New Year's Eve Wedding Invitations: Wording for Black-Tie, Midnight and New Year's Day Weddings

A New Year's Eve wedding invitation has one extra job: showing guests their whole night is planned. Give the start time, say the celebration runs past midnight, name the dress code and explain how people get home. Send it 10 to 12 weeks ahead. Copy-ready wording for 2026 and 2027 weddings is below.

This guide covers weddings on December 31 and on New Year's Day. If you're hosting a regular countdown party instead, our New Year's Eve invitation wording guide is the one you want.

Featured TwistInvite DesignsEvening Wedding InvitationsChampagne towers, Art Deco gold and candlelit ballrooms. Open the TwistInvite app to choose a design and send it by text or link.

How to use the examples: the formal blocks work for print or a wedding website; when you send a video invitation, paste a one-line version into the message that carries the link and record a spoken version as your video message.

What to Include on a New Year's Eve Wedding Invitation

• The couple's names and who is hosting.
• Day, date and year in full: "Thursday, December 31, 2026." The year matters more than usual, because the party ends in the next one.
• Ceremony time, and a note that the reception continues through midnight.
• An end time such as "until 1 a.m." People plan rides and babysitters around it.
• Dress code. Black tie and cocktail are both common. Say which.
• Who is invited, including a clear answer on plus-ones and children.
• Getting home: a shuttle, a hotel block or a simple "please plan a ride."
• RSVP deadline, about four weeks before the date.

Quick Picks

Black-Tie New Year's Eve Wedding Wording

Most New Year's Eve weddings are evening affairs: ceremony around 6 or 7 p.m., dinner, dancing and a toast at midnight. The wording can be fully formal and still nod to the date.

Traditional

• Mr. and Mrs. [Parent Names]
  request the pleasure of your company
  at the marriage of their son
  [Name]
  and
  [Name]
  on Thursday, the thirty-first of December
  two thousand twenty-six
  at seven o'clock in the evening
  [Venue], [City]
  Dinner, dancing and a midnight toast to follow

Couple hosting

• As the old year closes and a new one begins,
  [Name] and [Name]
  invite you to celebrate their marriage
  Thursday, December 31, 2026 · 6:30 p.m.
  [Venue] · Black tie
  Reception until 1 a.m.
• [Name] & [Name]
  request the pleasure of your company
  on the last evening of the year
  December 31, 2026 · Ceremony at seven
  [Venue], [City]
  Kindly reply by December 1

Glam

• Champagne, a string orchestra and two people saying yes.
  Join [Name] and [Name] on New Year's Eve
  7 p.m. ceremony · Celebration until the new year is an hour old
  [Venue] · Black tie, sequins encouraged

Pair it with: Champagne Lumiere. Champagne pours over a coupe tower in a mirrored ballroom full of white flowers. Best for a formal ballroom or hotel reception where the toast is a highlight.

Say it in your 15-second video message: "We're getting married on New Year's Eve, and we'd love you to spend the last night of 2026 with us. Ceremony at seven, toast at midnight, and black tie, so dress up."

Gatsby and Art Deco New Year's Eve Wedding Wording

The 1920s look and New Year's Eve go together naturally: gold, black, feathers and champagne coupes. Let the theme show in one line and the dress code.

Glam

• Dress like it's 1926 and dance into 2027.
  [Name] & [Name] are getting married
  New Year's Eve · 7 p.m. · [Venue]
  Black tie or your finest Gatsby

Formal

• [Name] and [Name]
  invite you to an evening of jazz, champagne and vows
  Thursday, December 31, 2026 · Eight o'clock
  [Venue], [City] · Black tie

Playful

• The roaring twenties are back for one night only.
  Our wedding, New Year's Eve, 7 p.m.
  Pearls, bow ties and a midnight toast
  RSVP by December 1, old sport

Pair it with: Art Deco Noir. A black and gold invitation card gives way to chandeliers and a gold-lit champagne tower framed by Art Deco fans. Best for themed and very dressy evenings. For styling the whole look, see our Art Deco wedding invitations guide.

