diff --git a/cmd/review/email.go b/cmd/review/email.go
index 70412e9..d0b304a 100644
--- a/cmd/review/email.go
+++ b/cmd/review/email.go
@@ -1,8 +1,67 @@
 package main
 
-// TODO function for reading smtp.pw from /town/docs
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"os"
 
-func sendInviteEmail() error {
-	// TODO
-	return nil
+	"git.tilde.town/tildetown/town/email"
+	"git.tilde.town/tildetown/town/invites"
+)
+
+const emailText = `hello!
+
+You applied to https://tilde.town at some point and your application has been approved ^_^
+
+Your invite code is: %s
+
+To redeem your code, please open a terminal and run:
+
+ssh welcome@tilde.town
+
+You'll fill in details like your desired username and SSH public key.
+
+If you're brand new to SSH or have never heard of it that is okay!
+
+This page has information on what SSH is and how to use it, including how to create an ssh key pair which you'll need to access your town account: https://tilde.town/wiki/getting-started/ssh.html
+
+If you run into confusion or problems creating a key pair on your computer, this page can generate one for you: https://tilde.town/keymachine . However you'll still need to save the generated key files to your computer in order to use them.
+
+If you end up stuck, e-mail root@tilde.town with any questions.
+
+See you on the server,
+~vilmibm`
+
+func loadPassword() (string, error) {
+	f, err := os.Open("/town/docs/smtp.pw")
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+
+	pw := make([]byte, 100)
+
+	n, err := f.Read(pw)
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	if n == 0 {
+		return "", errors.New("read nothing")
+	}
+
+	return string(pw[0:n]), nil
+}
+
+func sendInviteEmail(invite invites.Invite) error {
+	pw, err := loadPassword()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("could not read password: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	body := fmt.Sprintf(emailText, invite.Code)
+
+	mailer := email.NewExternalMailer(pw)
+	return mailer.Send(
+		invite.Email,
+		"your tilde.town application was accepted",
+		body)
 }
diff --git a/cmd/review/main.go b/cmd/review/main.go
index 5025719..ec62955 100644
--- a/cmd/review/main.go
+++ b/cmd/review/main.go
@@ -263,15 +263,16 @@ func _main() error {
 		updateCount()
 		render()
 		if decision == models.SignupAccepted {
-			if err = invites.InsertInvite(inviteDB, currSignup.CleanEmail); err != nil {
+			invite := &invites.Invite{
+				Email: currSignup.CleanEmail,
+			}
+
+			if err = invite.Insert(inviteDB); err != nil {
 				errorModal.SetText(fmt.Sprintf("error! failed to create invite: %s", err.Error()))
 				pages.SwitchToPage("error")
 			}
 
-			// TODO need to get an invite back from InsertInvite so we can send it to
-			// the clean email using sendInviteEmail
-
-			if err = sendInviteEmail(); err != nil {
+			if err = sendInviteEmail(*invite); err != nil {
 				errorModal.SetText(fmt.Sprintf("error! failed to send welcome email: %s", err.Error()))
 				pages.SwitchToPage("error")
 			}
diff --git a/cmd/signup/main.go b/cmd/signup/main.go
index 6c355dc..0165ded 100644
--- a/cmd/signup/main.go
+++ b/cmd/signup/main.go
@@ -262,7 +262,8 @@ func _main(l *log.Logger, db *sql.DB) error {
 		newScene("done", heredoc.Doc(`
 				thank you for applying to tilde.town! 
 
-				please be on the look out for an email from [-:-:b]root@tilde.town[-:-:-]
+				please be on the look out for an email from [-:-:b]root@tilde.town[-:-:-]. 
+				it's almost certain that it will end up in your spam filter, unfortunately.
 
 				you can [-:-:b]/quit[-:-:-] now
 
diff --git a/email/email.go b/email/email.go
index 1a96684..fff69dd 100644
--- a/email/email.go
+++ b/email/email.go
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ import (
 )
 
 const (
-	SMTPlogin = "root@tilde.town"
-	SMTPHost  = "smtp.zoho.com"
-	SMTPPort  = 465
+	from     = "root@tilde.town"
+	SMTPHost = "smtp.zoho.com"
+	SMTPPort = 465
 )
 
 func SendLocalEmail(username, subject, body string) error {
@@ -39,8 +39,19 @@ func NewExternalMailer(pw string) *ExternalMailer {
 }
 
 func (m *ExternalMailer) Send(address, subject, body string) error {
-	// TODO need to add headers to prepare message
-	auth := smtp.PlainAuth("", SMTPlogin, m.Password, SMTPHost)
+	headers := map[string]string{
+		"From":    from,
+		"To":      address,
+		"Subject": subject,
+	}
+
+	message := ""
+	for k, v := range headers {
+		message += fmt.Sprintf("%s: %s\r\n", k, v)
+	}
+	message += "\r\n" + body
+
+	auth := smtp.PlainAuth("", from, m.Password, SMTPHost)
 
 	server := fmt.Sprintf("%s:%d", SMTPHost, SMTPPort)
 
diff --git a/invites/invites.go b/invites/invites.go
index 2cd9f6d..16d79c2 100644
--- a/invites/invites.go
+++ b/invites/invites.go
@@ -24,6 +24,23 @@ type Invite struct {
 	Used    bool
 }
 
+func (i *Invite) Insert(db *sql.DB) error {
+	stmt, err := db.Prepare(`
+		INSERT INTO invites (code, email) VALUES (?, ?)
+	`)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	_, err = stmt.Exec(generateCode(i.Email), i.Email)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer stmt.Close()
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 func ConnectDB() (*sql.DB, error) {
 	db, err := sql.Open("sqlite3", dsn)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -66,23 +83,6 @@ func Decode(code string) ([]string, error) {
 	return strings.Split(string(decoded), " "), nil
 }
 
-func InsertInvite(db *sql.DB, email string) error {
-	stmt, err := db.Prepare(`
-		INSERT INTO invites (code, email) VALUES (?, ?)
-	`)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	_, err = stmt.Exec(generateCode(email), email)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-	defer stmt.Close()
-
-	return nil
-}
-
 func Get(db *sql.DB, code string) (*Invite, error) {
 	inv := &Invite{
 		Code: code,