Module 8
Level AB1
Lecture 3
Invitations
In business correspondence invitations are very widespread. You may need to
send a formal invitation letter on many occasions. You may want to invite the
dignitaries of your area for a social function; you may wish to invite your clients
for a function at your workplace; you may need to invite your business associates
to a social gathering or you may even need to invite foreign delegates to your
office. The contents of formal invitation letters may vary depending on the kind of
occasion and the type of people to be invited. But the formal nature of the letters,
the way of putting up the invitation is similar in some way or the other. Look at
some tips on writing a formal invitation letter.
While writing a formal invitation letter, do not forget to include your/the
host's name, the name of the guest, the address for reply and the details of the
function.
Mention your name if you are the host or the host's name if you are writing on
someone's behalf. As the letter of invitation is a formal one, you need to make an
official address to your invitees. Mention their names along with their
designations.
The most important part is the body of the invitation letter. It is important to
start the letter with a brief preamble to the actual reason of invitation. A fairly
elaborate description of the occasion should follow the preamble. Mention the
details of the venue and the date and timings of the function. Make a mention of
the reason to invite. While keeping the letter formal, express your pleasure in
inviting them. Express your urge to invite the guests for the function and let the
invitees feel that they should grace the occasion by attending it.
On some occasions you may expect certain questions from your guests. In
such cases, add a line about saying that any queries or doubts from their side would
be welcome and make sure you actually answer them in case your invitees come
up with any queries.
At times, you may want to include a special form for reply with the invitation
letter. It may be in the form of a confirmation in some cases or the reply may also
require the guests to post their arrival details or use the typical R.S.V.P
(=Response card enclosed).
End the formal invitation letter with your name and designation as also the
details of the formal host of the function. The most important thing in a formal
letter is to thank the receiver of the letter. Thank the guests in advance anticipating
that they have accepted your invitation.
Throughout your formal invitation letter, remember to be polite to your
invitees. Do not appear to be feeling compelled to invite them. Rather, make your
letter a heartfelt and humble request to your guests to be there to grace the
occasion.
Usually official invitation requires a formal reply. The person sending the
invitation would like you to tell him or her whether you accept or decline the
invitation. That is, will you be coming to the event or not? Etiquette rules followed
in most Western cultures require that if you receive a formal, written invitation,
you should reply promptly, perhaps that same day. For hosts who are planning a
dinner party, a wedding or a reception, this is important from a practical point of
view, because they need to know how many people to count on and how much
food and drink to buy. More important, though, is the simple courtesy of
responding to someone who was nice enough to invite you, even if it is to say that
you regret that you will not be able to attend.
Invitation may contain a separate response card enclosed. In case the
invitation is sent without separate response card the address and telephone number
of the person handling replies should be written or R.S.V.P. information should be
listed.
R.S.V.P. stands for a French phrase, "répondez, s'il vous plaît," which means
"please reply." In informal invitations phrase “regrets only” is often used in cases
when you ask the guests to reply only if they can not accept the invitation.
In case you ask the invitee to participate in the event (for example to give a
talk or presentation) you should include a special request and the cut off date until
he or she should give the answer confirming the attendance.
Details you need to include on your invitation:
Who the party is for/the guest of honor
Who is hosting the event
What the party is for (birthday, reception, presentation etc.)
When (day, date and time)
Where (location with address)
If there is a dress code or the guests need to arrive on time or bring anything
If the guests need to respond by a certain date
Formal invitation guidelines.
Components of an invitation:
• The purpose of the event should be clearly stated in small type at the top lefthand corner of the invitation or in the middle of the body of the invitation.
(Examples: In honor of, to commemorate the anniversary of, The ribbon cutting
for, To meet, To announce, To congratulate, To celebrate.)
• Invitations come from people, not entities. It is correct to say, “The Board of
Trustees of … .” because the board is made up of people. It is incorrect to say,
“Major State University requests the pleasure of your company.”
