An office holiday party invitation should name the company hosting, the date and hours, the venue, who is invited, what the company is providing, and the date to reply by, and a Greenvelope invitation carries all of it on a designed card with the RSVP built in, sent to each employee by email or by text message in supported countries. The seven examples below cover the company parties that come up most often, from an all-staff evening party to a client reception, each with a subject line and a design to pair it with.
Copy any example as it stands, then replace the bracketed details with your own. The December 2026 dates are real, with weekdays to match, and every reply date sits a few days before the kind of final-count deadline a caterer or venue usually sets. This guide is published by Greenvelope.
At a Glance
- Six details carry an office invitation: the host line, the date and hours, the venue, who may come, what the company provides, and the reply date
- Say plainly whether partners and guests are invited; on Greenvelope, the plus-one settings decide how many guests each employee may bring and can require the guest's name with the reply
- Send invitations four to six weeks ahead, and set the reply date a few days before the caterer's or venue's final-count deadline
- Match the tone to the party: a seated dinner reads differently from a desk-side cocoa break, and the examples below are grouped by format
- Write the subject line as carefully as the card, because it is the first thing every employee sees in the inbox
What an Office Holiday Party Invitation Should Say
On a Greenvelope invitation, the details below sit on the card itself, and the reply questions sit on the RSVP page guests open from it. Whatever you send it through, an office invitation answers these questions before anyone has to ask a manager.
| Detail | What to write | Example line |
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| Host | The company, a team, or a named leader | [Company] invites you to |
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| Occasion | What is being celebrated, named to fit the guest list | our annual holiday party |
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| Date and hours | Weekday, date, start and end time | Friday, December 11, 6:30 to 10 p.m. |
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| Location | Venue name and address, or the room on site | [Venue], [Address] |
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| Who is invited | Employees only, partners welcome, or families | Partners and guests are welcome |
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| What is provided | Dinner, drinks, lunch, or snacks | Dinner and drinks are on us |
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| Dress | Only if it differs from a normal workday | Festive attire encouraged |
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| Reply | How and by when | Please reply by Monday, November 30 |
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Two lines save the most follow-up questions: who may come, and whether the party happens during work hours or after them. Leave either out and the replies arrive as questions instead of answers.
Company Holiday Party Invitation Wording Examples
Each example below pairs with a design from Greenvelope's business holiday party invitations, and each design can open from an animated envelope, with the RSVP on the same invitation. The email subject line under each example is a suggestion; keep it short enough to read on a phone.
1. All-staff evening holiday party
For the classic company party at an outside venue, lead with the occasion and state the guest policy and what is covered in one line each.
[Company] invites you to our annual holiday party
Friday, December 11, 6:30 to 10 p.m.
[Venue], [Address]
Dinner, drinks, and music are on us.
Partners and guests are welcome; please include your guest's name when you reply.
Festive attire encouraged.
Please reply by Monday, November 30.
Email subject: You're invited: the [Company] holiday party, December 11
Design pairing: Party People by Lisa Travis, with hand-painted holiday art.
2. Seated holiday dinner with plus-ones and meal choices
A seated dinner needs two things a standing party does not: the guest's name for the seating plan and an entree choice for the kitchen. Ask for both in the reply, and say so on the card.
Please join the [Company] team for our holiday dinner
Saturday, December 12
Cocktails at 6:30 p.m., dinner at 7:30 p.m.
[Venue], [Address]
You are welcome to bring one guest.
When you reply, please tell us your guest's name and an entree for each of you.
Kindly reply by Tuesday, December 1.
Email subject: Holiday dinner, Saturday, December 12: please reply by December 1
Design pairing: Classy Hexagon by Stellax Creative, with a hexagon frame and foil-style accents on a dark background.
3. After-work holiday happy hour
A happy hour invitation should make the time window and the casual tone obvious, so nobody wonders whether dinner is coming.
Close the laptop. The first round is on us.
[Team or Company] holiday happy hour
Thursday, December 10, 5 to 7:30 p.m.
[Bar or Venue], [Address]
Drinks and appetizers provided, with alcohol-free options at the bar.
