Celebration of Life Invitation Wording: 25 Examples to Copy

A celebration of life invitation needs six things: the person's name, the date, the start and end time, the place, one line about the tone, and how to reply. One warm sentence about who they were is enough. You are not writing an obituary, and nobody has ever declined an invitation because the wording was too plain.

Below are 25 examples you can copy and change, grouped by who died and what kind of gathering you are holding. Every one of them has been written to be read on a phone screen, because that is where most of them will be read.

What do you write on a celebration of life invitation?

Work through these six lines in order and the invitation writes itself.

1. Their full name, and the name people actually called them: "Robert ‘Bob’ Hanley."
2. What the day is. "A celebration of life," "a gathering," "an afternoon in memory of." Pick the word that matches the room you have booked.
3. Date, start time, and end time. The end time is a kindness. It tells guests who do not know when to leave, and it protects a family who will be exhausted by hour three.
4. The venue and its full address, plus one parking note if parking is genuinely awkward.
5. One tone line. "Wear colour." "Bring a story." "Food and coffee after." This is the line that tells people what kind of day it is.
6. How to reply, and to whom. A first name and a phone number beats "RSVP" alone, because it tells guests they will be texting a person rather than a family in crisis.

Two things to leave off: the cause of death, and any instruction about how people should feel. "No tears, only smiles" is written with love and lands as an order.

Celebration of life invitation wording examples

These are the general-purpose versions. Swap the names and details straight in.

You are warmly invited to a celebration of the life of Margaret Ellen Shaw. Saturday 4 October, 2–4pm, The Old Boathouse, 14 Bell Lane, Rye. Coffee, cake, and stories about Margaret. Please text Ruth on 07700 900123 so we can count cups.

In memory of James Patrick O'Neill, 1948–2026. Please join us on Sunday 12 October at 1pm at the Hill Road Community Hall for an afternoon of food, music, and the kind of stories Jim told best. All are welcome. No need to reply, just come.

We are having a small gathering for Dad. Saturday 27 September, 3–6pm, at the house, 22 Ashfield Road. Come when you can, leave when you need to. Wear whatever you would wear to see him.

A celebration of the life of Dr Anne Marie Doyle. Friday 3 October, 11am–1pm, St Brigid's Parish Hall, Kilkenny. Refreshments served. In place of flowers, the family asks for a donation to the Irish Cancer Society.

Come and help us remember Tom. Saturday 18 October, from 2pm, The Anchor, 8 Quay Street. First round is on Tom, as he would have insisted. Bring one story you are willing to say out loud.

Wording for a mother or a father

The thing that makes these land is using their name, not only their role. "Our mother, Anne" says more than "our beloved mother."

We are gathering to celebrate the life of our mother, Anne Marie Doyle. Saturday 4 October, 2–4pm, 14 Bell Lane. Bring a story about her, and an appetite — we are making her lemon cake. No black required.

Mum would have hated a fuss, so we are having tea and far too much cake instead. In memory of Patricia Hall. Sunday 19 October, 3pm, at the house. Come as you are.

Please join us in celebrating our father, Robert "Bob" Hanley — joiner, terrible golfer, excellent grandfather. Saturday 11 October, 1–4pm, Elmwood Golf Club. Wear something with colour in it. He never once wore a suit willingly.

A celebration of the life of my dad, Michael Grant. Saturday 25 October, 2pm, Riverside Park bandstand (weather permitting; the Red Lion if not). Flat shoes, the grass is uneven. Kids and dogs welcome, as they always were with him.

In loving memory of our mother and grandmother, Elizabeth Ward, 1939–2026. Memorial gathering Saturday 8 November, 11am, Holy Trinity Church Hall, followed by lunch. Please RSVP to Sarah on 07700 900456 by 1 November.

Wording for a spouse, partner, or friend

I would like to invite you to a celebration of the life of my husband, David Chen. Saturday 4 October, 4–7pm, at our home, 31 Maple Drive. David liked a full house and a loud kitchen. Please bring both.

A gathering in memory of my wife, Helena Voss. Sunday 5 October, 2–4pm, at the Sailing Club. Wear blue if you have it. Stories very welcome; speeches not required.

Celebrating Danny. Friday 10 October, 7pm, at the studio on Carlton Road. Music, photographs, and a room full of the people he collected. Bring a track for the playlist — text it to Alex on 07700 900789.

