Borne away on a crystal blue sea, a single bottle floats along with the current. Corked closed, its precious cargo is protected from the elements around it as it slowly drifts ashore. The waves push the glass onto the beach, higher and higher until it rests on the sand. It waits until someone comes and plucks it from its bed and opens it, revealing the message inside. It is an invitation, just for them, to your big event.
Add a dash of drama and a great sense of adventure to your special day with our gorgeous Message In A Bottle Invitations. Filled with fine grain sand and real miniature seashells, this unique invitation brings a taste of the tropics and far-off adventures to your guests, all wrapped up in a beautiful glass bottle 7" tall and 1.75" across, sealed with a real cork. Guests hear the sand shift before they read a single word.
Make it yours with custom Bottle Engraving, two lines of up to 24 characters cut into the glass in-house by HansonEllis, personalizing gifts since 1999, or with our Personalized Tags. If you would like something extraordinary, add our Message Scrolls made with natural oil paper and cedar leaf, carrying the message of your choice. Need a way for your guests to RSVP? Add our Response Card with the date of your event, return name and address printed on it with the image of your choice. Email us your event location information for a printed map, and package everything in one of our sturdy mailing boxes.
These exquisite Message In A Bottle Invitations are assembled entirely by hand from start to finish by our caring and dedicated team just for you, and are custom made to your special order.
Couples tell us the results speak for themselves. One bride said they were the perfect addition to her beach destination wedding and her guests could not stop talking about them. Another, marrying on a Caribbean cruise, called them the perfect way to welcome guests aboard and praised the easy ordering and fast shipment. One reviewer summed it up in two words: absolutely romantic.
Choose your options above, set your quantity, and send your guests something they will keep.
Bottle size: 7"H x 1.75"in diameter
Box size: 7" x 2" x 2"
Sand and Sea Shells Included
Includes Cork
Message In A Bottle Invitation at a glance
The Message In A Bottle Invitation is a corked glass bottle, 7"H x 1.75" in diameter, filled with fine grain sand and real miniature seashells and packed in a 7" x 2" x 2" box. Each one is assembled by hand and custom made to order. You can add custom bottle engraving of up to two lines of 24 characters, personalized tags, message scrolls on natural oil paper with cedar leaf, a printed response card, a map, and a white mailing box for posting.
Best for: couples planning a beach, island or cruise wedding who want the invitation itself to be the first thing guests brag about.
Who the Message In A Bottle Invitation is for
- Beach and destination weddings one bride called them the perfect addition to her beach destination wedding, with guests talking about them for weeks.
- Cruise weddings a couple marrying on a Caribbean cruise called them the perfect way to welcome guests aboard.
- Save the dates send the bottle first with two names and the date engraved on the glass, months before the formal invitation.
- Engagement parties announce the news in sand and seashells instead of a text message.
- Anniversaries invite family to a milestone anniversary dinner with the year you married engraved on the bottle.
- Big birthday parties a 40th, 50th or 60th with a tropical theme, delivered by bottle.
- Bridal showers and bachelorette weekends a beach weekend invitation the bridesmaids will photograph before they open it.
- Surprise trips and family announcements one family used the bottles to tell their children about a trip to Hawaii given as a Christmas gift.
- Corporate and client events a resort conference, a launch party or a client appreciation evening that needs an opening line.
- Vow renewals a second invitation for the people who were there the first time, with both names in the glass.
Message In A Bottle Invitation size and materials
| Size | Bottle 7"H x 1.75" in diameter; box 7" x 2" x 2" |
|---|---|
| Material | Glass bottle with a real cork, filled with fine grain sand and real miniature seashells |
| What is included | One glass bottle with cork, sand and sea shells, and a box; optional add-ons are custom bottle engraving, personalized tags, message scrolls on natural oil paper with cedar leaf, a printed response card, a printed map and directions, and a white mailing box |
| Personalization | Custom bottle engraving of up to 2 lines with 24 characters per line, done in-house; personalized tags are also available with up to 2 lines of 24 characters, and message scrolls carry the longer message of your choice |
| Turnaround | Standard 5–10 business days, rush 3–5, expedite 1–3, plus 2–5 days US shipping |
| Personalized by | HansonEllis, in-house, in business since 1999 |
Care and use
- Each bottle is assembled entirely by hand from start to finish and is custom made to your special order.
- Glass bottle sealed with a real cork and filled with fine grain sand and real miniature seashells; handle as you would any glass keepsake.
- Add the white mailing box if you plan to ship or mail the bottles, as one reviewer recommends.
How the Message In A Bottle Invitation is personalized
- Choose your add-ons above: bottle engraving, personalized tags, message scrolls, a response card, a printed map and a white mailing box, then set your quantity.
- Enter your engraving text, up to 2 lines of 24 characters, and copy and paste your scroll message into the text box, or type "will email later" and send your wording and event location details to [email protected].
- Each bottle is assembled by hand in-house and shipped insured by UPS, FedEx or USPS with tracking emailed to you.
