Birthday invitations: 10 tips + 8 texts for your party

Johannes Haupt (Senior Editor)

If you’re planning a birthday party, you can’t avoid designing birthday invitation cards. We’ll show you what to consider when creating birthday invitations and provide you with creative templates that are guaranteed to make the invitation a success.

Birthday invitation cards contain all the important information about the party and set the mood for the celebration. With our tips and text, your birthday invitation will be perfect.

Tips for successful birthday invitations

Tips for a successful birthday invitation

There’s more work behind writing a birthday invitation than you probably think at first.

Not only should the text of the invitation card be complete, informative and creative, but the outer design of the card should, at best, also be appealing and in keeping with the birthday celebration.

In addition, the creation of the invitations should not take too much time and should be as inexpensive as possible. The following tips show how you can achieve all this.

Right time to send the invitation

When you should send out your birthday invitations depends on how big the party ends up being and accordingly, how early you start planning.

If you’re "just" celebrating a normal birthday and you’re concerned solely with the attendance of guests, it’s usually sufficient if you send out the invitations about four weeks before the birthday party.

However, if it is important to you that as many people as possible can attend your birthday party, you should send out the invitation cards earlier so that the guests can make a note of the date early and keep it free.

Especially if the birthday party takes place in a somewhat distant location or involves a long journey for some guests, they need lead time. They can use this to take time off work if necessary, organize a babysitter, book travel or flights and arrange accommodations.

Birthday celebrations to mark a milestone birthday are often done on a particularly big scale. Maybe you even organize a theme party, set a dresscode or want your guests to contribute their talents to the entertaiment.

In that case, you should send out the birthday invitations early so that the guests can prepare for them. It’s best to send them out several months before the party, once all the details you need are finalized.

Customize birthday invitation cards

Customize your birthday invitation cards

You should think about the form in which you want to design your invitation cards well in advance, so that you can create them at your leisure and send them on time.

The choice of the appropriate form depends on how many people you want to invite and how much money and time you want to invest in creating them.

Buy ready-made birthday invitations

Probably the easiest option is to buy ready-made birthday invitation cards in a drugstore or supermarket, or order them online. The advantage is that you do not have to worry about the design.

You only have to think about an invitation text, but you have to manually write it into each card. Drawbacks to this option include the fact that the cards cannot be individually designed. You also can not insert photos, color schemes, or motifs to match the theme of your birthday party.

Crafting birthday invitation cards

Make your own birthday invitation cards

You have much more creative freedom if you make the invitation cards yourself. You can give free rein to your creativity. You can decorate the front of the card with fancy decorative elements.

Hand lettering your cards helps you to make the text of the birthday invitation particularly vivid. You can also print out photos and incorporate them into the card.

One advantage of customized cards is that you can also customize the text of the invitation card to the specific recipient. However, this takes quite a lot of time.

Depending on how many invitation cards you need to create, it may be beyond the scope of your available time and abilities. Also consider the cost factor with this option. Especially elaborate cards require corresponding craft materials and can possibly exceed your budget.

Design your birthday invitations online

Design your birthday invitations online

If you want to make your birthday invitations as simple and cheap as possible, while still being descriptive and individual you should design and order them online.

You can choose from different templates and themes like Rustic, Retro and Appalachian that fit the theme of your celebration. You can also add your own photos and customize the card material, layout, patterns, colors, and fonts to suit your preferences.

After designing your personal invitation card, you can have a free sample card sent to your home before placing the entire order.

Within a few days, the unique cards will be in your mailbox. Additionally, volume discounts for larger numbers of cards may allow you extra savings.

Send a birthday invitation on WhatsApp

If you want to save costs and effort, you can also simply send your invitation text on WhatsApp. Such a birthday invitation is quite common today and also appropriate for ordinary birthdays. For round birthdays, however, it’s also appropriate to send an invitation card made of paper.

Here you will find versatile birthday sayings that you can integrate into your birthday invitation.

Determine the number of birthday invitations

To estimate how many cards you need to order or craft, it is useful to first create a guest list. Note that you only need to plan one card for each couple on your list. For any number of people who live in the same household, a joint invitation is usually enough as well.

If you’re not yet sure whether you’d like to invite some people, make of note of them. Finally, make a count of the maximum number of cards needed.

Order or craft a few extra cards as a buffer in case you later think of more people you want to invite, or make mistakes in the lettering.

Content of the birthday invitations

Content of the birthday invitation (invitation text)

After the external design, the next step is to write the invitation text. The information you need to include depends, among other things, on whether you have a specific theme in mind for your birthday party and where the event will take place.

As a rule, the text of a birthday invitation should include the following elements:

• Salutation + name of the guest or guests
• Reason for the celebration
• Date of the birthday celebration
• Time or start of the birthday party
• Location of the event
• Deadline for confirmation or cancellation
• Phone number, mobile number or email address for feedback
• Name of host

Optional:

• Photo of the host
• Notes about the theme, motto or dress code
• Notes about overnight accommodations and directions
• Tips or hints about gifts or special requests (for example, preferably monetary gifts)

Use appropriate photos

While it is not mandatory to include a photo of the host in the birthday invitation, it is appreciated and definitely makes the invitation more personal. You can include a simple photo of yourself, or a photo that shows you doing one of your hobbies.

