So, you’re trying to figure out how to politely say pay for your own meal on an invitation.
Perhaps you’re worried the phrase itself seems a bit rude or selfish.
Well, you’ve come to the right place!
This article will explain how to ask guests to pay for their own meal at a wedding or other event!
7 Alternative Ways to Say “Pay for Your Own Meal”
Refer to these 7 alternatives and wording samples under each heading to learn another way to say pay for your own meal:
- Each person covers their own meal
- You’re responsible for your own meal
- Everyone pays their way
- You will have to buy your own food
- Pay your own way
- We’re each taking care of our own expenses
- This is a self-pay meal
1. Each Person Covers Their Own Meal
If you want to invite someone to your birthday party, you can always use a phrase like each person covers their own meal.
Generally, there’s nothing wrong with asking your guests to pay. We recommend doing it if you’re not willing to include food as a party expense.
Here’s a great example to help you understand more about it:
Dear Valued Guest,
I hope to see you at my birthday party! Each person covers their own meal, but otherwise, we’d love your company.
Kind wishes,
Georgia Samson
2. You’re Responsible for Your Own Meal
It’s respectful to say you’re responsible for your own meal in a dinner invitation.
While you might be happy to invite a friend or colleague to dinner, you might not be willing to pay for the food they eat.
So, this is a great way to formally request they buy their own food. After all, you can invite someone to dinner and not pay for them. There’s absolutely no shame in that.
You should also check out this example to learn more about it:
Dear Adrian,
You’re cordially invited to my big day! I’d love to see you there, but please remember that you’re responsible for your own meal.
All the best,
Joe Dile
3. Everyone Pays Their Way
If you’re doing a no-host dinner event, you can use everyone pays their way instead of pay for your own meal.
This is an open-ended and honest phrase that works well in most invitations.
For the most part, using everyone in this context shows that nobody is being singled out. Regardless of their position, every attendee will have to pay for their food.
So, this keeps everyone on a level playing field. Generally, it’s a better way to ensure everyone is willing to pay for the food they eat.
This invitation sample should clear a few things up for you:
Dear Freya,
Everyone pays their way at this event, but I hope you can come along. It would be nice to see you there.
Kind regards,
Joe Stevenson
4. You Will Have to Buy Your Own Food
It’s worth using you will have to buy your own food to be direct and formal when inviting guests.
It’s a great phrase that shows you are not paying for dinner.
For instance, you might be hosting a wedding. However, you can’t pay for every reception attendee’s dinner.
Therefore, you can ask them to buy their own food when they arrive. It’s a useful way to ensure everyone knows what to expect when they get to the venue.
We also recommend checking out the following example:
Dear Guests,
Please let us know whether you will be able to attend our party. You will have to buy your own food when you arrive.
Best regards,
Joe and Jane Allison
5. Pay Your Own Way
For something a little simpler, you can write pay your own way. This is a good alternative to pay for your own meal that suggests you’d like attendees to pay for themselves.
It’s an honest and direct way to show that people need to buy their own dinner.
So, there should be no confusion when people start to attend your event. They should all have agreed that they’ll be buying their own food when accepting the invitation.
Also, check out this example if you still need help with it:
Dear Esteemed Guest,
Please pay your own way at our wedding reception. However, we hope to see you celebrating with us.
Lots of love,
Sophie Miller
6. We’re Each Taking Care of Our Own Expenses
Try using we’re each taking care of our own expenses instead of pay for your own meal.
It’s formal and direct. So, it shows that everyone attending an event is planning on buying their own food.
Use it when hosting a birthday party. It’s good in a birthday invitation because it suggests that every attendee will pay equally for their own food.
You can also refer to this example to learn the best way to word this phrase:
Dear Harry,
This is your invitation to my birthday party. Please remember that we’re each taking care of our own expenses for dinner, though.
All the best,
Jack Bryant
7. This Is a Self-Pay Meal
Finally, we recommend trying this is a self-pay meal. It’s a clear and formal way to show that you must pay for any food you eat.
Using self-pay meal shows that you expect people to buy their own food.
It leaves nothing up to chance and ensures that every party attendee buys their own meal.
Here’s a great invitation example to show you how it works:
Dear Friend,
I’d like to invite you to my event. This is a self-pay meal event, so please bring some money with you to pay for your dinner.
All the best,
Carl Clark
Can You Say “Pay for Your Own Meal” on an Invitation?
You can say pay for your own meal on an invitation.
There’s nothing wrong with asking people to pay for their own meals. Of course, if you don’t mention it, then people expect that you’ll be providing them with food.
However, it’s not rude or greedy to ask someone to pay for their own meal. It’s perfectly acceptable.
If any attendees want to complain about paying for their own meal, the chances are high that they shouldn’t be coming to your event anyway.
Here’s a great example showing you the correct wording when writing a wedding invitation:
Dear Valued Guest,
You are cordially invited to join us for our special day. Please pay for your own meal, but we hope to see you there.
Best,
Adam and Sarah Walters
It also works well in a birthday invitation. The event is irrelevant. The key is to remember that it’s okay to ask people to pay for their own meals if they want food at your event.
For example:
Dear Aimee,
Please pay for your own meal at my birthday party. Other than that, I really hope to see you there and enjoying yourself!
Yours,
Duncan Farcry
