A New Year's Eve dinner party invitation needs more timing detail than a party invite: when to arrive, when you sit down and whether guests stay for midnight. Add the address, seat count, dress code, what to bring and an RSVP date about a week before December 31. Below: 30 examples, timing, menu lines and four video designs.
Use these lines as the message you send with your invitation link, or as the script for your 15-second video message. If you'd rather start from a finished design, browse our New Year's Eve invitations.
What to Include on a New Year's Eve Dinner Invitation
A dinner has a fixed point in the evening, the moment food hits the table, and guests plan their night around it. December 31, 2026 is a Thursday, so many people will come straight from work. Spell out:
- Arrival time and dinner time as two separate times: "Drinks at 7:30, dinner at 8:30."
- Whether the night runs to midnight, or ends after dessert for guests who have a party to get to.
- The address, parking, and building or gate codes.
- How many seats, if it matters: "dinner for eight" tells people this isn't a drop-in.
- Dress code, especially for black and gold or anything dressier than usual.
- What to bring: a bottle, a dessert, or nothing at all.
- Dietary needs: ask people to mention allergies or restrictions when they reply.
- Who's invited: partners, kids, and whether a plus-one is welcome.
- An RSVP date, ideally December 22 to 24, so you can shop for the right number.
For party-style invitations without a sit-down meal, our New Year's Eve invitation wording guide has lines for open houses, office events and funny invites. This page stays with dinner.
Quick Picks by Type of Dinner
| Dinner | Tone | One line to start with | Template that fits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small dinner at home | Warm | "Eight chairs, one long dinner, one last toast to 2026." | Burgundy Rose Table New Year |
| Formal or black tie | Elegant | "The pleasure of your company is requested at dinner on New Year's Eve." | Lace Keepsake New Year |
| Dinner, then the countdown | Festive | "Dinner at eight, dessert at midnight." | Velvet Cherry Cake New Year |
| Restaurant or bistro-style | Relaxed | "We booked the table. You bring the appetite." | Paris Cafe Terrace New Year |
Wording for a Small Dinner at Home
Six to ten people around one table is the classic New Year's Eve dinner party. The invitation can be personal, but it should still say that dinner starts at a set time.
Casual
Short version
NYE dinner at ours: Thu Dec 31, drinks 7:30, dinner 8:30, toast at midnight. Can you make it? Let us know by the 22nd.
Full version
Let's end 2026 around the table.
New Year's Eve dinner at [names]'
Thursday, December 31 · Drinks at 7:30 p.m., dinner at 8:30
[address]
Bring a bottle if you like; everything else is on us.
Please reply by December 22 and tell us about any allergies.
Warm and personal
Eight chairs, one long dinner, one last toast to 2026.
We'd love you to be at our table this New Year's Eve.
Thursday, December 31, 8 p.m. · [address]
Stay for midnight, or slip off after dessert. Either is fine.
RSVP by December 23.
This year we're staying in and cooking for the people we like most.
Dinner on New Year's Eve, 8 p.m., four courses and no rush.
Reply by the 22nd so we know how many to shop for.
Candlelit and a little dressy
Candles lit, table set, glasses ready.
Please join us for a New Year's Eve dinner party
Thursday, December 31, 2026 · 7:30 p.m.
[address] · Dress: something festive
Kindly reply by December 21.
Say it in your 15-second video message: "We're cooking New Year's Eve dinner and we'd love you at the table. Drinks at seven-thirty, dinner at eight-thirty, and a toast at midnight. Let us know by the twenty-second!"
Formal and Black-Tie Dinner Wording
A formal dinner needs a named host, exact times, a dress code and a firm reply date. Our guide to elegant New Year's Eve invitations goes deeper on black-and-gold design and running order. Here is the wording.
Traditional
[Host names]
request the pleasure of your company
at a New Year's Eve dinner
Thursday, the thirty-first of December, two thousand twenty-six
Cocktails at seven o'clock · Dinner at eight o'clock
[address] · Black tie
The favor of a reply is requested by the fifteenth of December.
Modern formal
Please join us for a seated New Year's Eve dinner.
Thursday, December 31 · Champagne at 7 p.m., dinner at 8 p.m.
[venue or address]
Black tie optional. Kindly reply by December 15 and note any dietary requirements.
A dinner to close the year.
Five courses, paired wines and a toast at midnight.
