Evening Wedding Invitation Wording: 20 Examples for Evening Guests
An evening invitation says, in its first lines, that the guest is invited to the evening reception, then gives the time to arrive, the venue, what food there will be, the dress code and how to reply. The warmest version: "Eleanor and Samuel would love you to join them for the evening celebrations from 7.30pm." The 20 examples below cover formal, informal, fun, no food, and the day invitation that mentions the evening.
An evening invitation has one job the day invitation does not have: make it clear, kindly and at a glance, that the guest is invited to the party rather than the whole day. Everything else follows from that line.
This guide gives what to include, when to send it, how evening guests reply, and 20 wording examples by tone: formal, informal, fun, with or without food, and the day invitation that mentions the evening.
What an evening invitation needs
| Line | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| "Evening" in the first lines | So nobody plans for the whole day | "to join them for the evening celebrations" |
| Time to arrive | Evening guests should not walk in during the speeches | "from 7.30pm" |
| Venue and address | Often different from the ceremony venue | "The Orangery, Elmwood Hall, Harrogate" |
| Food | So guests eat beforehand, or do not | "An evening buffet will be served" |
| Dress code | Evening guests see the day guests' outfits | "Lounge suits and cocktail dresses" |
| Finish time | For taxis and babysitters | "Carriages at midnight" |
| RSVP | Numbers for the caterer and the venue | "Please reply by 1st April" |
Hotels, taxis, parking and the gift list go on an insert or, on a digital invitation, on their own pages. The card itself stays short.
When to send evening invitations
The usual advice from UK stationers is to send evening invitations at the same time as the day invitations, or within a week of them. Magpie Wedding (updated July 2024) suggests sending both around 12 weeks before the wedding, with replies back 6 to 8 weeks before; Papier's guide (updated October 2026) puts day invitations at two months by post at the latest, and earlier when no save the date went out. The full UK and Irish calendar is in our guide on when to send wedding invitations. The reason for sending both together is social rather than logistical. Evening guests often know day guests. If the day invitations arrive in February and the evening ones in April, the gap is noticed.
A save the date is optional for evening guests. If you send one, write "evening" on it.
How evening guests reply
Give evening guests the same reply date and the same reply method as day guests. On a printed suite that means a reply card or an email address. On a digital invitation, the RSVP is on the invitation, and each household's form shows the people and seats you assigned, so an evening guest replies in a minute and your evening headcount updates on its own.
Ask one extra question if the evening food needs it: dietary requirements, or a simple "will you be eating with us?" if the buffet is counted per head.
20 evening invitation wording examples
The names and places are placeholders. In the UK, the date is written "Saturday 12th June 2027" and times as "7.30pm."
Formal
1. Parents hosting
Mr and Mrs Thomas Whitfield
request the pleasure of your company
at an evening reception
to celebrate the marriage of their daughter
Eleanor
to Mr Samuel Harrington
on Saturday 12th June 2027
from 7.30pm
The Orangery, Elmwood Hall, Harrogate
Carriages at midnight
2. Couple hosting
Eleanor Whitfield and Samuel Harrington
request the pleasure of your company
at their evening reception
on Saturday 12th June 2027
from 7.30pm
The Orangery, Elmwood Hall, Harrogate
RSVP by 1st April
3. Together with their families
Together with their families
Eleanor and Samuel
invite you to join them
for the evening celebrations of their wedding
Saturday 12th June 2027, from 7.30pm
The Orangery, Elmwood Hall, Harrogate
4. Following the ceremony and wedding breakfast
Following their marriage and wedding breakfast,
Eleanor and Samuel
would be delighted if you would join them
for an evening of dancing and celebration
from 7.30pm on Saturday 12th June 2027
The Orangery, Elmwood Hall, Harrogate
5. Formal, with dress code and food
Mr and Mrs Thomas Whitfield
request the pleasure of your company
at the evening reception
following the marriage of Eleanor and Samuel
Saturday 12th June 2027, from 7.30pm
The Orangery, Elmwood Hall, Harrogate
Lounge suits. An evening buffet will be served.
Please reply by 1st April
Informal
6. Plain and warm
Eleanor and Samuel
would love you to join them
for the evening celebrations
Saturday 12th June 2027, from 7.30pm
The Orangery, Elmwood Hall, Harrogate
7. First person
We're getting married on Saturday 12th June 2027,
and we'd love you to celebrate with us in the evening.
Join us from 7.30pm for the first dance, the band and the bar.
The Orangery, Elmwood Hall, Harrogate
Eleanor & Sam
8. The party, not the ceremony
The vows are for the few.
The party is for everyone.
Eleanor and Sam invite you to their evening reception
Saturday 12th June 2027, from 7.30pm
The Orangery, Elmwood Hall, Harrogate
9. With the first dance time
Eleanor and Samuel
invite you to the evening of their wedding day
Saturday 12th June 2027
Doors from 7.30pm, first dance at 8.30pm
The Orangery, Elmwood Hall, Harrogate
Please reply by 1st April
10. Short
Eleanor & Sam
are getting married.
Join them in the evening.
Saturday 12th June 2027, from 7.30pm
The Orangery, Harrogate
Fun
11. Come for the dancing
Eleanor and Sam have done the serious bit.
