Birthday party invitations
The broadest category here, and the one where telling me the guest of honour's age changes almost everything.
$65
Your details set by hand, usually back the same day. $145 to rebuild it in your own colours.
A birthday invitation for a four-year-old and a birthday invitation for a forty-year-old are not the same object, and the mistake most template libraries make is pretending the only difference is the number. A children's party invitation is really addressed to a parent who needs to know drop-off logistics. An adult birthday invitation is a social document that signals how dressy the evening is.
For children, the design carries the theme, but the copy has to carry the logistics: whether parents stay, whether there is food, whether siblings are welcome, and what to do about gifts. Getting that information in without wrecking the design is most of the job.
For adults, the theme usually is the tone. A thirtieth at a bar, a fiftieth at home and a sixtieth at a restaurant all need different levels of formality, and the invitation is what tells guests which one they are attending and what to wear.
What changes for this one
Children's invitations need a clear parent-facing block, usually at the base, holding drop-off and pick-up. Adult invitations often carry a dress code, and that line does more work than people expect, so it gets real prominence rather than being buried.
When to send
Three to four weeks for a children's party, so parents can put it in the calendar around sports and school. Four to six for an adult party at a venue, more if people are travelling.
Colours that work
For children, saturated and joyful without going cartoon. For adults, take the palette from the venue rather than the age.
Questions people ask about birthday party invitations
How do I say no gifts without being awkward?
The phrasings that work are short and warm: "Your presence is the present" reads a little twee to some people, "No gifts please, just come" is more direct and lands well. For children's parties, "In lieu of gifts we are collecting for..." works if there is a real cause. Whatever you choose goes in small type at the base, not in the main block.
Do you design for adult birthdays or just kids?
Both, and adult birthdays are some of my favourite work because the design gets to be more restrained. Milestone birthdays in particular have their own page.
Can I get it same week?
A collection design personalised with your details is usually same-day or next-day. A fully custom invitation is seven days, or 48 hours as a rush for $95 extra.
12,100
US searches a month for birthday party invitations, measured rather than guessed. Nearly every page here targets a term almost nobody is defending properly.
- custom birthday invitation — 2,900/mo
- birthday party invitations custom — 70/mo
How to have this made
Custom invitation design
Designed from nothing for one event. No template underneath.
From $285
Digital and paperless invitations
Designed to be texted, emailed or posted. Not an Evite template.
From $225
Party printables and extras
Favour tags, envelope liners, stickers, banners, water bottle labels.
From $75
Start with a First Look
$45 for one finished concept designed for your event, back in three days. It comes off whatever you book, and if you do not love it you keep the file and owe nothing.