Holiday party invitation wording: 12 examples

What to include

In December, invitations pile up. Yours should answer the practical questions at a glance.

• Who’s hostingYour names, or the company or team for a work party. Guests want to know whose party it is before anything else.
• What kind of partyA holiday party, a Christmas party, an ugly sweater party, a cookie exchange or an open house. The name tells guests what to expect.
• When, with an end timeThe date, the start time and an end time. An end time helps parents book a babysitter and guests plan a busy December evening.
• WhereThe place and the full address. A line about parking helps at a house party on a winter night.
• What to wear and what to bringA dress code if there is one, and anything guests should bring: cookies for the exchange, a wrapped gift, a dish to share.
• Who to RSVP to, and by whenA name and a phone number or email, and a date about a week or two before the party, so you can plan the food.

Holiday party invitation wording examples

Change the names, places and dates to your own. The first line is who’s hosting: on our cards it’s the Hosts field, printed as the card’s title, so the Location line needs only the place. Extra lines, like what to bring, go at the end.

Holiday party invitations

Pick a design and add the hosts, the kind of party, the time, the place and the dress code.

Common mistakes

• Sending them too lateDecember weekends book up early. An invitation that goes out a week before the party finds most guests already busy.
• No end timeGuests juggling several parties, and parents paying a babysitter, want to know how long the evening runs.
• RSVP to “the office”Replies to a whole team get lost. Name one person and give their phone number or email.
• Not saying whether plus-ones or kids are invitedSay “Plus-ones welcome” or “Kids welcome” on the card. Otherwise guests have to ask, or guess.
• A theme without instructionsFor an ugly sweater party, a cookie exchange or a gift exchange, say what to wear or bring, and how much, in one short line.

When to send holiday party invitations

Send them three to four weeks before the party; for a party in early December, that means the first weeks of November. December calendars fill up fast, and the earliest invitation usually wins the date.

For an office party, send them four to six weeks ahead, so people can plan around travel and family. Ask for replies about a week or two before the party.

Christmas party or holiday party?

At home, call it what you celebrate: a Christmas party among friends who share it is just right. For a mixed group, and always at work, “holiday party” welcomes everyone.

On our cards, the kind of party is a choice: Holiday party, Christmas party, Ugly sweater party, Cookie exchange, or Holiday open house. Pick the closest one, and say more under Other details.

Wording for an office holiday party

Say who’s hosting (the company, or a team), whether it’s dinner, drinks or lunch, and whether plus-ones are invited. Name one person to RSVP to, with an email or phone number, never just “HR.”

Keep the tone warm and neutral: a thank-you for the year is a good opening line. If the party is after work, an end time and a line about parking or getting home help.

RSVP wording for a holiday party

On our cards, the RSVP step writes the line for you: “Please RSVP by December 1, 2026 to Jessica at (555) 123-4567.” Set the date about a week or two before the party, so you know how much food and how many chairs you need.

An open house where people drop in can ask for a rough headcount only, or skip the RSVP. Leave the RSVP fields empty and the card simply leaves the line out.

Dress codes for holiday parties

“Festive attire” means cocktail attire with a holiday touch: velvet, sequins, a red tie. “Cocktail attire” alone asks for the same dressiness without the holiday sparkle. “Casual” or “come as you are” suits an open house or a cookie exchange.

For an ugly sweater party, the theme is the dress code: say so, and mention a prize for the ugliest sweater if there is one.

Making the invitation with us

Choose a holiday party design, type in the hosts, pick the kind of party, and add the date, the start and end time, the place and the dress code. The hosts print as the card’s title, so Location needs only the place: “Our house,” or the venue’s name. Add what to bring under Other details, or ask our design assistant to fit your own words onto the card.

You see a proof of both sides before you pay. You’re welcome to copy the examples on this page, wherever you make your invitations.

Questions and answers