7 Chic Dinner Party Invitations for Any Celebration

You have a dinner party coming up, and it’s time to start thinking about how to invite your friends or loved ones. Whatever type of event you’re hosting, the right dinner party invitation can get your guests excited about your menu and the rest of the evening’s celebrations.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to create your own DIY dinner party invites in no time at all — from what to include and to how to make them. We’ll also share some of our favorite dinner party invitation designs for a range of celebrations.

What to Include on Your Dinner Party Invitations

A dinner party is like any other get-together, and there are some things that will always be essential — like the date and time of the party. But other details can be helpful to your guests too. Here’s what you should include on your dinner party invitation cards.

Date and Time

First of all, confirm when your dinner party is taking place. If it’s a big event or a formal dinner, write the date out in full format — including the day of the week. This also applies to the time, and it’s helpful to include a rough range of times so your guests know when the event is likely to end.

Location

Along with the date and time, your beloved guests also need to know where to meet you. Maybe you’re hosting at home or at a friend’s house as part of a monthly dinner club get-together. Or perhaps the gathering is taking place at a restaurant. 

Include the full address of the venue, along with any other details that can help your friends or family members find their way there — like the best public transport route or where nearby parking can be found.

Reason for Celebrating

Sometimes a dinner party is the occasion itself, but these types of events are also wonderful ways to celebrate milestone moments and holidays throughout the year. Let your guests know if there’s an extra special reason you’re gathering together — like a birthday party, an engagement party, or a bachelorette party. Maybe it’s to celebrate a holiday, like New Year’s or Valentine’s Day.

Type of Dinner Party

As well as the reason for hosting, explain your dinner party theme or cuisine so your guests know what to expect. Tell them it’s an outdoor BBQ to celebrate the 4th of July, or a formal dinner in honor of your recent engagement. It could even be a murder mystery dinner where your guests should be prepared for an evening of fun and games.

Dress Code

A dinner party can cover anything from very informal to black tie, so it’s important to let your guests know. For formal dinners, use a clear dress code to signify what your guests should wear. In other instances, you can use words like “relaxed” or “casual” alongside other design and wording elements to let people know they’re welcome to come along in whatever feels comfortable to them.

How to RSVP

Whether it’s a casual get-together or something more formal, be sure your guests know how they should RSVP and by when. Include a line to ask them to RSVP by phone, SMS message, or email — or use Greenvelope to simplify the experience for everyone and enable them to RSVP yes or no in a few clicks.

Any Other Details

Lastly, cover any other details that feel relevant to your specific dinner party. Maybe it’s a combined dinner party and pool party, or maybe it’s a costume party with a theme. Or perhaps you want to ask for menu choices or if anyone has food allergies. You can do this easily with Greenvelope’s online invitations.

How to Create Your Own Dinner Party Invitations

Now that you know what to include, let’s explore how to create dinner party invitations. Luckily, you don’t need to be an artist or download printable invites to get this done. Sending your own personalized dinner party invites is easy with Greenvelope. Here’s how.

1. Choose a Dinner Party Invitation Template

Start by browsing our collection of dinner party invitations. We have a huge range of invites that work for any type of food-related gathering, whether it’s a backyard BBQ or an elegant dinner at an exclusive restaurant.

Take a look through our collection and choose one that feels like a good match for the vibe and style of your party. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect or if you want to change the wording — all that happens in the next step of the process.

2. Customize Your Dinner Party Invites

Once you’ve found an invite you like, it’s time to move on to the fun step — customizing! With our digital invitations, you can customize different parts of the template to create your own bespoke-feel design.

Experiment with the layout, and move the elements around. Try out different fonts until you find one that feels like the perfect match for your party’s atmosphere. Choose from our available color palettes, or work with our design team to bring your own colors to the invitation instead.

It’s not just the design you can change, but all the wording too. Add in your dinner party details, a few lines about why you’re celebrating, or some fun header text to capture your friends’ attention as they open up their email invite.

3. Send or Schedule

After your design is ready, give it a final proofread, and make sure you haven’t forgotten something important. If you’re happy with it, it’s time to hit send or schedule the invite to go out in the future.

If you’re a planner, you’ll love being able to make invites when you’re feeling creative and schedule them to go out at the perfect date and time. If you’re more of a last-minute person, you can have your event invite ready to go and sent in minutes — ideal for when you’re running a bit behind with your plans.

7 Stunning Dinner Party Invitations for Any Occasion

All ready to get started? We have lots of fun, striking, elegant, or whimsical dinner party invites to choose from. There’s something for any type of get-together, whether it’s ultra glam or super cozy.

We’ve chosen these invites from our dinner party collection, but you can use any Greenvelope template and turn it into a delicious dinner invitation. This gives you the flexibility to focus on finding a design you love, and then adjusting the wording to suit the type of event you’re hosting.

To help you get started, here are a handful of our favorite dinner party invites to inspire you.

1. Alfresco Dinner

Design: Paper Raven Co.

This adorable dinner party invitation is wonderful for an outdoor picnic, BBQ, or al fresco dinner party with its gingham-style background and delicate scalloped plate design.

2. Farmhouse Chic Invitation

Design: Jen Montgomery

If you’re hosting a farm-to-table dinner party, this rustic-themed dinner party invite is a great match. It’s styled here for a rehearsal dinner, but it works just as well for any type of celebration.

3. Murder Mystery Invitation

Design: Jen Montgomery

This spooky dinner party invite works well for a murder mystery event. Keep the front side sweet and simple, and include all the event details on the reverse.

4. Bold Watercolor Wash Invitation

Design: M. Taylor Design Co.

We love this watercolor style invitation for an elegant fundraising gala, but it’s equally as suitable for an engagement party, birthday celebration, or milestone anniversary dinner.

5. Foil Plaid Border Invitation

Design: Jessica Williams

Invite everyone along to your holiday party with this festive dinner party invite. The red and green plaid pattern and delicate calligraphy work so well for that time of year.

6. Simple Snapshot Invitation

Design: Shari Margolin Design

Keep things simple with this contemporary dinner party invitation that doubles as a photo card. Include your favorite photo of the guest(s) of honor, alongside the party details and a fun message.

7. Folksy Frame Invitation

Design: 2birdstone

The floral print on this folk-inspired invitation combined with the retro color scheme makes this a great choice for a warm and friendly dinner party.

Make Your Dinner Party Invitations Feel Special

It’s your dinner party and the reason you’re celebrating that’ll take center stage, but the right invitation can help your guests get excited before the big day arrives. Use the above guide to help you create your own dinner party invites that match your upcoming event perfectly.

If you’re sending online invites, find a design you love from our dinner party invitations collection. And once you do, take a moment to personalize it, then send it out to your loved ones.