Midnight Vows and Countdown Ceremony Wording

Some couples time the vows or the first kiss to the countdown. If you do, tell guests exactly when to arrive, because a "midnight" wedding still starts hours earlier.

Romantic

• At the stroke of midnight, we'll say I do.
  Join [Name] and [Name] for dinner at 9 p.m.
  and vows as the new year begins
  [Venue] · December 31, 2026
• Our last kiss of 2026 and our first as a married couple.
  Wedding and celebration, New Year's Eve
  Guests arrive 9:30 p.m. · Ceremony at 11:45
  [Venue], [City]

Playful

• 10, 9, 8… we do!
  [Name] & [Name] are counting down to forever
  December 31 · Party from 9 p.m., vows at midnight
  [Venue]

Short and simple

• New year, new last name.
  [Name] and [Name] · December 31 · [Venue]
  Arrive by 10 p.m.

Pair it with: Ivory Nocturne. Candlelight, white roses and gold flatware on a long ivory table, with a small "You're invited" card at a place setting. Best for a seated dinner with fewer guests, where the evening builds slowly toward midnight.

Say it in your 15-second video message: "We're getting married at midnight on New Year's Eve. Come for dinner at nine, stay for the countdown, and be there for the very first minutes of our marriage."

Relaxed and Party-Style Wording

Many couples pitch it honestly: guests would be at a party anyway, so this one comes with a wedding.

Fun

• Already have New Year's plans? Cancel them.
  [Name] & [Name] are getting married
  December 31 · 6 p.m. · [Venue]
  Open bar, live band and a countdown on the dance floor
• Our resolution: get married. Your resolution: be there.
  New Year's Eve at [Venue] · Ceremony 7 p.m.
  Party until 1 a.m.

Warm

• End the year with us by candlelight.
  [Name] and [Name] invite you to their wedding
  Thursday, December 31, 2026 · 5 p.m.
  [Lodge Name], [Town]
  Rooms are held for guests through January 1

Small and casual

• Small wedding, big countdown.
  Join our families and closest friends
  New Year's Eve at [Restaurant] · 7:30 p.m.
  Dressy casual

Pair it with: Winter Wedding: Candlelight Within. Its line "Snow outside, candlelight within" fits a mountain lodge or any cold-weather venue where the party stays indoors. For more snowy design ideas, see our Christmas wedding invitations guide.

New Year's Day Weddings and the Morning After

A January 1 wedding is calmer and often cheaper to book than the night before. Guests also don't have to choose between your wedding and their own New Year's Eve plans.

• A new year, a new beginning.
  [Name] and [Name] invite you to their wedding
  Friday, January 1, 2027 · 2 p.m.
  [Venue] · Late lunch reception to follow
• Start the year with a wedding.
  New Year's Day at [Venue], 1 p.m.
  Brunch-style reception. Pajamas not required, but we won't judge.

Hosting a farewell meal on January 1 after a New Year's Eve wedding? Add one line to the main invitation, "Farewell brunch, January 1 at 11 a.m., [Hotel]," or send a separate invite. Our post-wedding brunch invitations guide has wording for that.

How to Word the Evening Schedule

A New Year's Eve wedding runs long, so a short schedule in the invitation details or on your wedding website helps guests pace the night:

• 6:30 p.m. · Ceremony
  7:15 p.m. · Cocktail hour
  8:30 p.m. · Dinner
  10:00 p.m. · Dancing
  11:55 p.m. · Countdown and champagne toast
  1:00 a.m. · Last dance and send-off

Short Versions to Send by Text

• "Big news for your New Year's Eve: we're getting married! Invitation and RSVP in the link."
• "Save Dec. 31 for us. Ceremony at 7, toast at midnight. Details here:"
• "You're invited to ring in 2027 at our wedding. Please reply by Dec. 1."
• "New Year's Eve, black tie, and the two of us saying I do. Tap for the details."
• "Hi [Name], here's our wedding invite for Dec. 31. If you're not sure yet, choose Maybe and let us know by Dec. 1."
• "Our wedding is your NYE party this year 🥂 Everything's in the link."

