Invitation Letter : Definition, Types and Steps of Writing

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What happens when you decide to host a party or an event that is larger in the occasion and more formal in nature? It is clearly inconvenient to call all of your guests via phone, but it’s also rude to send them a casual text, considering the formal nature of the event. Besides, by calling them over the phone, you cannot always effectively communicate the necessary details of the program.

That is why you write an invitation letter to formally and politely invite your guests to the occasion that you are hosting and to communicate all the details of the event.

What is an Invitation Letter?

An invitation letter is a letter written by the host of an event to a guest or a group of guests (company, institutions, etc.) for the purpose of inviting them to the event. Invitation letters are mostly written in the formal tone, but depending on the type of the event or the relationship with the guest, they can also be written in a slightly informal tone. Invitation letters are written on the occasion of wedding ceremonies, inauguration ceremonies, business meetings, annual company functions, cultural festivals, etc.

Types of Invitation Letters:

The following types of invitation letters can be written:

Invitation Letter to Attend an Exhibition (sample)
Sales Invitation Letter
Invitation Letter to Attend a Fundraising Event
Business Event Invitation Letter
Birthday Party Invitation Letter
Seasonal Holiday Invitation Letter
Invitation Letter for Visa (sample)
Wedding Invitation Letter
Informal Social Event Invitation Letter
Baby Shower Invitation Letter
Send-off Party Invitation Letter
Invitation Letter to Facilitator
Invitation Letter to Embassy
Invitation Letter to Speaker
Invitation Letter to Join an Organization
Invitation letter to Open a New Account

Steps in writing the letter:

1. If you are writing on behalf of your company, do include the company letterhead at the top, followed by yours and the recipient’s name and address, with the date of sending the letter in between.

[Company Letterhead] (if written on behalf of the company)

[Your Name]

[Your Address]

Date:

[Recipient’s Name]

[Recipients Address]

2. Add a subject line that describes the nature of the event in a nutshell, for example, “Letter of invitation to the Inauguration Ceremony of ABC”.

3. A proper salutation is crucial to writing an invitation letter. It is important to address your guests with due respect and courtesy.

4. Begin the letter by expressing your pleasure in inviting your guests to the occasion. You can use a few common phrases used for invitations, such as:

“We have the pleasure of inviting you to…”
“We are pleased to invite you to …”

etc.

5. Include and highlight all the necessary details of the event such as time and location of the event in the very first paragraph, so that the guests do not have to glance the entire letter every time they need to revisit the information.

6. In the second paragraph, describe the purpose of holding the event. Keep in mind that invitation letters are a kind of persuasive letters where you attempt to convince your guests to attend your program. Tell them why they are expected at the function.

7. If there are any special instructions that you would like to communicate, convey those in the third paragraph. The instructions can be regarding dress code, bringing children or family members to the occasion, carrying the invitation card, etc.

8. For certain programs such as cultural programs or annual sports ceremony, you may need to include the event schedule of the program as well.

Finally, close the letter by saying you look forward to meeting them at the event. If you need to confirm the guest’s attendance, ask him or her politely to let you know whether they would be able to attend.

A few tips to remember:

Your guests and visitors would really appreciate it if you sent them personalized letters. In order to do that, you can segment your audience based on your relationship with them and other factors. You can give them the impression that you wrote the letter especially for them.

You may use decorated fonts and papers if you are sending out invitations for a social event such as birthday parties, wedding ceremonies, etc. But if the event is a formal one, use more standard styles.

Check thoroughly for grammar and spelling mistakes. In other kinds of letters, these are usually excused. But in an invitation letter, these mistakes can be quite embarrassing.

Formal or informal, maintain a polite tone throughout the letter.