Are you providing food for your guests as a formal event? That’s fantastic news (and incredibly generous). However, you need to know how to say food and drinks will be provided.
Is “food will be served” the best formal option? This article will explore some alternatives to help you decide.
Is It Formal to Say “Food Will Be Served”?
It is formal to say “food will be served.” It’s a good phrase to include on a formal event invitation as it shows that you will provide refreshments for all attendees.
Generally, it’s a good way to encourage people to attend your event without pressuring them.
This example will also show you how it works:
I hope to see you at my party on Friday. Food will be served, so please bring your company.
Pros
- It’s polite and respectful.
- It’s a great way to encourage people to attend your event.
Cons
- It’s written in the passive voice.
- It’s a bit impersonal if you’re inviting friends.
“Food will be served” is certainly a good option in most professional invitations. However, it’s still wise to have a few alternatives ready to go if you’re looking to mix things up.
Keep reading to find out how to say food will be served on an invitation. We’ve also provided some examples to help you.
What to Say Instead of “Food Will Be Served”
- We will provide food
- We will serve hors d’oeuvres
- There will be refreshments
- Help yourself to our food
- The food is on us
- There will be food at the event
- Food and drinks will be provided
- We will serve dinner
- There will be appetizers
1. We Will Provide Food
“We will provide food” is a great alternative to “food will be served.” You can include it in a formal invitation to show that you plan on catering for everyone at an event.
After all, if you provide food for your guests, you’re more likely to get them to come along. Everyone loves free food (whether it’s a formal or informal event).
We recommend using it when hosting an important party. Then, you can ensure that people will come along to celebrate with you.
You should refer to these examples to check your invitation wording:
We will provide food at the event. Please bring yourself and dress up according to the dress code.
Of course, we will provide food. We look forward to seeing you at our event on Friday.
2. We Will Serve Hors D’Oeuvres
It’s worth saying “we will serve hors d’oeuvres,” if you’re offering light food or appetizers.
“Hors d’oeuvres” is the French word for appetizers, which refers to small plates of food on offer at events.
You may use this when hosting a formal evening. It shows that you’re willing to offer small bites of food to the party attendees.
Generally, “hors d’oeuvres” only refer to small foods such as appetizers. So, it should still be encouraged that people eat before the party to ensure they don’t get too hungry.
We recommend reviewing the following examples as well:
We will serve hors d’oeuvres at six o’clock during the party. Hopefully, that will be more than enough for you.
We will serve hors d’oeuvres at the party. You do not have to bring anything else along.
3. There Will Be Refreshments
It pays to be direct and clear in an invitation. The more clear you are about what attendees can expect, the fewer questions you’ll have to answer before people RSVP.
That’s why “there will be refreshments” works so well.
After all, you can use it to tell attendees to expect food at an event. “Refreshments” generally refer to small dishes and drinks. However, you can always clarify what you mean so that the party-goers know what to expect from you.
Also, these examples should help you understand it:
There will be refreshments and light food at the party. We look forward to seeing you there and enjoying yourself.
There will be refreshments, but you can still bring your own. However, there will be more than enough for everyone.
4. Help Yourself to Our Food
Why not say “help yourself to our food” in a friendly invitation to a formal event? There’s nothing wrong with encouraging people to have food at your party.
As we’ve already mentioned, if you provide food, you’re more likely to get people to confirm their attendance. We recommend using it when inviting coworkers to an event you’re excited about.
Generally, this works best when setting a more casual or friendly tone. It can still apply to formal settings, but “help yourself” is certainly a more conversational option than some of the other choices.
You may also refer to these examples:
Help yourself to our food. We’ve gone above and beyond to ensure everyone is catered for this time, though.
Please, help yourself to our food. We want everyone to feel welcome, so there’s a selection to cover all requirements.
5. The Food Is on Us
Perhaps you represent a company when sending out an invitation. Therefore, you can use pronouns like “we” and “us.”
“The food is on us” is an example of this, where you are inviting people on behalf of a company.
It shows that the company has paid for the food at an event. So, people will be happier to come along (hopefully).
Of course, you may want to specify what food they can expect. “Food” is a very broad term. Whether you’re offering small plates or full dinners is worth mentioning to let the attendees know whether they should bring anything else.
Here are a few examples to show you how it works:
The food is on us, and we hope you love it. Of course, we cannot wait to see you at our event on Saturday.
We would like to say that the food is on us. We certainly hope that you’ll come along and enjoy the festivities with our company.
6. There Will Be Food at the Event
A simple phrase like “there will be food at the event” works well in a professional invitation.
You can use it to let people know to expect food when they arrive. It’s a great way to entice people to join your event.
Generally, this phrase is going to get a lot of positive responses. It also helps that it has a very formal tone about it, making it an excellent choice if you’re unsure what else you might want to say.
The following examples should also clear things up:
There will be food at the event. So, please come along and bring your finest wine to accompany it.
There will be food at the event. All you need to do is follow the dress code and present your invitation at the door.
7. Food and Drinks Will Be Provided
Everyone loves a party that provides food and drink for all attendees. If you want to encourage people to attend, use a simple phrase like “food and drinks will be provided.”
It’s a great way to ensure that people understand your food policy. Also, including “food and drinks” shows that you’re providing everything people need. So, they only need to bring themselves and something nice to wear to a formal event.
If you’re still unsure, review these examples:
Food and drinks will be provided on the day. Please do not worry about bringing anything yourself.
Food and drinks will be provided at the event. We certainly hope to see you there to celebrate with us.
8. We Will Serve Dinner
Dinner is an important meal. And most events tend to happen during dinner time. So, if you can provide it for event attendees, you’ll set yourself above most other formal hosts.
We recommend using “we will serve dinner” in a formal invitation. It shows that you will provide a full sit-down meal at a business event, which will encourage people to come along and enjoy the food.
After all, it’s quite rare for parties to provide full dinners. Usually, you’ll only come across a few appetizers or hors d’oeuvres.
You may also check out the following examples:
Of course, we will serve dinner at the event. We certainly hope this makes it easier for you to accept our invitation.
We will serve dinner at seven o’clock on Friday. Please let us know if you have any dietary requirements.
9. There Will Be Appetizers
Appetizers (also known as party food) are great to have at formal events. You can provide small snacks and refreshments for all attendees.
Therefore, “there will be appetizers” works well in a professional invitation.
We highly recommend using it in most business situations. It shows that you’ve considered your attendees’ appetites. Nobody wants to host a party full of hungry people, so it’s best to keep them happy with a few appetizers served throughout the event.
Here are some examples to help you with it:
There will be appetizers to suit your needs. We can’t wait to see you enjoy the rest of the party as well.
There will be appetizers to fill your stomach. We certainly hope that you’ll be able to attend.