• All formal invitations are worded in the third person (and their acceptances and
regrets are answered in the same form and by hand).
The 10 basic elements of an invitation:
1. Place your company’s logo and address at the top.
2. List the name(s) of the host(s), using the host's full name. Omit honorifics
such as Dr., Mr., Mrs. and Ms. unless the person holds an official rank. The
host's title goes on a line beneath the host's name. When there are multiple
hosts, the most senior person's name is listed first. The exception to this rule
is for the president and spouse (i.e., "President and Mrs. Andrew
Westmoreland," no title beneath).
Be consistent about the use of honorifics and the format of names. Examples:
Sumter A. Moore, Jr.
President
and
Charles P. Jones
Director of Athletics
request the pleasure of your company
3. List the event, such as "dinner," a reception" or "lunch."
4. Give the purpose of the event (i.e., "in honor of..."). Guests need to know
exactly what you're inviting them to and what the purpose of the gathering
is. This is the part of the invitation where you acknowledge the guest of
honor also. This section may go something like this: "…at a cocktail party in
honor of Margaret Simpson's retirement from General Electric after 50 years
of service."
5. Give the date.
6. Write out the time (i.e., "at seven o'clock"). Add "in the morning," "in the
afternoon" or "in the evening" if the event title doesn't give an indication. It
would be unnecessary to list "in the evening" if the event is a dinner, for
example.
7. Give the location, including street address. For in-office event, state the
room within the building and the building name. For an off-office property,
state the full name, street address and city. Addresses should be written out
unless the number cannot be written in a few words: “Thirty-one Hill Street”
but “1310 Hill Street.” Avoid using any numerals other than phone numbers.
8. List any special instructions, such as "map enclosed." or provide with the
information about dress code. (Please, note that this is a black-tie event)
9. Request a response. Formal parties require more planning than casual gettogethers, so a response to the invitation is crucial. Depending on the size of
the event and the needs of your caterer, you may choose to ask guests to
respond only if they won't be attending. For detailed responses like the
number of people and their dinner choice, you can include a response card.
Otherwise, a statement such as "The courtesy of a response is requested by
August 27" or the less formal "RSVP by August 27" will do.
There are three main types of invitations: formal invitation, informal
invitation and invitation card,
The sample letter (informal style) was written to invite the letter reader to
dinner. The letter writer clearly explains who is making the invitation and spells
out the details in the letter. She closes by asking the letter reader to call her office
to confirm her attendance.
Here is the example of invitation:
Barney&Smor Publishing
415 Washington • Boise, ID 83805
555-8800
June 19th, 2010
Ms. Lois T. Kemper
Kemper Lifestyles, Inc.
232 Scituate Road
Brookline, New Hampshire 21234
Dear Lois:
Time, Date and
Place of Event
Mark Nilton, the president of Barney&Smor Publishing,
Inc., joins with me in inviting you and Jacob to cocktails and
dinner at 6 P.M. on Wednesday, June 30, 2010, at the House of
Fine Foods Inn, 23 Berkely Street, Boston, Massachusetts.
Request
While the evening will be principally social, I do expect
that Mark will have some informal remarks to make after dinner
on a topic of interest to the gathering. We anticipate about 30
good friends of the company joining us for the evening.
Close
I hope you will be able to attend. Please call my office to
indicate if you plan to join us. I look forward to seeing you that
evening.
Yours truly,
Lisa T. Gray
Editor
Formal Invitation Sample
J. Bradley Creed
Provost and Executive Vice President
Requests the pleasure of your company
At dinner
In honor of Walter Isaacson
Friday, the twelfth of February
At seven o'clock
In the Grand Ballroom
The Club
One Robert Smith Drive
Homewood
Map enclosed
R.S.V.P. Office of University Relations
(205) 726-2807
Semiformal Invitation Sample
President and Mrs. Andrew Westmoreland
Cordially invite you
To dinner
To welcome the university's new provost
Friday, February 12
At 7 p.m.
