Wedding Welcome Party Invitations: Wording, Etiquette and Timing for the Night Before

A wedding welcome party invitation tells guests where to meet the night before the wedding, what kind of gathering it is and whether they need to reply. Keep it lighter than the wedding invitation, give start and end times, a dress code and an RSVP date, and send it with the wedding invitation.

Welcome parties are most common at destination and out-of-town weddings, where most guests arrive a day early. If you're planning the smaller dinner for the wedding party and family, our rehearsal dinner invitations guide covers it.

Featured TwistInvite DesignsWelcome Party InvitationsSea-view terraces, olive courtyards and candlelit dining rooms. Choose a design in the TwistInvite app and share it by text or link.

Welcome Party, Rehearsal Dinner or Both?

Many couples hold the rehearsal dinner from 6 to 8 p.m. and the welcome party from 8:30 p.m. at the same venue, so close family moves from one to the other and other guests just join later. If you do, the welcome party invitation should only mention the later start.

What to Include

• Who's hosting: the couple, or the parents who are paying.
• What it is: "welcome drinks," "a casual dinner," "pizza on the terrace." The format tells guests whether to eat first.
• Day, date, start and end time. An end time protects the wedding morning.
• Venue and how to get there, especially if it isn't the guests' hotel.
• Dress code: casual, cocktail or a theme like "all white" or "linen and sandals."
• RSVP date, separate from the wedding RSVP so the caterer gets a real number.
• Kids, if their invitation differs from the wedding's.

Where the wording goes: a printed insert or your wedding website can carry the full version. When you send the invitation as a link, use a short line as the message with it, and record one of the spoken lines as your 15-second video message.

Wording for Welcome Drinks

Casual

• You made it! Come say hello before the big day.
  Welcome drinks at [Bar or Hotel Terrace]
  Friday, June 11 · 7 to 10 p.m.
  Come as you are
• First round's on us.
  Join [Name] and [Name] for drinks the night before the wedding
  Friday, 8 p.m. · [Venue], [Town]
  Reply by May 21 so we know how many glasses to pour

Fun

• Warm-up act: tonight. Main event: tomorrow.
  Welcome party for [Name] & [Name]
  Friday, September 17 · 7:30 p.m. · [Brewery]
  Comfortable shoes, no speeches

Elegant

• [Name] and [Name]
  invite you to an evening of cocktails and conversation
  on the eve of their wedding
  Friday, the eleventh of June · seven o'clock
  [Hotel] Terrace · Cocktail attire

Pair it with: Golden Coast Vows. A sunset terrace with arches, a pool and lanterns along the path. Best for welcome drinks at a coastal venue.

Wording for a Welcome Dinner

A seated dinner for all guests is a bigger commitment, so say plainly that dinner is served and who's hosting.

Warm

• Before we say "I do," let's share a table.
  Please join us for a welcome dinner
  Friday, October 8 · 7 p.m.
  [Restaurant], [Town] · Dinner is served at 7:30
• The families of [Name] and [Name]
  invite you to dinner on the eve of the wedding
  Friday, October 8 at seven in the evening
  [Venue] · Kindly reply by September 17

Relaxed

• Long table, good wine, the people we love.
  Welcome dinner under the olive trees
  Friday, 7:30 p.m. · [Farm or Villa Name]
  Dress: relaxed, flat shoes for the gravel

Pair it with: Olive Courtyard Reverie for an outdoor dinner. A linen-draped table stands in a stone courtyard shaded by olive branches. Choose Candlelit Supper, a wood-paneled dining room with brass lamps and set tables, if the dinner is at a restaurant or hotel.

Say it in your 15-second video message: "We can't believe you're traveling all this way for us. Come to dinner on Friday night at [Venue], seven o'clock, so we can thank you properly before the wedding."

Wording for a Destination Welcome Party

At a destination wedding, the welcome party is often the first time guests see each other. Mention local details they'll need.