Tricky Lines for a New Year's Eve Wedding

• Getting home safely: "A shuttle will run from the venue to [Hotel] from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m." or "Rideshare prices climb after midnight, so please plan your ride home ahead."
• Plus-ones: Guests are more likely to assume a date on New Year's Eve. Address it directly: "We've saved one seat for you" or "[Name] and guest."
• Adults only: "Our celebration runs late and is adults only. We hope you enjoy a night off."
• Asking for the night: "We know we're asking for the biggest night of the year, and we'll make it worth it."
• Overnight stays: "Rooms are held at [Hotel] until November 30. Mention our names when you book."

When to Send New Year's Eve Wedding Invitations

New Year's Eve is booked earlier than almost any other night, so send save-the-dates 8 to 12 months ahead and invitations 10 to 12 weeks ahead. If you're planning a destination or out-of-town wedding, the destination wedding timeline applies too.

Because December 31, 2026 is a Thursday, many guests will work that day or travel the next morning. A later ceremony, around 6:30 or 7 p.m., gives them time. In 2027, New Year's Eve is a Friday and New Year's Day a Saturday, which makes a weekend of it and adds demand for venues, so book early.

How to Send It as a Video Invitation

1. Choose a design in the TwistInvite app. Any of the four templates above suits an evening wedding. You can also upload your own photos or video and import the song you plan to dance to at midnight.
2. Add your details: names, date, ceremony time, venue and RSVP deadline.
3. Record a short voice message by holding the record button. Free voice messages run up to 15 seconds, enough for one of the lines above.
4. Send one link by text or wherever you message guests. They open it in their browser and answer Going, Can't make it or Maybe, with no app download or account. You see every reply in the app.

The free plan includes 3 events a month, free templates, RSVP tracking and sharing by SMS or link. Premium is $2.99 a week, $8.99 a month or $39.99 a year in USD, and the App Store shows local prices. Get the TwistInvite app and start your invitation.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Writing only "midnight." Guests need the arrival time, not just the moment of the kiss.
• Leaving out the year. "December 31" plus "ring in the new year" can confuse anyone reading it a year early.
• No end time or transport plan. These are the two most common questions guests ask on this date.
• Sending on a normal six-week schedule. By mid-November, most people already have New Year's Eve plans.
• Making it read like a party flyer. Keep the countdown references to one line and let the wedding lead.

Frequently Asked Questions

What time should a New Year's Eve wedding start?

Most start between 6 and 7:30 p.m., which leaves time for dinner and dancing before a midnight toast. If you're planning vows at midnight, ask guests to arrive around 9 or 10 p.m. and say so clearly.

How far in advance should I send New Year's Eve wedding invitations?

Send invitations 10 to 12 weeks ahead and save-the-dates 8 to 12 months ahead. New Year's Eve plans are made early, so standard six-week timing is too late.

Should I allow plus-ones at a New Year's Eve wedding?

Decide early and say it on the invitation. Guests are more likely to expect a date on this night, so name exactly who is invited, either "[Name] and guest" or the individual names.

What should guests wear to a New Year's Eve wedding?

Black tie or formal attire is common, and sequins or metallics fit the date. Put the dress code on the invitation, and mention any outdoor moments so guests can plan for the cold.

Is a New Year's Day wedding a good alternative?

Yes. Venues are often easier to book, guests keep their own New Year's Eve plans and a daytime celebration suits families with children. Give the full date, including the year, because it falls in the new year.

Do guests need an app to RSVP to a TwistInvite wedding invitation?

No. The couple creates the invitation in the TwistInvite app and sends a link. Guests open it in their browser and reply Going, Can't make it or Maybe without an account.