In the Flag Colonnade
Ralph Waldo Beeson University Center
Response card enclosed
A formal invitation should always be answered promptly with a very brief
(one or two sentences) written response which pays careful attention to detail.
Keep in mind that the format of the acceptance should mirror that of the invitation.
For example, if the invitation is centered on the page, the acceptance should be
also. Begin the acceptance by using the third person.
There are different alternatives of response to invitations:
1) Accept the invitation, 7
2) Turn down the invitation
If you accept the invitation confirm you sincere desire to attend the
gathering/event. In case you have to decline the invitation do it appropriately
expressing your regrets that you could not accept it.
Here are samples of a) accepting invitation; b) declining invitation due to a prior
commitment (both are formal)
a)
October 15, 200X
Margaret Woodrow/Senior architect
IT’S Global/Soft Inc.
Hampton Road 57-5
Hampton, NH, RT 763 FY
Dear Mr. Johnson:
Dr. and Mrs. John McDonald are pleased to accept the Winchester Corporation's
kind invitation to attend the dinner dance at the Alexandria Hotel on Saturday,
September 12.
Yours sincerely,
b)
Dear Mrs. Jason:
Mr. and Mrs. Alex Longman thank the Management Team of the Winchester
Corporation for the kind invitation to attend the dinner dance honoring William R.
Chesterfield on September 12, but regret that they are unable to attend due to a
prior commitment.
Sincerely,
Language for writing invitations:
Opening
1. We are planning/giving/having….at….on…
2. Our company is now planning a small cocktail party in our office from 8 to
around 10 p.m. on August 29 th.
Main body
Extending the invitation.
Formal:
1. The honor of your presence is requested.
2. Request(s) the pleasure of your company at….
3. Request(s) the honor of your company (for very high-ranking or distinguished
people)
4. We would/should be (very) pleased/glad/delighted/happy if you could….
5. We should be very pleased if you could honor us with you presence.
Less formal:
1. Cordially invite(s) you to
2. Please join us
3. Invites you to join us
4. Would you please…
5. Would you please do me a favor by joining a party?
6. We would be delighted if you could find the time to join us for a small party we
are having at our office in London to celebrate the end of the financial year.
Purpose of the invitation
Formal
1. In honor of…
2. In honor of the 1998 President's Scholars
3.… at a cocktail party in honor of Margaret Simpson's retirement from General
Electric after 50 years of service
4. To commemorate the anniversary of…
5. The ribbon cutting for…
6. To meet…
7. To announce…
8. To congratulate…
9. To celebrate…
10. To welcome …
Less formal - to kick off…
Time and date
Only the day and month are capitalized.
Formal invitation
On the fifth day of September, two thousand seven, at eight o'clock in the evening.
Friday, the twelfth of February.
Less formal
Friday, February 12.
Time
In formal invitations, use words instead of numbers to indicate time:






at nine o’clock
at half past six o’clock,
at quarter past seven o'clock
six-thirty o’clock
From six-thirty to eight-thirty o’clock.
Noon is indicated as “noon” or “twelve o’clock.”
Requesting a response.
Formal
1. The courtesy of a response is requested by August 27.
2. Please confirm your participation at your earliest convenience.
Less formal
1. Please let me know/confirm…
2. Please let me know as soon as possible if you can come and tell me when you
will be able to do so.
3. RSVP by August 27.
Informal
Regrets only
End the invitation
Formal
1. I am highly honored to have you as my guest.
2. We sincerely hope you can attend.
Less formal
1. Looking forward to see you…
2. We hope you are not too busy to come…
Responding to invitations
Accepting the invitation
Formal
1. Thank you for the invitation to visit your company…
2. I was really pleased to receive your invitation…
3. I would be very interested to visit your company (the conference) –…
4. I have heard too much about your new technology of …
Informal
1. Thank you for inviting me.
2. We are delighted to accept your invitation to accompany you….
3. I would be delighted to take part in…
4. I will be available on May 19 if this is convenient for …
Declining the invitation
Formal
Mr. and Mrs. ……. thank the Management Team of the ……… for the kind
invitation to attend the dinner ………… on September XX, but regret that they are
unable to attend due to a prior commitment.