Ideas for what to put inside and on the bottle
- Both first names and the wedding date engraved on the glass, with the full invitation on a message scroll inside.
- "Save the Date" on the bottle and the venue and city on a personalized tag.
- A response card printed with your RSVP date, return name and address, and the image of your choice.
- A printed map and directions for guests travelling to a resort, a beach or a marina.
- A surprise announcement rolled into the scroll, the way one family revealed a trip to Hawaii as a Christmas gift.
Quote ideas for your Message In A Bottle Invitation
- Emma & Noah / June 12, 2027
- Save the Date
- You're Invited
- Sarah & James Are / Getting Married
- Our Beach Wedding / Key West 2027
- Come Celebrate / With Us
- The Adventure Begins
- Set Sail With Us / Caribbean 2027
- Mr. & Mrs. Alvarez / October 3, 2027
- Aloha! Join Us / in Maui 5.9.27
Which one should I choose
Deciding how to invite guests to a destination event usually comes down to how much of the wording goes on the bottle and how much goes inside it.
| Message In A Bottle Invitation with custom bottle engraving | Choose it when you want two lines of names and a date cut into the glass, a keepsake guests keep on a shelf long after the event. |
|---|---|
| Message In A Bottle Invitation with Personalized Tags | Choose it when you are inviting a larger guest list and want the printed look on a tag rather than engraved glass. |
| Message In A Bottle Invitation with Message Scrolls | Choose it when the full invitation wording has to travel with the bottle, printed on natural oil paper with cedar leaf. |
| A printed flat card invitation | Choose it only when the invitation is purely functional; it will not arrive filled with sand and seashells. |
For a destination or beach wedding, engrave the bottle for the keepsake and add the scroll for the details; add the mailing boxes if you are posting them.
Ordering the Message In A Bottle Invitation for weddings and events
Ordering Message In A Bottle Invitations for a wedding, a resort conference or a milestone party takes a little planning because every bottle is assembled by hand. Order the exact quantity you need; bottle engraving has no minimum, while personalized tags require 36 and message scrolls, response cards and printed maps each require 24. If bottles should carry different names, or you need a map printed, email your list and your event location details to [email protected] after ordering so they can be matched to your order. Company logos are a custom order: send a vector file (.eps, .ai, .cdr, .pdf or .svg) or a high-resolution image to the same address; a logo setup fee applies and not every logo can be engraved. Standard production is 5–10 business days, rush 3–5 and expedite 1–3, plus 2–5 days US shipping; for a wedding, order 3–6 months ahead. For bulk pricing, please contact [email protected].
Questions shoppers ask about the Message In A Bottle Invitation
How big is the Message In A Bottle Invitation?
The bottle is 7"H and 1.75" in diameter and comes in a box measuring 7" x 2" x 2". It is a full-size bottle, heavy enough to feel like a real find.
What comes inside the bottle?
Each bottle is filled with fine grain sand and real miniature seashells and is sealed with a cork. Your printed message or scroll goes in with them.
How is the bottle personalized?
Custom bottle engraving is done in-house, up to 2 lines with 24 characters per line, counting spaces and punctuation. Personalized tags carry the same 2 lines of 24 characters.
How do I get my full invitation wording onto the invitation?
Add our Message Scrolls, made with natural oil paper with cedar leaf. Copy and paste your message into the text box on this page, or type "will email later" and send your wording to [email protected].
Is there a minimum quantity for the add-ons?
The bottle engraving has no minimum. Personalized tags require a minimum quantity of 36; message scrolls, response cards and the map and directions each require a minimum quantity of 24. For bulk pricing, please contact [email protected].
Can my guests RSVP?
Yes. Add our Response Card, printed with your RSVP date, return name and address and the image of your choice.
Can you include a map to the venue?
Yes. Add the Map and Directions option and email your event location information to [email protected], and a printed map is included with your invitations.
Can I mail these bottles to my guests?
Yes. Add the White Mailing Box so the bottles are securely packaged for posting. One reviewer advised getting the boxes if you plan to ship or mail them.
Can I see a proof before the invitations are made?
Yes. Proofs are optional and available on request for a $35-55 service fee per proof, and a proof adds extra days to production time. Changes after a proof has been sent carry a $40 minimum updating fee, so check your wording carefully.
How long do Message In A Bottle Invitations take?
Standard production is 5 to 10 business days, then 2 to 5 days shipping in the US, with rush (3 to 5 days) and expedite (1 to 3 days) available. Engraving takes a little longer, as one reviewer noted, and every bottle is assembled by hand, so order 3 to 6 months ahead for a wedding.
Do you ship bottle invitations internationally?
International shipping is by request; the shopping cart only calculates US shipping and international orders cannot be rushed. Email [email protected] for a quote. Customers in Canada and the UK have ordered these for their weddings.
Can I return them?
These are custom made to your special order, so personalized invitations are final sale unless defective. Non-personalized items can be returned within 14 days.
See more in INVITATIONS.
Updated September 2026 by the HansonEllis personalization team.
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