Casual, potluck, and at-home wording

If you are asking guests to bring something, ask for something specific. "Bring a dish" produces nine bowls of pasta salad.

Potluck celebration of life for Grandma Rose. Saturday 18 October, 12–3pm, at the farmhouse. Bring a dish to share if you would like to — dessert, salad, or anything Rose would have gone back for twice. Text Mary on 07700 900321 so we are not all bringing potato salad.

An open house in memory of Frank. Sunday 26 October, any time between 1 and 5pm, 9 Newton Close. Drop in for ten minutes or stay all afternoon. Tea is on, the door is open, no need to reply.

Backyard celebration of life for Leo. Saturday 1 November, 3pm until dark, at 44 Orchard Way. Fire pit, folding chairs, his playlist on far too loud. Bring a blanket and something to grill.

We are scattering Nan's ashes at the beach on Saturday 11 October at 4pm, at the Chapel Bay steps, and having chips afterwards at the Harbour Cafe. You are very welcome to join us for either or both.

Text message and email invitation wording

Most celebrations of life are now invited by message, and there is nothing lesser about it. Keep it to one screen, put the details on their own lines, and send it to one person at a time rather than a group thread where forty replies will bury the address.

Hi Sam — we are having a celebration of life for Dad on Saturday 4 October, 2–4pm, at the Old Boathouse, 14 Bell Lane, Rye. Food and coffee, no dress code. It would mean a lot to us if you came. Let me know either way, no pressure at all.

Hello everyone. We are gathering to remember Mum on Sunday 12 October at 1pm at the Hill Road Hall. Bring a photograph if you have one — we are filling a table with them. Reply to this message if you can make it, and please pass it on to anyone I have missed.

A date for your diary: celebration of life for Tom Whelan, Saturday 18 October from 2pm at The Anchor, 8 Quay Street. More details to follow. Sharing this widely is fine — he knew everyone.

Formal and religious wording

The family of Elizabeth Anne Carter request the pleasure of your company at a memorial service celebrating her life. Saturday 8 November, 11 o'clock, St Mary's Church, Ludlow, followed by refreshments in the parish rooms. RSVP by 1 November to the address below.

"Well done, good and faithful servant." In thanksgiving for the life of George Alan Pike, 1941–2026. Service of remembrance, Friday 17 October, 2pm, Trinity Methodist Church, followed by tea in the hall. All are warmly welcome.

You are invited to a memorial gathering in honour of Yusuf Rahman. Saturday 25 October, 3–5pm, at the Community Centre, Park Road. Light refreshments will be served. The family thanks you for your prayers and your kindness.

If the day will include a printed order of service alongside the invitation, our one-week planning guide covers what to print and when to send it to the printer.

Should you say "invited" or "welcome"?

Use "you are warmly invited" when there is a guest list and you want replies, so you can count chairs and cups. Use "all are welcome" when the gathering is open and you would rather thirty extra people came than one person stayed home wondering if they should. "All are welcome" also quietly says no reply is needed, which removes a small task from everyone's day.

For a family-only gathering, say so plainly and kindly: "A small family gathering will be held privately. A larger celebration of Dad's life will follow in the spring." That one sentence prevents a great deal of hurt.

When to send it

Two to three weeks ahead is ideal when the date is flexible, which it usually is — a celebration of life is not bound to the funeral timetable and can sit weeks or months after the death. If the gathering is days away, message people today and print a card afterwards only if you want a keepsake. Speed matters more than paper.

Send a short reminder the day before with the address and the start time again. People lose messages, and nobody wants to text a grieving family to ask where the hall is.

What to skip

• The cause of death. It belongs in an obituary, if anywhere.
• "No tears" or "no black" phrased as a rule rather than an offer. "Wear colour if you would like to" does the same job without asking people to perform.
• A long tribute paragraph. Save it for the eulogy, where it belongs and where people can hear it.
• Making the closest family member the RSVP contact. Give that job to a cousin, a friend, or a neighbour.

If you are also writing the tribute for the day, our step-by-step guide to writing a eulogy covers the outline and the length. For what to actually do on the day, see our 30 celebration of life ideas, and if you are still deciding what shape the day should take, celebration of life vs funeral lays out the difference in tone, timing, and attire.

And when guests reply and do not know what to write back to you, they are not failing. Our guide to what to say when someone dies is worth passing on to anyone who asks how they can help.