Free Invitation Templates

What Is an Invitation?

An Invitation is a formal or informal document that contains the request addressed to someone to go to an event - it can be a dinner, family celebration, religious ceremony, funeral, or company gathering. Whether you are planning a small celebration for your close relatives and friends or organizing an event that will last for hours and requires the presence of dozens if not hundreds of people, the easiest way to inform all potential guests about it is to use one of the Invitation templates, customize them with the personal information of the recipient, and send them out prior to the event - you may have to ask the attendees to change their plans or postpone other commitments, so the Invitations have to be sent weeks or even months before the party or a more solemn event takes place.

Invitation Templates by Type

How to Make an Invitation?

Any ceremony organized by the business is a chance to promote the company and increase the recognition of the brand - Invitations you create on your own will target new customers and impress regular clients and business partners of your business. If the organization of the event will take your time and money - for example, you may need to prepare place cards for the wedding guests - it is important to know in advance who will attend the ceremony. An Invitation will also help you rebuild the connection with people you have not talked to for a long time - they will be impressed by the care you have put into arranging a dinner or party and your relationship with them will blossom again. Here are some tips you should follow to create your own Invitation:

1. Include these details in the Invitation: the name of the event, the date, time, and location, and several rules every guest must comply with if necessary (for instance, a dress code or a specific color of clothes).
2. The Invitation design will depend on the type of the event - a party you arrange for children can be colorful, you may use playful fonts, and insert drawings you find online or help your son or daughter create. Obviously, a formal dinner party will require calligraphy fonts and colors that fit together well: avoid pictures and ornaments that may be considered vulgar by the recipient.
3. When you make an Invitation, pay attention to the color scheme. Make sure the shades you select are appropriate for the occasion - it is hard to choose wrong when you follow the custom: white, beige, and pale pink for the wedding, blue and pink for the baby shower, bright colors (red, blue, green, yellow) for the party invitation, subdued tones for a funeral ceremony.
4. The Invitation size generally does not exceed 4x6 or 5x7 inches. One of the most common Invitation ideas is to make it look like a typical greeting card: add a part that detaches and can be sent back to let the future guest confirm they will be able to join the event.

How to Decline an Invitation?

If you are unable to go to the party for any reason, it is easy to inform the individual or entity that invited you about it. Follow these steps to turn down the Invitation politely:

1. Do not wait too long - your silence may be interpreted as the confirmation of your future attendance or it will be considered disrespectful. It is definitely rude to ignore an Invitation to any event especially if you know the person that sent it for a long time. Make sure you reply within several days - even if your refusal to come upsets the addressee, at the very least, they will know how to arrange the sitting chart and how much food to order for the event, so you are actually making their life easier.
2. Be grateful for the Invitation, be sincere, and be apologetic. If you have a valid reason that prevents you from joining the celebration or ceremony and you can share it with others, do not hesitate to tell the truth. However, if you just want to avoid the event without a proper excuse, you may simply say "I am unavailable on that day".
3. Instead of attending the event, you can always send a gift to the person that invited you if that fits the occasion - a birthday party, graduation, or a baptism. Flowers delivered on the day of the event with a note from you will definitely raise the mood of the recipient even if they feel sorry about your absence.

What Does RSVP Mean on an Invitation?

Often a recipient of the Invitation sees the abbreviation RSVP and wonders how to decipher this word. It comes from the French language and basically means "Please, reply". The person or organization that sent you the invitation wants you to contact them and tell them whether you are able to attend the event in question. Typically, an Invitation will contain a phone number or e-mail address - you can text, call, or compose a short note to notify the sender you will be present. Additionally, you may inform the event organizer about your food preferences and the person you are bringing with you - but only if you are asked to provide this information.

How to Accept an Invitation Formally?

In case you can attend the event, warn the hosts as soon as you know about your availability on the day of the ceremony or party. It is possible to text or make a phone call to the sender if you know them personally even if the Invitation was official. But certain situations oblige the recipient to draft a short e-mail or a letter sent by traditional mail that verifies their intention to come to the event. When you formally accept an Invitation, you need to thank the other party for thinking of you and inviting you to join the event, say you will be delighted to attend the celebration or ceremony, and add your contact details in case they need to quickly reach out to you in the next days or weeks.

Still looking for a particular template? Take a look at the related templates below:

• Card Templates;
• Wedding Templates;
• Tag Templates.