation needed.

What to leave out

• Mandatory fun. If attendance is optional, say so; if it isn't, it isn't a party.
• Jokes about how much anyone drank last year.
• A dress code that costs money to follow.
• Vague timings - 'from 7pm' with no end time.
• Payment requests buried in the last line.

Shop Christmas cards

Banners, toppers and confetti for the office

Decorations that take ten minutes to put up and photograph well.

How to write it so it lands

• Finish time in the first two lines.
• Name the food and the alcohol-free options.
• One chase email, then leave it.
• Put the card out a day before the do, not on the day.

Where to shop next

• Work party ideas hub
• Work party invite wording
• Office party themes and decorations
• Leaving do ideas
• Office birthday ideas
• Team building ideas
• Work Christmas party ideas
• Work Christmas party planning guide
• Office Christmas party games
• Leaving card messages for a colleague
• Work colleague leaving gift ideas
• Office party ideas
• Work party games
• Christening party ideas
• Communion quiz questions
• Naming ceremony themes
• Religious milestones hub
• Congratulations messages
• Congratulations on your promotion
• Work anniversary messages
• Thank you messages for your boss
• New job card messages
• New job gift ideas
• New job cards
• Promotion cards
• Secret Santa gift ideas
• Secret Santa rules
• Buy party supplies
• Bunting & banners
• Table confetti
• Cake toppers
• Pin badges
• Retirement cards
• Christmas cards
• Celebration ideas
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas

Frequently asked questions

What do you write on a work party invitation?

Date, start and finish time, venue with a step-free note, what the food is, what it costs and whether partners are invited - plus who to reply to and by when. Everything else is decoration.

How far in advance should you send a work party invite?

Six weeks for a Christmas party, two weeks for an office party or summer social, and a few days for a leaving do or office birthday. Chase once, not three times.

Should you say the work party is optional?

Yes, and mean it. Saying 'come for an hour or stay for all of it' gets better attendance than implying everyone must be there, because people who'd otherwise avoid it will show their face.

How do you word an invite when people have to pay?

Put the cost in the second line, not the last one, say exactly what it covers, and give a payment deadline. Never let anyone find out on the night.