18th birthday invitation wording: 14 examples for the UK

An 18th is the first party the birthday person hosts as an adult and the last one their parents pay for, which is why the invitation is often written by both. It has to say who is invited (and whether that includes plus-ones), what the arrangement is on drinks, when it ends, and where to reply, in a tone that a grandmother and a sixth-former will both accept. Here are fourteen to copy.

What an 18th birthday invitation needs

• Whose 18th, and the date of the actual birthday if the party is on another day.
• Who is inviting. The birthday person for friends; the parents for family and a formal do.
• Date, start time and finish. Venues have licences and parents have limits. Print the finish.
• Where, with a postcode, and how to get home: last train, taxis, a lift rota.
• Drinks. "There will be a bar", "bring a bottle", "soft drinks and a toast" or nothing at all. Say which; guests' parents will ask.
• Plus-ones. "Bring a plus-one" or "invitations are for the named guest". An 18th at a venue is a numbers game.
• Dress code, if there is one. "Smart", "dress to impress", "fancy dress: the 2000s".
• Gifts, if you have a view. Most 18ths say nothing, which means cash in a card.
• The reply, with a date and the link.

18th birthday invitation wording

1. From the birthday person, house party

I'm turning 18 and the house is mine for the night. Saturday, 19 June from 8pm, 8 Elm Road, Great Missenden. Music, food, a bar for the over-18s. Ends at 1am and I mean it. Reply on the link so I know numbers.

2. From the parents, formal

Amira and Daniel Osei invite you to celebrate the 18th birthday of their son Leo on Saturday, 19 June 2027, 7.30pm until midnight Hawthorne Hall, Hawthorne Lane, Great Missenden HP16 9AA Dinner and dancing · Smart dress RSVP by 5 June

3. From both

Leo is 18 (and his parents are still recovering). Join us all on Saturday, 19 June from 7.30pm at Hawthorne Hall, Great Missenden, for dinner, dancing and a speech nobody asked for. Carriages at midnight. Reply by 5 June.

4. Hired venue, friends only

Leo's 18th. Saturday 19 June, 8pm until 1am, The Barn at Hawthorne Hall, Great Missenden. DJ, food at 9, bar with ID. Invitations are for named guests only; the venue counts heads. Reply on the link by 5 June.

5. Family dinner

Please join us for a family dinner to celebrate Leo's 18th on Sunday, 20 June at 1pm at The Crown, Great Missenden. Grandparents, aunties, uncles and cousins. Reply by 6 June so we can give the restaurant numbers.

6. Surprise

Shh. It's a surprise 18th for Leo on Saturday, 19 June. Be at Hawthorne Hall, Great Missenden by 7.15pm; he arrives at 7.45. Don't post anything, don't tell his sister. Reply on the link by 5 June, and keep it off the group chat.

7. Joint 18th

Leo and Ada both turn 18 this month, so one party, twice the people. Saturday, 19 June, 8pm to 1am, The Barn at Hawthorne Hall. DJ, food, a bar with ID. Plus-ones welcome if you tell us their names. Reply by 5 June.

8. Fancy dress

Leo's 18th: the 2000s. Low-rise jeans, frosted tips, flip phones. Saturday 19 June, 8pm, 8 Elm Road. Prizes for the worst outfit. Ends at 1am. Reply on the link.

9. Daytime do

A garden party for Leo's 18th: Saturday, 19 June, 2 to 7pm, 8 Elm Road, Great Missenden. Barbecue, lawn games, a toast at 5. Family and friends, all ages. Reply by 5 June with your numbers.

10. Bring a bottle

Leo's 18th at ours, Saturday 19 June from 8pm. Food provided; bring a bottle if you're drinking, ID if you look twelve. Finishes at 1am. Taxis from the rank by the station. Reply so we know how many.

11. Short, for the group

Leo's 18th, Sat 19 June, 8pm to 1am, The Barn, Hawthorne Hall, Great Missenden. Food, DJ, bar. Named guests only. Reply here: [link]

12. No gifts

No presents, please. If you insist, a contribution towards Leo's driving lessons, which we will all benefit from.

Lines for the end

13. Getting home

The last train from Great Missenden is at 11.52pm. Taxis can be booked from the venue. Parents collecting: the car park is at the back.

14. Reply

Please reply by 5 June and tell us if you're bringing a plus-one. The venue needs a number, and so do we.

Things to get right

• Drinks and the law. A bar at a hired venue will ask for ID and will not serve the under-18s, which at an 18th is half the room. Say what the arrangement is so nobody is surprised at the door.
• The finish. Venues have licences and neighbours have patience. Print the end time and stick to it.
• Plus-ones. Decide before you send. An 18th at a venue with open plus-ones doubles.
• Two guest lists. Friends get the friend version, family get the parents' version. One page can carry both: each household sees its own note at the top.
• Social media. If you do not want the party on everyone's stories, say so on the invitation. It is the only place that works.

Where the words go

One page carries the invitation, the timings, the venue and a map, the drinks arrangement, the getting-home note and a reply form that asks about plus-ones. Send one link to friends and a different note to family on the same page. The replies come to you, not to the group chat, and you see who has not replied a week before. Our birthday invitation page shows the designs that suit an 18th, and one payment of £40 covers any number of guests.