Come for one drink or stay until close.
Let us know you are coming by Friday, December 4.
Email subject: Holiday happy hour, Thursday after work
Design pairing: Martini or Two by Hooray Creative, with a festive martini illustration.
4. Daytime office holiday lunch
For a party during work hours, say that it is during the workday and how long it runs, so managers can plan coverage.
Take a long lunch on us.
The [Company] holiday lunch
Wednesday, December 16, 12 to 2 p.m.
[Room or floor], [Office location]
Lunch will be provided, with vegetarian options.
Please note any dietary needs when you reply.
Reply by Wednesday, December 9 so we can order enough for everyone.
Email subject: Holiday lunch on the 16th: reply by December 9
Design pairing: Cheerful Cups by Signature Greenvelope, with festive drinks in cups.
5. Office gift exchange or white elephant party
A gift exchange invitation has to carry the rules, or the rules arrive in a dozen reply-all messages. State the gift limit, what counts as a gift, and whether joining the exchange is optional.
Bring a wrapped gift, leave with a better one. Maybe.
The [Team] white elephant gift exchange
Friday, December 18, 3 to 5 p.m.
[Room or floor], [Office location]
Gift limit: [amount]. Funny, useful, or regifted all count.
Joining the exchange is optional, and everyone is welcome at the party.
Please reply by Friday, December 11 and tell us whether you are joining the exchange.
Email subject: White elephant on the 18th: are you in?
Design pairing: White Elephant Gift by Jen Montgomery, made for gift exchange parties.
6. Multi-office or hybrid holiday party
When teams join from several offices or from home, put the time zones on the card and make clear whether the link is for watching along or for full participation. On Greenvelope, the video link goes in the invitation's Virtual Location, with a second location added for the in-person room.
One company, every time zone, one party.
The [Company] holiday celebration
Thursday, December 17
4 p.m. Eastern, 3 p.m. Central, 1 p.m. Pacific
Join us in person at [Office location], or online with the video link in this invitation.
Awards, a toast, and a few surprises. Lunch will be provided in each office beforehand.
Please reply by Thursday, December 10 and tell us whether you will join in person or online.
Email subject: Holiday celebration, December 17: join in person or online
Design pairing: Snowy Winter Foliage by Eve Schultz, with watercolor winter foliage framing an arch.
7. Holiday reception for clients and partners
When clients are on the list, the invitation comes from a named person as well as the company, and it says who the guest may bring.
[Name], [Title], and everyone at [Company]
invite you to a holiday reception for our clients and partners
Tuesday, December 8, 5:30 to 8 p.m.
[Venue], [Address]
Hors d'oeuvres, wine, and a toast to the year.
You are welcome to bring a colleague.
Kindly reply by Tuesday, December 1.
Email subject: An invitation from [Name] at [Company]: holiday reception, December 8
Design pairing: Golden Holiday by Ashley Ottinger, with a simple layout and gold foil-style details.
Lines to Mix and Match
Swap these into any example above when your party needs a different detail.
- Guests: "Employees only, please." / "Partners and guests are welcome." / "Families welcome; please list everyone joining you."
- What is covered: "Dinner and drinks are on us." / "Lunch will be provided." / "Appetizers and a hosted bar until 9 p.m."
- Work hours: "The office closes at 3 p.m. that day so everyone can join." / "This is during the workday; please let your manager know your plans."
- Dress: "Come as you are." / "Festive attire encouraged." / "Ugly sweaters strongly encouraged."
- Getting home: "Rideshare codes will be available at the door." / "Parking is validated at the front desk."
- Reply: "Please reply by [date] so we can give the caterer a final count." / "Please reply even if you cannot make it."
Holiday Party or Christmas Party?
Name the party for what it celebrates and who is invited. "Holiday party" is the usual choice for a company with a mixed guest list, while a team that celebrates Christmas together can call it a Christmas party. The name sets the tone of the wording around it, so choose it first. Our guide to corporate holiday party invitation platforms covers the naming question alongside choosing a platform for a work crowd.
