Wording guide

Christmas party invitation wording

The December problem is not wording, it is competition. Your invitation is landing in a month where every weekend is already spoken for.

An outdoor celebration table at dusk with candles just lit

December invitations compete with each other in a way no other month's do. By the first week of the month most people have three things in the calendar and a general sense of dread, so the invitation that gets accepted is the one that arrives first and is clearest about what the evening asks of them. Six weeks ahead is not too early for a December party. Two weeks is too late.

The three common versions need genuinely different wording. A house party is an invitation from a person and can sound like one. An office party is a notice from an organisation and has to carry practical information — whether partners are included, whether there is a cost, whether attendance is expected — because those are the questions people are too awkward to ask. A neighbourhood open house is a drop-in, and its wording lives or dies on making the come-and-go nature obvious.

One line worth including on any December invitation is what to expect food-wise. "Drinks and nibbles" and "dinner" are wildly different commitments and people plan their evening around the answer. It is the single most common omission on holiday invitations.

The wording, written out

House party

Drinks at ours, before it all gets silly Saturday, the thirteenth of December from seven 1424 Willow Court, Poway Nibbles, mulled wine, and nowhere to be Let us know by the sixth

Warm, specific, and the food line tells guests whether to eat first. That last part matters more in December than any other month.

Office party

The Whitfield & Co. holiday party Friday, the twelfth of December six until ten in the evening The Old Mill, Ramona Dinner and drinks provided — partners welcome Smart casual — please reply to Grace by the first of December

Partners welcome or not, food provided or not, and the dress code. Those three lines prevent every awkward question an employee would rather not ask.

Neighbourhood open house

Open house on Willow Court Sunday, the fourteenth of December two until six — come and go as you like Number 1424, the one with the ridiculous wreath Children welcome, shoes optional

"Come and go" has to be in the same breath as the times or guests assume they are committing to four hours. The joke about the wreath is doing navigational work.

Cookie exchange

A cookie exchange Sunday, the seventh of December, at two Bring three dozen of one kind, and a container to carry your haul home Recipes welcome but not required 1424 Willow Court, Poway

The quantity and the container are the two things every first-time guest gets wrong. Both belong on the card, not in a follow-up message.

Holiday party, no religion specified

A winter party Saturday, the thirteenth of December, from seven Come for the food, stay for the fire 1424 Willow Court, Poway

For a mixed guest list, name the season rather than the holiday. It is not a compromise, it is just accurate, and nobody arrives feeling like a guest at somebody else's occasion.

What goes wrong

The mistakes worth avoiding

Sending two weeks out in December, when every weekend is already gone.
Not saying whether there is food, so half the guests eat first and half arrive starving.
Leaving "partners welcome" off an office invitation, which is the question nobody wants to have to ask.
Writing an open house without making the drop-in nature obvious, so guests block out the whole window.
Assuming everyone celebrates the same holiday on a mixed list, when naming the season costs nothing.

Questions people ask

How far ahead should a December party invitation go out?

Five to six weeks, so early November for a mid-December party. December calendars fill faster than any other month and the first invitation in usually wins the date.

Do we have to give an end time?

For an open house, yes, it is the whole structure. For an evening party, an end time is a polite signal and worth including if you would like your house back.

How do we word a potluck without it sounding like work?

Assign by category rather than dish. "Bring something sweet" or "bring a side" is easy to answer. "Bring a dish" produces four bowls of the same salad.

Is a digital invitation fine for a holiday party?

For most December parties, yes, and it is the practical choice given how late these decisions get made. A printed card is for the parties people plan months out.

Want the wording set properly?

Wording is included in anything designed here. Tell me who is hosting and anything delicate about it, and I will set it and show you two versions to choose between. $45 for a First Look concept, back in three days, and it comes off whatever you book.

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