Thursday, December 31, 7:30 p.m. · Cocktail attire
Seating is limited; please reply by December 14.
For a hosted dinner for clients or a team
[Company name] invites you to a New Year's Eve dinner
in thanks for a remarkable year.
Thursday, December 31 · 7:30 p.m. · [restaurant]
You are welcome to bring a guest. Please confirm by December 15.
Dinner First, Then the Countdown
Some hosts want a small dinner and a bigger crowd for midnight. That works if the invitation gives each group its own time. Send two versions, or one invitation with two clear lines.
Festive
Dinner at eight, dessert at midnight.
Join us for New Year's Eve dinner, then stay while the rest of the crew arrives at 10:30 for the countdown.
Thursday, December 31 · [address]
Reply by December 22 and tell us if you're coming for dinner or just for midnight.
Two ways to ring in 2027 with us:
Dinner: 7:30 p.m., limited to 10 seats
Countdown: from 10:30 p.m., everyone welcome
Let us know which one you're joining.
Casual
Come for dinner, stay for the ball drop.
Food at 8, bubbly at 12, sweatpants not judged after 1.
Thursday, Dec 31 at ours. RSVP by the 23rd.
Already have dinner plans? Come by after.
Doors open for dessert and the countdown at 10:30 p.m.
Shared-Dish and BYO Dinners
A New Year's Eve potluck is still a dinner party if you plan it like one. Assign courses yourself in a follow-up message rather than leaving it open, or you'll end up with five desserts. The dinner party invitation wording guide has more general potluck lines.
Casual
New Year's Eve dinner, everyone cooks one thing.
We'll do the main and the champagne. I'll message you with a course after you reply.
Thursday, December 31, 8 p.m. · [address]
BYOB and a side dish. We've got the roast, the playlist and the countdown.
Dinner at 8:30 p.m., New Year's Eve.
Funny
Our resolution: never host New Year's Eve dinner alone again.
So bring a dish, a bottle or a very good excuse.
Dec 31, 8 p.m. Reply and I'll tell you what to bring.
The last dinner of 2026 is a group project. You're on the team.
Main course by us, everything else by you. Sign-up by text after you RSVP.
Restaurant or Booked Dinners
If you've reserved a table or a set menu, money and timing go in the invitation, not in a later text. Many restaurants ask for final numbers, and sometimes a deposit, well before New Year's Eve, so set your reply date by their deadline, not yours.
We've booked a table at [restaurant] for New Year's Eve.
Thursday, December 31, 8 p.m. · Set menu, about $[amount] per person, drinks extra.
The restaurant needs final numbers by December 18, so please reply by then.
Dinner out, countdown at ours.
Table for 12 at [restaurant] at 7:30, then back to [address] for midnight.
We'll split the bill evenly; reply by the 18th.
We booked the table. You bring the appetite.
New Year's Eve at [bistro name], 8 p.m. The dinner is our treat.
Please let us know by December 18.
Family Dinner With Kids
With young children at the table, give an earlier dinner time and say how you'll handle midnight. Many families do a "kids' countdown" at 8 or 9 p.m.
Family New Year's Eve dinner at Grandma and Grandpa's.
Dinner at 6:30 p.m., kids' countdown at 9, grown-ups' toast at midnight.
Pajamas welcome after dessert. Reply by December 22.
Early dinner, early countdown, early bedtime (for some of us).
Thursday, December 31, 6 p.m. · [address]
Tell us how many little ones are coming.
Same table, one more year together.
Dinner at 7, twelve grapes at midnight for anyone still awake.
Menu, Dietary and Dress Code Lines
- "On the menu: roast beef, too many sides and a chocolate tart."
- "Four courses, so come hungry and don't fill up on snacks."
- "Vegetarian options for everyone. Tell us about any allergies when you reply."
- "We're serving fish. If that doesn't work for you, let us know."
- "Dress code: black, gold or anything that sparkles."
- "Dress code: cozy. This is a slippers-welcome dinner."
- "We'll have champagne for midnight and mocktails for anyone skipping it."
Short Versions for a Text Message
- "Dinner at ours on NYE? 8 p.m., small table. Details and RSVP in the link."
- "Saving you a seat for New Year's Eve dinner. Can you tell us by the 22nd?"
- "Our NYE dinner invite is here. Drinks 7:30, dinner 8:30."
- "Last dinner of 2026, with you. Here's the invite."