Now come and dance.
Evening reception, Saturday 12th June 2027, from 7.30pm
The Orangery, Elmwood Hall, Harrogate
12. The important numbers
One wedding. One band. One bar. One midnight.
Join Eleanor and Sam for the evening do
Saturday 12th June 2027, from 7.30pm
The Orangery, Elmwood Hall, Harrogate
13. Honest about the speeches
You are invited to the best part of our wedding:
the part after the speeches.
Eleanor & Sam, Saturday 12th June 2027, from 7.30pm
The Orangery, Elmwood Hall, Harrogate
With food, light bites or no food
14. Evening buffet
Eleanor and Samuel
invite you to their evening reception
Saturday 12th June 2027, from 7.30pm
The Orangery, Elmwood Hall, Harrogate
An evening buffet will be served from 9pm.
15. Light bites only
Eleanor and Samuel
would love you to join them for the evening celebrations
Saturday 12th June 2027, from 7.30pm
The Orangery, Elmwood Hall, Harrogate
Please note that only light nibbles will be served, so do eat beforehand.
16. No food, bar open
Eleanor and Sam
invite you to dance the night away with them
Saturday 12th June 2027, from 8pm
The Orangery, Elmwood Hall, Harrogate
The bar will be open all evening. There will be no evening meal, so please eat before you come.
The day invitation that mentions the evening
17. Day guests, with the evening on the same card
Mr and Mrs Thomas Whitfield
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their daughter Eleanor to Mr Samuel Harrington
at St Wilfrid's Church, Harrogate
on Saturday 12th June 2027 at 2pm
and afterwards at the wedding breakfast and evening reception
The Orangery, Elmwood Hall
Carriages at midnight
18. Day guests, evening guests joining later
Eleanor and Samuel invite you to their wedding
Saturday 12th June 2027
Ceremony at 2pm, St Wilfrid's Church, Harrogate
Wedding breakfast at 4.30pm, The Orangery, Elmwood Hall
Evening guests join us from 7.30pm for dancing
The digital version: the message with the link
19. WhatsApp to an evening guest
Hi Priya, we're getting married on 12th June and we'd love you at the evening do. Your invitation is here: (link). It has the time, the venue and a quick reply form. Could you let us know by 1st April? Eleanor & Sam
20. Evening guests, by group
Hello both, this is your invitation to the evening of our wedding on Saturday 12th June: (link). Everything you need is in there, from the time to arrive to the taxi numbers. Please reply on the invitation by 1st April. Eleanor and Sam
Day guests and evening guests on one digital invitation
The awkward part of evening invitations on paper is that two groups receive two different cards, and the cards must never be mixed up. On our digital invitations, each group of guests receives its own version of the same invitation: day guests see the ceremony, the wedding breakfast and the evening; evening guests see the evening only, with the time to arrive and the evening details. Nothing that does not concern them appears anywhere, and each household replies on its own form.
The wording is yours. The examples above are composed around the lines evening guests look for first: the word "evening," the time, and whether to eat beforehand.
Mistakes to avoid
- Hiding the word "evening." It should be in the first three lines, not in small print at the bottom.
- "Reception to follow" on an evening invitation. Evening guests are not following anything; they are arriving. Use "evening reception" or "evening celebrations."
- No time to arrive. "From 7.30pm" prevents a guest walking in during the father of the bride's speech.
- No word about food. Guests who eat beforehand and find a hog roast are fine. Guests who skip dinner and find crisps are not.
- Sending them later than the day invitations. Send both in the same week.
- A different tone from the day invitation. Same names, same date format, same voice.
For the full structure of a wedding invitation and 100 examples, see our wedding invitation wording guide. For who is named as host and in which order, see the hosting guide; and if the evening is adults only, the 35 ways to say it are in no-kids wedding invitation wording.
Frequently asked questions
What is an evening wedding invitation?
In the UK and Ireland, many couples invite a smaller group to the ceremony and wedding breakfast, and a wider circle to the evening reception. The evening invitation is the card, or the link, that goes to the second group. It should make the "evening" part clear at a glance.
Is it rude to invite someone to the evening only?
No, as long as the invitation is honest about it. Evening guests know the custom; what annoys them is an invitation that hides the fact, or a day invitation that arrives weeks before theirs. Send both at the same time and say "evening" in the first line.
What time do evening guests arrive?
Usually between 7pm and 8pm, after the speeches and before the first dance. Give one time ("from 7.30pm") and, if you like, the time of the first dance so they know what not to miss.
Should evening guests RSVP?
Yes. You need numbers for the evening food and the venue's capacity. Give evening guests the same reply date as day guests, and a reply method that takes a minute.
What do you write if there is no food in the evening?
Say so, kindly, so that guests eat beforehand: "Please note that only light nibbles will be served" or "The bar will be open, but there will be no evening meal." Silence is what causes the complaints.
Do evening guests need to bring a gift?
Etiquette does not require it, and many do not. If you have a gift list or a honeymoon fund, mention it the same way as for day guests, on the website or an insert, never on the invitation card itself.
Can you send an evening save the date?
You can, especially for a summer Saturday. Write "evening" on it, so that nobody keeps the whole day free and then feels demoted when the invitation arrives.
Designs in this guide
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