Less formal
1. Unfortunately, though, I am slated to attend a …….. Convention in Chicago
that weekend.
2. If circumstances had been otherwise, I would have welcomed the
opportunity to come to … I hope that you will find a suitable substitute for
the seminar…
3. You flatter me by asking my participation as an author in your forthcoming
journal. I regret, however, that I will be unable to accept.
4. I am so sorry to tell you that Mary and I will be out of town during the dates
of your weekend event.
5. Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend.
6. I would be very glad to attend the conference but, unfortunately, I will not
be free…
7. Thank you very much for your invitation but, unfortunately, I will not be
able to accept it – I will be on a business trip in Moscow.
Invitations glossary
1.
2.
3.
4.
Dignitary – высокопоставленное лицо, сановник,
To invite somebody for a social function - пригласить на вечер, прием;
Business associate - коллега, партнер
Social gathering – собрание, встреча
5. On someone's behalf – от лица кого-либо
6. Occasion – случай
7. On many occasions – часто
8. On the occasion of – по случаю ….
9. To be dressed for the occasion – быть одетым соответственно событию
10.Profit by the occasion - воспользоваться шансом
11. Venue – место сбора, встречи, соревнований
12.Invitee – гость, приглашенный
13.To grace- удостаивать, награждать
14.Grace the meeting with his presence – удостоил событие своим
присутствием
15.Host of the function – хозяин вечера, приема
16.To anticipate –предвидеть, опережать, предчувствовать
17.To compel to - заставлять, принуждать
18.Courtesy - вежливость, учтивость, любезность
19.Response card – карточка ответа на приглашение
20.To issue an invitation – выпустить приглашение
21.A cutoff date for a reply – дата, когда ответы уже не принимаются
22.To kick off – начинать
23.Entity – организация
24.Honorifics – почтительное обращение, форма вежливости
25. Official rank – звание, чин, служебное положение
26.Consistent – последовательный
27.To acknowledge the guest of honor – представить почетного гостя
28.Notation условные знаки, условный алфавит
29.To facilitate облегчать; содействовать; способствовать; помогать,
продвигать
30.To accept the invitation – принять приглашение
31.To turn down / decline the invitation – отклонить приглашение
32.A prior commitment предыдущая договоренность
33.Benefit dinner – благотворительный ужин
34.To take part in – принимать участие в
35.Convention- собрание, съезд
36. To attend – посещать
37.To confirm one’s attendance – подтвердить посещение
38.To spell out the details - разъяснять
39.To slate - назначать, намечать, планировать.
40.Humble request - скромная просьба
41.Desperate / urgent request — настоятельная просьба
42.Informal request — неформальная просьба
43.Moderate / modest request — скромная просьба
44.To act / play as host — принимать гостей
45.To draw / elicit a reply — вытягивать ответ
46.To give / make a reply — отвечать
47.To send a reply — посылать ответ, отвечать
48.To handle a reply – иметь дело с ответами
49.To bring / do honour to smb. — приносить славу кому-л.
50.To give a reception in smb.'s honour — давать приём в чью-л. честь
51.To have the honour — иметь честь
52.Function- торжественная церемония, вечер, приём
53.Annual function — ежегодный приём
54.Social / public function — званый вечер, приём
55.To attend a function — посещать приём
56.Invitee- приглашённый
57.Dress suit — парадный, выходной костюм
58.Dress occasion — официальный приём
59.Tailcoat – фрак
60.Black-tie - официальный, требующий бабочки и смокинга (о
мероприятии)
61.Black-tie reception — официальный приём