- "We booked [restaurant] for the 31st. Reply by the 18th so we can confirm numbers."
- "Dinner, then countdown. Come for one or both. Link has the times."
Tricky Lines, Said Politely
- Limited seats: "We only have room for ten at the table, so please reply by the 22nd."
- No plus-ones: "Our table is small this year, so the invitation is just for you."
- Adults only: "This one's a grown-ups' dinner. We hope you can get a night off."
- Arriving on time: "Dinner is served at 8:30 sharp, so please aim to arrive by 8."
- Leaving before midnight: "Heading to another party later? Come for dinner anyway."
- Cost per person: "The set menu is about $[amount] per person; we'll collect it at the table."
- Getting home: "Plan a ride home. The couch is open to anyone who asks first."
When to Send New Year's Eve Dinner Invitations
Dinners need firmer numbers than parties, so reply dates come earlier.
| Dinner | Send the invite | RSVP by | Follow up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small dinner at home | 3 weeks ahead (about Dec. 10) | Dec. 22–23 | Dec. 29 with start time and address |
| Formal or black tie | 5–6 weeks ahead (mid to late November) | Dec. 15 | Dec. 28 with dress code and parking |
| Restaurant or set menu | As soon as the table is booked | The restaurant's deadline | Two days before |
| Dinner plus countdown party | 3–4 weeks ahead | Dec. 22 | Dec. 30 with both times |
Before Christmas, people are still sorting out where they'll be on the 31st, so dinner invitations sent in early December get firmer answers than ones sent the week before.
How to Choose a Template for a Dinner Party
- Match the formality. Ornate red-and-gold designs like Lace Keepsake New Year suit black tie; a candlelit table like Burgundy Rose Table New Year suits a dressy dinner at home.
- Match the time of day. Paris Cafe Terrace New Year is a daytime scene, so it fits a bistro dinner or a January 1 lunch better than a midnight party.
- Show the food moment. If dessert at midnight is the plan, Velvet Cherry Cake New Year says it before guests read a word.
- Let the design set the mood. Put the times, menu and dress code in your event details and in the message you send with the link, so guests can find them again.
More New Year's designs, including fireworks and countdown styles, are in our New Year's Eve party invitations roundup, and for a slower night in, see cozy New Year's Eve invitations.
How to Send It as a Video Invitation
- Pick a New Year template in the TwistInvite app, add your event details (date, arrival and dinner times, address), and add your own photos, video or audio if you like, such as a picture of last year's table or a song for the night.
- Hold to record a 15-second voice message, so guests hear the invitation from you. The "say it" line above fits.
- Share the link by text with each guest or in a group chat, using your chosen wording as the message, including dress code and the dietary question.
- Track replies in the app. Guests open the invitation in their browser and answer Going, Can't make it or Maybe with no download and no account. Follow up with the Maybes personally a few days before your RSVP date, because a seated dinner needs a final number.
The free plan includes 3 events a month, so you can send the dinner and a separate countdown invitation. Premium starts at $2.99 a week. Browse New Year invitation designs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a New Year's Eve dinner party invitation include?
The arrival time and the time dinner is served, the address, whether the night continues to midnight, the dress code, what to bring, who is invited and an RSVP date about a week before December 31.
When should I send New Year's Eve dinner invitations?
About three weeks ahead for a small dinner at home and five to six weeks ahead for a formal dinner. For a restaurant booking, send as soon as the table is confirmed and set the reply date by the restaurant's deadline.
How do I ask guests about dietary restrictions?
Add one plain line, such as asking guests to mention any allergies or foods they avoid when they reply. That gives you time to plan the menu before you shop.
Can I invite some people to dinner and others only for the countdown?
Yes. Give each group its own time, for example dinner at 7:30 p.m. and the countdown from 10:30 p.m., and ask guests to say which part they are joining. Separate invitations are clearer for larger groups.
How do I say seats are limited without sounding rude?
Keep it factual: tell guests how many people the table seats and ask them to reply by a firm date. If plus-ones are not possible, say the invitation is just for them because the table is small.
Do guests need the TwistInvite app to RSVP?
No. The host creates the invitation in the TwistInvite app. Guests open the link in any browser and reply Going, Can't make it or Maybe without downloading an app or creating an account.
Create it in the TwistInvite app
Download free on iPhone or Android, then share one link with your guests.