If you don’t have a suitable and current photo at hand, you can either book a professional photoshoot or ask friends or relatives if they can take a picture of you.

This makes it easy to match the photo to the motto or the theme of the celebration and thus make the invitation cards match the birthday, too. You can do this by using appropriate clothing, props or backgrounds.

Tailor the birthday invitations to the theme and occasion

Match the birthday invitation and text to the theme

As long as you have a theme or motto set for your birthday party, be sure to include it in your invitation card.

If you decide to design the cards online, you can choose from a variety of templates on different themes. If you haven’t thought of a theme yet, maybe one of the following theme suggestions will appeal to you:

• Black and White
• Color scheme
• Retro
• Crime
• Appalachian
• Bad Taste
• Golden Twenties
• 80s
• 90s
• Masked ball
• Summer party
• Après-ski

Especially for children’s birthdays it is nice to organize a theme party, and coordinate the entire program and the invitation cards to the theme.

The following concepts are suitable for this:

• Middle Ages (knights and princesses)
• Witches and vampires
• Halloween
• Soccer, basketball, or tennis
• Unicorns
• Superheroes
• Pirates
• Fairy tales

When choosing a theme, you can be guided by your personal interests and hobbies. As a mystery fan, you can design your celebration around the theme and even let your guests solve an exciting murder case.

It can also be useful to adapt the theme of the celebration to your age. If you grew up in the 80s, you and your guests will surely have appropriate old clothes and propss that you can bring out for the theme party. The birthday party will virtually become a trip back in time and bring back memories of childhood or youth.

Templates for your birthday invitations

Texts for your birthday invitations

If you have thought about the design of your birthday invitation cards, the only thing missing is the appropriate text.

If you have thought about a motto for your birthday party, it is a good idea to use it in the invitation message.

Alternatively, there is the possibility of using funny sayings, proverbs appropriate to the age, or simply classic text templates. Below you will find suitable texts for a birthday invitation:

Template for a classic 30th birthday invitation

Dear Natasha,

For my 30th birthday I would like to invite you!
Celebrated on October 2nd, 2020 from 7:00 pm at (name of location).
Food and drinks will be provided.
Since the last unfulfilled wish on my list is a world trip, I would be happy if you help me to fill my travel fund.
Please let me know by October 25th if you can’t be there.
I look forward to seeing you!

Yours,
Katy

Template for a 40th birthday invitation

Dear Mariah,

Forty and Fabulous!
Join me for my birthday party!

October 10th, 6:00 pm.
(Location)

If you can’t make it, please let me know by October 1st

Yours,
Marcus

Original invitation card for the 50th birthday

Original 50th birthday invitation card

Dear Andy,

From 50 on, it’s our duty to do all the shenanigans we didn’t have money for when we were 20.

So I expect to see you on March 6th at my house. Please get in touch by March 1st if you can’t be there.

If you can’t be there, it’s your own fault!

Yours,
Steven

Fancy invitation card for a 60th birthday (crime theme)

Witness: S. Miller
Scene of the crime: Today’s Catch Restaurant
Crime time: September 25th, 7:00 pm

I am celebrating my 60th birthday. For this criminal occasion, I would like to invite you to the crime scene. I ask that you dress appropriately.

If you have any questions or tips about the crime, please call me by September 12 at the following number: (435)555-0162

A cancellation will only be accepted if a watertight alibi is provided

Referred to: F. Smith

Invitation to the 70th birthday with motto Golden 20s

Greetings, Evan,

I would like to invite you to join me for a roaring 20s birthday party on the occasion of my 70th birthday!

It will take place on May 14th beginning at 4 pm in the (name of location).
Of course, there will be food and cold drinks.

It would be great if you dress up for the occasion and put on a costume. Please let us know by May 7th if you are unable to attend.

I am looking forward to it, old sport!

Thomas

Template for a birthday invitation to the 80th birthday

Text for a birthday invitation to the 80th birthday

"Old minds are like old horses; you must exercise them if you wish to keep them in working order."
(John Adams)

Help me in this by celebrating my birthday with me! I cordially invite you on November 27th from 3:00 pm for coffee at my home. Please contact me if you’re bringing a cake or if you are unable to attend.

Yours,
Peter

Birthday invitation for a kid’s birthday party

Dear Charlotte,

On September 18th, 2020, I will be 8 years old.
I would like to celebrate this with all my friends and invite you to join me.
We will celebrate at my home at 1234 Adams street, (City).

The birthday starts at 2:00 pm and ends at 6:00 pm.
I’m already looking forward to some fun games with you and of course delicious cake, sausages and fries.

Please tell my mom by September 9th at this number: (435)555-0162 if you can not come.
Also feel free to get in touch at that number, if you have any other questions.

I look forward to seeing you!

Emily

Funny kids' birthday invitation text (princess theme)

Greetings Princess Elsa,

Herewith I cordially invite you to my royal court to celebrate a
fairytale ball to celebrate my 9th birthday.

Time & Place:
3:00 pm – 7:00 pm, any street, any city.

Disguise:
Princess dresses, coronets, glitter and wands are encouraged.

Gift Ideas & Cancellations:
Will be managed by my royal chambermaid,
reachable at this number: (435)555-0162.

I look forward to seeing you!

Mary

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