When to Send Office Holiday Party Invitations and Set the Reply Date
Greenvelope invitations can be scheduled, so the card can be ready early and go out on the date you choose. For most office holiday parties, send invitations four to six weeks ahead, which puts December parties in early to mid November. Then work the reply date back from the earliest final-count deadline your caterer or venue sets, leaving a few days to follow up and check answers.
For example, for a party on Friday, December 18, with a caterer's final count due Friday, December 11, set the reply date for Monday, December 7. Our guide to collecting RSVPs for an office holiday party online walks through the full reply workflow, from the first send to the caterer handoff.
Reminder and Follow-Up Wording
On Greenvelope, you can send or schedule RSVP reminder emails to the employees who have not replied, so people who already answered do not get nudged again. This guide's recommendation is a friendly reminder about a week before the reply date and a brief final note on the day itself, then a personal message to anyone still missing.
A quick reminder: the [Company] holiday party is Friday, December 11.
If you have not replied yet, please do by Monday, November 30 so we can give the venue a final count.
Last call for the holiday party headcount.
Replies close today. Please let us know whether you will be there, even if the answer is no.
For employees you only reach by phone, send a short personal text that asks them to reply through the invitation, so every answer lands in the same guest list.
Which Example Fits Your Party
| Your party | Start from | Add these lines |
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| Evening party at a venue | Example 1 | Guest policy, dress, getting home |
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| Seated dinner | Example 2 | Guest name and entree with the reply |
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| After-work drinks | Example 3 | Time window, alcohol-free options |
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| Party during work hours | Example 4 | Workday note, dietary question |
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| Gift exchange | Example 5 | Gift limit, opt-in question |
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| Several offices or remote staff | Example 6 | Time zones, in person or online question |
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| Clients and partners | Example 7 | Named host, colleague policy |
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Sending the Invitation
On Greenvelope, start from a design in the business holiday party collection and edit the wording, or upload your company's finished artwork as a .jpg, .png, or PDF. Add your logo to a design as an image if you want the card branded. Set the plus-one allowance so the reply collects, or requires, each guest's name, and add questions to the RSVP page for entrees, dietary needs, or whether someone is joining a gift exchange. Guests reply from the invitation without creating an account.
Send to each employee by email, or by text message in supported countries, and decide whether employees can see who else is invited; our guide to keeping a holiday party guest list private covers that choice. Single mailings start at $19 for a guest list of up to 20 people, with pricing based on list size and no subscription required, and companies that host events throughout the year can choose an annual membership. Paid accounts start with 500 text messages; additional text messages and optional custom design services cost extra. If the date or venue changes after the invitations go out, our guide to rescheduling a Christmas party after invitations have been sent covers the notice and the reconfirmation.
For more holiday wording, from potlucks to open houses, see our holiday party invitation wording guide, and for other company events, our corporate event invitation wording guide.
Related Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What should an office holiday party invitation say?
On a Greenvelope invitation or any other, name the company hosting, the occasion, the date and hours, the venue, who is invited, what the company is providing, and the date to reply by. Add a dress note only when it differs from a normal workday, and say plainly whether partners and guests are welcome.
How do you word a company holiday party invitation that includes partners?
On Greenvelope, set each employee's plus-one allowance and choose to collect or require the guest's name, then say it on the card with a line such as "Partners and guests are welcome; please include your guest's name when you reply." For a seated dinner, also ask for an entree for each person attending.
How far in advance should you send office holiday party invitations?
Greenvelope invitations can be scheduled ahead, and most office holiday parties are best sent four to six weeks before the date. Set the reply date a few days before the earliest final-count deadline your caterer or venue gives you, so there is time to follow up.
How do you ask employees to RSVP for a holiday party?
Greenvelope puts the RSVP on the invitation itself, so the wording only needs a clear line such as "Please reply by Monday, November 30." You can then send or schedule RSVP reminder emails to the employees who have not replied, and follow up personally with anyone still missing after the reply date.
Should a company call it a holiday party or a Christmas party?
Name the party for what it celebrates and who is invited. Holiday party is the usual choice for a company with a mixed guest list, while a team that celebrates Christmas together can call it a Christmas party.