Celebration of Life Invitation Wording for a Heartfelt Message
Losing a loved one is always difficult. But during this difficult time, you have a choice — you can focus on how unfortunate it was to lose your friend or family member, or you can focus on how fortunate it was to have them with you in the first place.
Hosting a celebration of life instead of a traditional funeral service allows you to remember your loved one in death just as they were in life — full of energy, joy, courage, understanding, and a million other complex emotions that can’t be captured with sadness alone.
When you can’t listen to one more condolence — no matter how well-intentioned the person giving it may be — a celebration of life event is a way to flip the script. Inviting friends and family to this type of service allows you to tell everyone in your invitation wording that instead of shedding tears, the person you’ve lost would want to share smiles. It allows you to ask that your nearest and dearest send memorial cards full of their fondest memories instead of sympathy cards full of regrets.
The right invitation wording will prepare friends and family for a different kind of memorial service. Get ready to ask your invitees to celebrate life, even in the face of loss, with these celebration of life invitation wording ideas.
What to Include in Your Celebration of Life Invitation Wording
Design: Bonjour Berry
At such a momentous time, we can put a lot of pressure on ourselves to get everything right or to say something profound. But when it comes to invitation wording, all you need are the essential details — the who, what, when, and where. We’ll provide inspiration if you want to get more creative, but as long as you include this info on your celebration of life invitation, you’re doing great.
Request for Attendance
This is the part where you actually say “You’re invited.” You don’t have to use those exact words, but you should include wording that makes it clear that this is an invitation, and not just an announcement.
The Type of Service
The type of service is a celebration of life, and simply including these words in place of funeral is enough to set the tone for your event. But a celebration of life service can take many forms.
Some families host a traditional viewing and eulogy, but want the service to have a more celebratory tone. Other families have more unconventional celebration of life ideas, like hosting a party at the deceased’s favorite bar or heading to the bowling alley to play their favorite game.
If you want to include more specifics, this is a good place to do that. But don’t feel the need to over-explain your unconventional ceremony — after all, the location will also set the tone.
Name of the Deceased
Put this front and center on your invitation card so everyone knows that remembering your loved one will be the order of the day.
Deceased’s Date of Birth and Date of Death
While you can leave these dates off, it’s a traditional touch to include them on a memorial service invitation. When you add the dates, it serves as a reminder of the many happy times there are to look back on.
Date and Time of the Service
Let guests know when to join you by clearly stating the date and time. You can do this using numerals for a more modern invitation, or you can write out the date in words for a more formal invite.
Location of the Service
Give the full address of the location where you’ll host your celebration of life party. Whether it’s a funeral home or a favorite place of the deceased, the location alone can tell guests a lot about the type of service they’re attending.
RSVP Instructions
The last thing to include on your invitations is instructions on where and when to RSVP. When you use a digital invitation, you’ll be able track RSVPs automatically online, so you won’t have to answer multiple condolence texts each day.
Creative Celebration of Life Invitation Wording Ideas
Design: Shari Margolin Design (photo courtesy of Alexandra Celia)
If you want to go beyond the basics, you can add a personal touch to your celebration of life invitation wording by including one of these additional elements.
- A photo: This isn’t technically a wording idea, but a photo is worth a thousand words. An image of your loved one during one of their happiest moments can encourage your guests to remember the good times. And with a digital photo card, you can add your favorite snap shot with a single upload.
- A song lyric: If your loved one was always singing along with their favorite tunes, include a meaningful lyric by their favorite artist. It’s a beautiful way to remember them through the things they loved.
- A favorite quote: While quotes are common on traditional funeral programs, they also make a good addition to your invitations, especially if your loved one had a favorite book, poem, movie, or adage they liked.
- A memory: Start inspiring people to think of their favorite memories of the deceased by sharing one of your own. You can fit a shorter memory right on the front of the card or share a longer memory on the backside of your celebration of life or funeral invitation.
But remember, getting creative is completely optional. If it doesn’t come naturally to you, it doesn’t mean that you loved your friend or family member any less.
Put It All Together With These Wording Examples
Design: Shari Margolin Design
Now that you know what to include, let’s put it all together with a few examples. You can use one of these wording ideas as a template when you invite friends and family to your loved one’s celebration of life ceremony — simply swap out the details for your own.
We’ve included examples in a few different tones so you can find the one that your lost loved one would appreciate most.
Formal Invitation Wording
We request the honor of your presence
at a celebration of life ceremony
memorializing the amazing
Caroline Anne Handler
born March fourteenth, nineteen forty-seven
died June first, two thousand twenty-two
The service will take place on
June fifth, two thousand twenty-two
at two o’clock in the afternoon
Memorial Hall Funeral Home
1234 Main Street
St. Louis, MO 12345
RSVP by June third, two thousand twenty-two
Sentimental Invitation Wording
Join us
to celebrate the life of
Thomas Brown
an incredible husband, father, and human
5/22/1954 to 4/18/2022
“You’re simply the best. Better than all the rest.
Better than anyone I’ve ever met.”
Let’s remember this incredible man
by sharing our happiest memories of him
on 5/16/2022 at 11:00 a.m.
Egg and Thyme Cafe
1414 Town Lane
Portland, OR 98765
Brunch will be served.
RSVP to Claire by 8/5/2022
Upbeat Invitation Wording
Jordan Greene
loved a good party!
So let’s make his last party
one to remember.
Join us for a celebration of life
at 6:00 p.m. on 7/2/2022
Carlyle’s Bar
5555 W South Street
Richmond, VA 22333
Bring your favorite memories, photos, and keepsakes
RSVP by 9/25/2022
Make the Final Send-Off a Celebration
Design: Sandra Picco Design LLC
We won’t lie — even at a celebration of life party, you’ll likely shed some tears, but you’ll also laugh, reminisce, and share loving memories with the people who knew your person best. This is the kind of party that your late loved one would’ve actually wanted to attend, and it will leave all of your guests feeling grateful for the time they had with the person they’ve lost.
The most important thing to include in your celebration of life invitation wording is an indication that this memorial service is going to be different from a traditional funeral. From there, you can get creative by adding a favorite quote, song lyric, or memory on your invite.
Start the celebration right there on the invitation. Choose an invitation design that reflects the departed’s personality and acknowledges their end of life by honoring the life they lived.
