Wording you can copy and make your own: from the family or a friend, religious and secular, graveside, open-house and virtual.
Finding words is one of the hardest parts of a hard time. These examples are written to be borrowed: choose the one closest to your gathering, copy it, and change the names, dates and places. Each carries what guests quietly need: the person's name and dates, where to come, what will follow, and a gentle way to ask for a reply.
Announcement-register wording from those closest: plain, warm and complete.
The family of Eleanor Grace Whitfield 1941, 2026 invites you to a celebration of her life Saturday, June 20, 2026 at 11:00 AM The Garden Room at Hollis House, Portland, Maine A reception with lunch will follow. Please let us know by June 6 if you can join us.
Together with our children, I invite you to celebrate the life of my husband, Thomas James Delaney 1948, 2026 Sunday, May 17, 2026 at 2:00 PM The Delaney home, 14 Alder Lane, Madison, Wisconsin Stories, music and a shared meal to follow. Please reply by May 3. It will help us plan the afternoon.
Margaret Ellen Hayes 1935, 2026 was laid to rest in a private family service. Please join us now to celebrate her life an afternoon of stories, her favorite music and good company. Saturday, July 11, 2026 at 1:00 PM Lakeview Pavilion, Burlington, Vermont Kindly reply by June 27.
When a friend, colleague or community carries the arranging on the family's behalf, say so. Guests will know whom to answer.
With the blessing of his family, the friends of David Marcus Coleman 1957, 2026 invite you to an evening of remembering him well. Friday, June 5, 2026 at 6:00 PM The Old Mill House, Asheville, North Carolina Supper and stories to follow. Please let us know by May 22 if you can come.
The staff of Fairview Elementary invite you to a gathering in memory of Ruth Ann Calloway teacher, mentor and friend 1950, 2026 Thursday, May 28, 2026 at 4:00 PM The school library, Fairview Elementary, Spokane, Washington Refreshments will be served; memories are welcome. Please reply by May 21.
Match the register of the gathering: scripture and blessing, or plain words said well.
“I am the resurrection and the life.” The family of Joseph Michael Byrne 1939, 2026 invites you to a Mass in celebration of his life Saturday, June 13, 2026 at 10:00 AM St. Brigid’s Church, Hartford, Connecticut followed by a luncheon in the parish hall. Please let us know by May 30 if you will stay for the luncheon.
In gratitude for a life of kindness, the family of Anna Ruth Solomon 1944, 2026 invites you to a service of remembrance Sunday, June 28, 2026 at 3:00 PM The Meeting House, Concord, Massachusetts All faiths, and none, are warmly welcome. Tea to follow. Kindly reply by June 14.
A celebration of the life of Walter Dean Prescott 1946, 2026 Saturday, August 8, 2026 at 2:00 PM The Boathouse at Lake Harriet, Minneapolis, Minnesota His favorite songs, his favorite food, your favorite stories. Bright colors welcome. It is what he asked. Please reply by July 25.
For gatherings in more than one place, or for guests who cannot travel.
The family of Harold James Whitmore 1933, 2026 invites you to a graveside service Friday, May 22, 2026 at 10:00 AM Cedar Hill Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia followed by a reception at the Whitmore family home, 22 Magnolia Street, from 11:30 AM. Please let us know by May 15 which part you can attend.
Wherever you are, you are welcome. The family of Dorothy Mae Ellison 1938, 2026 invites you to a celebration of her life Saturday, June 27, 2026 at 1:00 PM First Congregational Church, Des Moines, Iowa The service will also be streamed for family and friends far away; the link will be shared once you reply. Please respond by June 13, and tell us whether you will join in person or online.
Come as you are, when you can. The family of June Carter Malone 1929, 2026 welcomes you to an open house in her memory Sunday, July 19, 2026, anytime between 2:00 and 6:00 PM The Malone home, 8 Chestnut Court, Boulder, Colorado Photographs, her lemon cake and long conversation. A note by July 12 to say you are coming would be a kindness.
Whichever tone you choose, every celebration of life invitation needs the same bones: who, what, when, where, and when to reply.
The full name and the years (“Eleanor Grace Whitfield, 1941, 2026”) tell a wide circle exactly who is being honored. If everyone knew them by another name, put it in quotation marks where it belongs: “Eleanor ‘Ellie’ Whitfield.”
Traditionally the closest family sends the invitation: “the family of,” a spouse, or the children by name. A friend or colleague can send it on the family's behalf; say so plainly (“with the blessing of his family”), because guests read the sender to know whom to answer and whom to condole.
Close with a signature that tells guests where replies and sympathy should go: “With love, the Whitfield family,” or “On behalf of the family, Martin Hayes.” An unsigned invitation leaves grieving guests guessing at a moment when nothing should need guessing.
Say plainly what to expect (a service, an afternoon of stories, an open house) and whether food will be served. If the family would like guests in bright colors or the person's favorite color rather than black, one line on the invitation spares everyone the wondering.
Ask softly and give it a reason: “Please let us know by June 6 if you can join us. It will help us plan the reception.” A reply-by date about two weeks before the gathering leaves room to arrange food and seating without pressing anyone.
If the family prefers donations, one plain line is the whole etiquette: “In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Association in Eleanor's name.” Name the cause, never suggest an amount, and if flowers are welcome, simply say nothing.
Where the wording goes next: designs, guides and the rest of the library.
Wording etiquette for celebration of life invitations, answered plainly.
Usually the closest family: a spouse, the children, or “the family of.” A close friend, colleague or community group can send it instead when the family asks them to; the invitation should say so plainly, such as “with the blessing of his family,” so guests know who is arranging the day and to whom they should reply.
Three to four weeks before the gathering. A celebration of life is often held one to three months after the death, so there is usually time to choose a date, let faraway family arrange travel, and ask gently for replies about two weeks before the day.
With one plain line near the end of the invitation: “In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to [organization] in [name]'s memory.” Name the cause the person cared about, never mention amounts, and do not list more than one or two organizations. If the family welcomes flowers, the invitation simply says nothing about them.
Use the words that match the gathering. “Funeral” is the formal service held soon after the death; “memorial service” is a service held later, without the casket present; “celebration of life” signals a warmer, less formal gathering of stories and music. Guests take their cues (dress, tone, what to expect) from the term you choose, so choose the honest one. If a graveside service comes first, name both parts.
Put the request on the invitation (“we would be glad of a memory of Ruth you would like shared”) and give guests somewhere unhurried to answer. With HeyVite you can add a question to the reply itself, such as “a story you would be willing to read aloud,” and each answer arrives beside the guest's name, ready for the program and the speakers.
Yes. Family and friends are often scattered, and an online invitation reaches everyone in a day rather than a week, with the details correct and updatable if the plan shifts. Each guest receives a private link, sent by email or shared by the family themselves, and replies gather quietly in one place; nothing about the gathering is public.
Copy an example, make it yours in minutes, and hit send. Every RSVP tracks itself on one live dashboard, and only you ever see the guest list.