The wording is the part of an invitation people agonise over most. It has to honour both families, sound warm rather than stiff, and still tell guests where to be and when. Below are samples you can copy and adapt, in English and in Hindi.
How Indian wedding invitations are usually worded
A traditional invitation usually follows the same order:
- A blessing or invocation at the top, such as Shri Ganeshaya Namah, Ik Onkar or Bismillah
- Who is inviting: usually the parents or grandparents
- The couple's names, often with their parents' names
- The request: that the guest join with their family
- The functions, dates, times and venues
- The names of family members looking forward to welcoming the guest
English: from the parents
With the blessings of our elders,
Mrs. & Mr. Rakesh Sharma
request the pleasure of your company with family
at the wedding of their son
Arjun
with
Riya
daughter of Mrs. & Mr. Anil Verma
English: from the couple
Together with our families,
Riya & Arjun
invite you to celebrate our wedding.
Your presence is the only blessing we need.
Hindi: traditional
॥ श्री गणेशाय नमः ॥
श्रीमती एवं श्री राकेश शर्मा
अपने सुपुत्र
चि. अर्जुन
संग
सौ. कां. रिया
(सुपुत्री श्रीमती एवं श्री अनिल वर्मा)
के शुभ विवाह के पावन अवसर पर
आपको सपरिवार सादर आमंत्रित करते हैं।
आपकी गरिमामयी उपस्थिति प्रार्थनीय है।
At the end, families often add दर्शनाभिलाषी (eager to see you) or स्वागतोत्सुक (looking forward to welcoming you), followed by the names of family members.
Hindi: simple and modern
दो दिल, एक कहानी।
हमारे परिवारों के आशीर्वाद के साथ,
रिया और अर्जुन
आपको अपनी शादी में शामिल होने का निमंत्रण देते हैं।
For a Nikah
Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim
With the blessings of Allah and our elders,
we request the honour of your presence
at the Nikah of
Inaya & Arham
and the Walima that follows, Insha'Allah.
For each function
- Haldi: "Come dressed in yellow and ready to get messy. Haldi, Saturday 10 am, at home."
- Mehendi: "An afternoon of mehendi, music and chai. Bring your best dance moves."
- Sangeet: "Both families, one stage. Join us for an evening of songs and dance."
- Wedding: "The pheras begin at the shubh muhurat, 7:30 pm. Please be seated by 7."
- Reception: "Dinner and celebrations to welcome the newlyweds."
Short messages to send with the link
When you share a wedding website on WhatsApp, the message that goes with the link matters. Keep it personal and short:
Namaste Sharma ji! It would mean a lot to us if you and the family could join us for Riya and Arjun's wedding. All the details, venues and RSVP are here: [link]
नमस्ते! रिया और अर्जुन की शादी में आप सपरिवार ज़रूर आइए। सभी कार्यक्रम, स्थान और RSVP इस लिंक पर हैं: [link]
A few tips
- Spell every name the way the family spells it, and have someone from each side check it.
- Use the same honorifics for both families.
- If the invitation is in two languages, keep the details (dates, times, venues) identical in both.
- Put the RSVP date clearly, a week or two before the first function.
Every Chalchitra Labs design can carry headings, names and blessings in your language alongside English. Browse the designs.