Guide
Wedding invitation wording, in English and Hindi
Published
Most wedding invitations say the same few things in a well-worn order: a blessing, who is inviting, whose wedding it is, when and where, and a request to come. The wording below follows that order. Change the names, keep what sounds like your family, and leave out what does not.
The opening blessing
Many families open with an invocation before anything else. Use the one your family uses, or none.
- Hindu: ॥ श्री गणेशाय नमः ॥ (Shree Ganeshaya Namah)
- Sikh: ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ (Ik Onkar Satgur Prasad)
- Jain: ॥ जय जिनेन्द्र ॥ (Jai Jinendra)
- Muslim: بِسْمِ ٱللَّٰهِ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ (Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim)
- Christian: a verse, often “Love is patient, love is kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4)
When the parents are inviting
The traditional form: the hosts' names first, then the couple, then each set of parents.
Mr and Mrs Rajesh Sharma
request the pleasure of your company
at the wedding of their daughter
Meera
with
Rohan
son of Mr and Mrs Anil Kapoor
श्रीमती एवं श्री राजेश शर्मा
अपनी सुपुत्री
सौ. कां. मीरा
का शुभ विवाह
चि. रोहन
(सुपुत्र श्रीमती एवं श्री अनिल कपूर)
के साथ होना निश्चित हुआ है।
आपकी गरिमामयी उपस्थिति प्रार्थनीय है।
चि. (चिरंजीव) goes before the groom's name and सौ. कां. (सौभाग्यकांक्षिणी) before the bride's. The groom's family's card reverses the order: their son first, and the bride as the daughter of her parents.
When the couple is inviting
Together with their families,
Meera and Rohan
invite you to celebrate their wedding
अपने परिवारों के आशीर्वाद के साथ
मीरा और रोहन
आपको अपने विवाह में सादर आमंत्रित करते हैं
Each celebration
Give each celebration its own line: the name, the date and time, the place, and the dress code if there is one.
Haldi · Friday 11 December, 10 am · At home · Wear yellow
Sangeet · Friday 11 December, 7:30 pm · The garden lawns · Festive
Wedding · Saturday 12 December, 7:30 pm · The courtyard · Traditional
हल्दी · शुक्रवार, 11 दिसंबर, प्रातः 10 बजे · निवास स्थान पर
संगीत संध्या · शुक्रवार, 11 दिसंबर, सायं 7:30 बजे
पाणिग्रहण संस्कार · शनिवार, 12 दिसंबर, सायं 7:30 बजे
प्रीतिभोज · रविवार, 13 दिसंबर, सायं 7:30 बजे
If different guests are invited to different celebrations, each should only see their own lines. On Nimantran that happens by itself: each guest's invitation lists only the celebrations they are invited to, with a map for each.
Asking for a reply
Kindly reply by 20 November
so that we may welcome you properly
कृपया 20 नवंबर तक अपनी स्वीकृति अवश्य भेजें।
The closing
Hindi cards traditionally end with the family members who are looking forward to the guest's arrival, under a word like दर्शनाभिलाषी (eager to see you) or स्वागतोत्सुक (waiting to welcome you). In English, a single warm line does the same.
Your presence is the greatest blessing.
With love, the Sharma and Kapoor families
कृपया पधार कर वर-वधू को आशीर्वाद प्रदान करें।
दर्शनाभिलाषी: समस्त शर्मा परिवार
On gifts, the kindest wording is short: “Your blessings are the only gift we ask for.” — or in Hindi, “आपका आशीर्वाद ही हमारा उपहार है।”