I was sitting at my desk this afternoon when I received a text from a professional colleague at 3:45. He said
(some titles and names taken out) and I loosely quote
“If free please come to XYZ place tonite. It’s a Sports bar On King Street I’m a partner in. Vip is 5-7, sorry you are like the 10th person I realized I hadn’t heard from! F&*K Evite.”
My immediate response was sorry I was booked at that time and I had never had issues with Evite before unless for some reason I wasn’t on the list or the list had not been checked by someone. So to receive an oh shit text at 3:45 was a bit annoying to me. I got to thinking I wonder if there is just a lapse of knowledge when it comes down to when to properly send out invitations and what the protocol is. So with that said, below are some helpful hints when planning a party or event to keep this social snafu from happening to you.
There are some things that all invitations should include. You’ll want to let your guests know the purpose of the event (if there is one), the time (start and end), the place, special instructions (for example, costume party), and style (formal or casual).
- Whether or not your guest may bring someone else
- Special instructions specific to the event (i.e., flashlight for a children’s nighttime spotlight tag game)
- If it’s a children’s party, whether or not you want the parents to stick around or drop off their child
- Type of food being served in case of allergies
- Request for allergy or food sensitivity information
- Dress Code
Suggested Timing For Invites:
Anniversary Party: 3-6 weeks
Bar or Bat Mitzvah: 1 month
Bon Voyage Party: last minute to 3 weeks
Casual Party: 1 to 2 weeks
Charity Ball: 6 weeks to 3 months
Christmas Party: 1 month
Cocktail Party: 1 to 4 weeks
Debutante Party: 6 weeks to 3 months
Formal Dinner: 3 to 6 weeks
Graduation Party: 3 weeks
Housewarming Party: a few days to 3 weeks
Informal Dinner: A few days to 3 weeks
Lunch or Tea: a few days to 2 weeks
Holiday Dinner: 2 weeks to 2 months
Timing is everything and don’t be a bad host. Get those invites out on time.
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