Reunion invitations
Family Reunion Invitations
That Actually Get Responses
A good invitation does three things: tells people the essentials, makes RSVP frictionless, and gets the deposit collected. A bad invitation leads to three months of “did you send me that info again?” texts. Here is exactly how to do it right.
See Grove invite pagesWhat to include
Every invitation needs these 10 things.
Miss any of these and you will be answering the same question 40 times in the family group chat. Get them all right and the RSVPs roll in without follow-up.
1. Who is hosting
Lead with the family name. 'The Williams Family' or 'The Johnson Family Reunion' in large, clear type at the top.
2. The date and time
Full date including day of the week. 'Saturday, July 11, 2026, 11 AM to 8 PM.' Include time zone if any family will travel from out of state.
3. The venue and address
Name of the place plus full street address. Include a map link. 'Hiller Park Pavilion #3, 1123 Hiller Road, Memphis, TN 38103.'
4. The theme (if any)
State it clearly. 'Theme: Heritage. Wear earth tones.' If there is no theme, say that too so people are not guessing.
5. The RSVP link or method
One clear call to action. Ideally a link to an online RSVP form. Include an RSVP deadline date (60 days out).
6. The headcount ask
Ask for the count in the RSVP. Adults, kids, dietary needs. State it in the invitation so people know what to expect.
7. The cost per person
If there is a fee, state it upfront. '$25 per adult, $10 per child under 12, covers food, shirts, venue.' No surprises later.
8. Payment method and deadline
Grove, Venmo, CashApp, Zelle. State the handle. State when payment is due. Tie it to the RSVP if possible.
9. Lodging info
If people are traveling, suggest hotels. Include a hotel block if you set one up. Link to a map of nearby options.
10. Who to contact
Name and phone number of the main organizer. 'Questions? Text Keisha at 901-555-0112.' One person, one number.
How to send
Every method has a tradeoff.
Paper invitations (mailed)
Feel special. Elders love them. Look great on the fridge. Good for save-the-dates and milestone reunions.
Expensive ($2 to $5 per invitation including postage). Slow. No RSVP tracking. You still need a digital RSVP on top.
Best for: the save-the-date only, or as a keepsake for a 50th anniversary reunion. Not the main invitation.
Free. Fast. Easy to send to a list. You can attach a PDF invitation. Works for most adults.
Spam filters. People miss emails. Elders often do not check email. No built-in RSVP tracking unless you use a service.
Best for: the backup channel. Use it in combination with a Grove page or text.
Text message
Nearly 100% open rate. Fast. Casual. You can send a link directly to a reunion page. Everyone checks their texts.
Hard to include formatting. Group texts get messy. The link is the whole message.
Best for: the primary channel in 2026. Send everyone the Grove reunion page link via text.
Online invitation service (Evite, Paperless Post)
Templates are nice. Built-in RSVP tracking. Free to $20.
Designed for parties, not reunions. No t-shirt sizes, no payment collection, no branch organization. You outgrow them at 30+ people.
Best for: small casual gatherings under 25 people.
Reunion page (Grove)
All-in-one. The invitation IS the page. RSVP, payment, t-shirt sizes, dietary info, schedule, map, and live updates all in one link. You send one text, people tap one link, everything is there.
You have to set it up once. 20 minutes. After that, it runs itself.
Best for: any reunion with more than 20 people. Scales to 500.
Timing
When to send which invitation.
Invitations are not a single send. They are a sequence. Three touches get 80% of RSVPs. Five touches get 95%.
Save-the-date. One line of info. 'Williams Family Reunion 2026. July 11. Memphis. More info coming.' Text or email. Lets people book travel.
Formal invitation. The real one. All 10 fields above. Link to the reunion page. Clear RSVP deadline. This is the send that does the work.
Reminder for non-responders. Not a new invitation, a nudge. 'Hey, 28 families have RSVPed. Have you? Here is the link.' Text, casual tone.
Deposit reminder. 'Deposits due in two weeks if you want your shirt. Here is the link.' Direct and specific.
Final call. 'Last week to RSVP. After Friday we are locking the food order.' Creates urgency.
Logistics email. Not an invitation anymore. Parking info, schedule, what to bring. Sent to confirmed attendees only.
Sample wording
Copy and paste these templates.
Fill in the blanks. Tweak the tone to match your family. These are written to work as is.
Save-the-date text
Formal invitation (email or printable)
Reminder text (3 months out)
Final call text (1 month out)
Common mistakes
The six invitation mistakes that kill RSVPs.
Burying the RSVP link
If the link is not one of the first things someone sees, they will miss it. Put it at the top and the bottom. Make it big.
Too much to read
A three-paragraph invitation gets scrolled past. The invitation is not where you tell the story. It is where you tell people what to do.
No deadline
Without an RSVP deadline, people assume they have forever. They do not respond and you cannot plan. Pick a date and state it in bold.
No cost upfront
Hiding the cost until the RSVP opens kills trust. State it in the invitation. 'It's $25 per adult' is not awkward. People appreciate the clarity.
Multiple channels, no anchor
Sending a paper invite, an email, a text, a Facebook post, all with slightly different info. Pick one source of truth (a reunion page) and point every channel to it.
No follow-up plan
Sending one invitation and hoping for the best. Half your family will not respond to the first ask. Plan the reminder sequence before you send the first one.
The Grove invite page
One link replaces the card, the form, and the payment app.
Grove's reunion page is the invitation, the RSVP form, the payment collector, the schedule, the map, and the day-of event page. You send one link. People tap it. They see everything. They RSVP, pay, and pick shirt sizes without leaving the page.
Built-in RSVP
No separate form. No separate spreadsheet. RSVPs land directly in your organizer dashboard, organized by branch.
Payment collection
Deposits and balances handled on the same page. Venmo, CashApp, card. You see who paid, who is outstanding, all in real time.
Updates in real time
Change the venue, the schedule, the menu - every guest sees the update the moment you save it. No 'resend the invitation' drama.
Send one link. Get every RSVP.
Build your reunion page in 20 minutes. Text the link. Watch RSVPs come in.
Build your invite page