Casual

• ¡Bienvenidos! Welcome to [Town].
  Join us for tacos and mezcal on the beach
  Thursday, 6 p.m., at [Beach Club]
  Sandals encouraged, shuttle from [Hotel] at 5:45

Elegant

• Benvenuti in Italia.
  [Name] and [Name] welcome you to an aperitivo on the terrace
  Friday, June 4 · 7 p.m. · [Villa Name]
  Linen and sundresses welcome

Playful

• Jet lag cure: a glass of something cold and a view of the sea.
  Welcome party · Thursday · 7 p.m. · [Hotel] rooftop

Pair it with: Lemon Riviera. A sea-view terrace with blue and white tiles, lemons and a ribbon-tied invitation. Best for Mediterranean and coastal destinations. For the full travel timeline, see destination wedding invitations.

Short Versions to Send by Text

• "We're hosting welcome drinks Friday at 8 at [Venue]. Hope you can come! Details and RSVP here:"
• "Arriving Friday? Come straight to dinner. 7 p.m., [Restaurant]. Let us know in the link."
• "Before the wedding there's a beach party, and you're invited 🌊"
• "Hi [Name], here's the invite for Friday's welcome party. Please RSVP on the invite by May 21."

Tricky Lines

• Only out-of-town guests are invited: send the invitation privately rather than posting it on the wedding website. Local guests won't feel left out of something they never saw.
• It's optional: "No pressure. If you're arriving late or resting up, we'll see you at the ceremony."
• Partial hosting: "We'll have appetizers and the first round. The bar is open after that."
• Keeping it short: "We're calling it at 10 p.m. Big day tomorrow!"
• Kids: "Little ones are welcome at the welcome party," even if the wedding is adults-only. It helps families with the sitter question.

When to Send a Welcome Party Invitation

Guests book flights around the welcome party, so for destination and out-of-town weddings, mention it as soon as the date is set, even before the formal invitation goes out.

Sending It as a Video Invitation

1. Open the TwistInvite app and pick a template that matches the setting, such as a terrace, courtyard or dining room.
2. Add the event details: day, time, venue and RSVP date. Add your own photos, video or a song if you like.
3. Hold to record a short welcome, up to 15 seconds on the free plan.
4. Send the link by text or in your group chat. Guests open it in their browser and reply Going, Can't make it or Maybe, with no app or account needed, and you see the count in the app.

Because it's a separate event, it gets its own RSVP list, which is useful for the restaurant or caterer. The free plan covers 3 events a month, so the welcome party, the wedding and a farewell brunch fit in one month. Get the TwistInvite app.

Planning the morning after too? See our post-wedding brunch invitations.

Mistakes to Avoid

• Making it sound mandatory. Some guests arrive late. A welcome party is a bonus.
• Leaving out the food. "Drinks" and "dinner" are very different plans for someone stepping off a plane.
• One RSVP for everything. Ask about the welcome party separately so the numbers are real.
• Planning a late night. Give an end time. The couple, and everyone else, needs sleep.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who should be invited to a wedding welcome party?

Usually every wedding guest, or at least everyone traveling in. If you only invite out-of-town guests, send the invitation privately instead of listing it on a public wedding website.

Who pays for the wedding welcome party?

Whoever hosts it, often the couple or one set of parents. If only the first round or the appetizers are covered, it is fine to say so on the invitation.

Can the welcome party replace the rehearsal dinner?

Yes. Many couples invite the wedding party and family plus all guests to one relaxed dinner or drinks the night before, and give short toasts there instead.

Should the welcome party have its own RSVP?

Yes. Fewer guests attend than the wedding, and the venue needs a real count. Ask separately with its own reply date.

How long should a welcome party last?

Two to three hours is plenty. Put an end time on the invitation so guests and the couple rest before the wedding.

Do guests need an app to RSVP to a TwistInvite welcome party invitation?

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