40th Birthday Invitation Wording
Turning 40 doesn’t mean what it used to, as these days people keep up youthful interests and activities into middle age and beyond. Still, tradition demands that we celebrate milestones like this. In other words, 40 might just be a number to many people, but it’s a round number that provides a great excuse to throw a birthday party for someone special.
If you’re the one in charge of organizing a 40th birthday bash, a key task you have to reckon with is sending out invitations. If you’re stumped about what to say, fear not – this article will help you come up with pitch-perfect 40th birthday invitation wording. We’ll start with lots of specific examples you can use, then move on to some general tips.
Examples
Here are some 40th birthday party wording ideas to get you going. Use them as templates for your own invitations, or just to get your writing juices flowing.
Basic
- You’re Invited To A
40th Birthday Celebration
Join Us As We Honor
John Holt
on Saturday, October 4, 2017 at 7:30 pm
The Anderson Home
1234 40th Street Southwest
RSVP to Joyce Anderson (phone/email) by Sept. 25 - Amanda is Turning 40!
Let’s Help Her Celebrate the Big 4-Oh - Aged to Perfection
Sanjay is Turning 40 Years Old!
Join Us As We Celebrate This Big Milestone
Funny
- It’s Hank’s Birthday!
Join Us As We Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of His 20th Birthday! - Like, Did You Know Ann Was Turning 40?
Join Us For A
Totally Awesome Birthday Party - Lordy, Lordy, Look Who’s Forty!
Join Us For a Celebration in Honor Of
Jean’s 40th Birthday
For Her
- Fabulous at 40!
Join Us For a Big Birthday Bash For
Julia Smith - This Lady is At Peak Maturity
Join Us For Wine and Appetizers As We Celebrate
Elisa’s 40th Birthday
For Him
- Raise Your Glass!
Alan Finn is Turning 40
Join Us For Beers & BBQ As We Celebrate the Big Day - Say Cheers to 40 Years!
Join Us For A
40th Birthday Party in Honor Of
Max Potter
Surprise Party
- Shhh! Ellen is Turning 40!
Join Us For A
Surprise Birthday Party
on Friday, July 19 at 6:30 PM (Ellen will arrive at 7)
The Outpost
1234 40th Avenue NE, Edgeville
RSVP to Pam Foster (phone/email) by July 10
40th Birthday Invite Tips
Like any other invitation, a 40th birthday party invite needs to include the all-important event details. However, there are also a few “best practices” that are unique to this particular type of party invitation.
1. Be sensitive to feelings about aging. Your first instinct might be to use the invitation to poke fun at the guest of honor for getting old. Before you crack wise or choose an “old fart” invitation design, consider how the guest of honor might feel about hitting an age milestone – for some, it’s the opposite of funny. Also, as we said before, the idea that 40 is “old” is becoming outdated. Nowadays, it’s common to put a more positive spin on turning 40.
2. Use nostalgia. Reviving some “blasts from the past” is likely to be a hit with people on your guest list, especially if they’ve known the guest of honor for a long time. For example, you could include a funny picture from the person’s youth, or pick a retro invitation design that hearkens back to the 80s or 90s.
3. Do some investigation for that guest list. While this doesn’t relate to invitation wording, it’s worth noting anyway. When putting together your invite list, dig deep for “surprise” guests who might be willing to travel for the big event.
