Wedding Invite Wording Guide: What To Say On The Wedding Card
By Urban Company
12 min read
Jun 29, 2018
This is a part of the complete Invite Wordings Guide for your Indian Wedding. You’ve finalised your wedding card design, and you’re so relieved! “My work is ...
You’ve finalised your wedding card design, and you’re so relieved! “My work is done”, you say to yourself with a tired but happy smile on your face. But wait, your card designer just asked you to “please send wedding invitation wording in an MS Word doc.”
WHAT?!
Ok ok. How hard can it be? I just need to mention my name, my future spouse’s, my parents, grandparents, the venues, timings (exact or vague?)…
That does seem like an awful lot of details to figure out. You’ll soon realise, the following wordings will need to be decided by you and your family for a standard wedding card –
1. Who will be inviting the guests on paper – your parents, grandparents or you?
2. How you will address your parents, grandparents and parents of your spouse-to-be? Salutations such as Mrs. & Mr. or Smt. & Shri, or add “ji” at the end of the names? For example, “Arpana Ji and Kamal Patel Ji”.
3. Basic function details: Name of event, date, venue, time
4. Additional function details: Dress code, Detailed or simple itinerary (do you want to simply say “Wedding 7.30 pm onwards” or include baraat welcome, pheras, dinner and vidai timings as well), Instructions (“Bring your dancing shoes”)
5. The Map (Basic, Illustrated or Google Map location link) + “Map Overleaf”
6. [RSVP Line + Best Compliments](https://www.urbancompany.com/blog/weddings/invitation-card-wordings-guide-rsvp-compliments-gifts/ "Wedding Invite Wordings Guide: RSVP, Compliments & Gifts (With Examples From Real Wedding Cards!)") (where you mention other family members)
7. [Gifting-related](https://www.urbancompany.com/blog/weddings/invitation-card-wordings-guide-rsvp-compliments-gifts/ "Wedding Invite Wordings Guide: RSVP, Compliments & Gifts (With Examples From Real Wedding Cards!)") (optional)
8. Your wedding hashtag (optional)
9. Religious prayer or verse (optional)
Note:
_ A destination wedding card will have additional/different wording requirements!
CALM DOWN.
We’re here to help.
First, you need to know the basic structure of an Indian wedding card. It’s not that complicated (in this basic version!) so just keep reading and promise, it will be a cakewalk for you by the end of this post –
The Basic Indian Wedding Invite
1. The Host Line –
The rule says that whoever is paying for the wedding is the “host” of the event. In India, we put our parents’ and/or grandparents’ names here (and our sibling’s name on the Mehendi insert!) because we don’t exactly follow this rule as is! It’s more about who we want to pay our respects to and having “the whole family” invite guests to the affair. There are couples who are paying for their own weddings and even they might end up mentioning their parents as hosts.
2. Request / Invitation Line –
This line basically “invites” your guests to your nuptials. According to Martha Stewart, you say “request the honour of your presence” for a religious ceremony and “request the pleasure of your company” for a non-religious function.
In Indian cards, however, you’ll find you have a LOT of options of how to word this line. We’ve seen everything from “solicit the honour of your benign presence to bless their beloved daughter” to the simple “request your company at the wedding of”.
You’ll find more ideas when you get to the “Real Wedding Invites” section.
3. Names –
Of the couple getting married, obviously!
• If the invitation is going out from the bride’s side, her name goes on top.
• If it’s from the groom’s side, his name goes first.
• If the couple is sending out the same invite from both sides of the family, the bride’s name goes first.
4. Parents And/Or Grandparents Names –
Indian wedding cards almost always mention these under the bride’s and groom’s names. If you’re mentioning your grandparents, traditionally one would write only the paternal grandparents’ names.
But considering how we live in evolved times, couples’ now write names of both sets of grandparents. In a formal invite, you’d write Mrs. & Mr. or Smt. & Shri. to address the parents.
5. Information Line –
This is self-explanatory. You can use this section of the card to add function details (time, date, venue, dress-code, etc), RSVP point of contact, [best compliments from](https://www.urbancompany.com/blog/weddings/invitation-card-wordings-guide-rsvp-compliments-gifts/ "Wedding Invite Wordings Guide: RSVP, Compliments & Gifts (With Examples From Real Wedding Cards!)") the family or even say “as per program enclosed” if you have function-wise details on separate inserts/pages.
Now that you know the basics of what wordings you need to decide for your wedding card, find some ideas from these Real Wedding Invitations!
# 17 Real Wedding Invitation Wording Examples: In English
For Hindu, Sikh & Christian Weddings
I. The Wedding Day Insert
Most of us will add all the information (including host line, request line, etc.) to each and every Insert, including the Wedding Day Insert!
Example 1: Formal + Parents in Host Line
Rashmi & Rakesh Verma
request your gracious presence on the Wedding Ceremony of their son
Rohan with Namrata
Daughter of Dr. Mrs. Raj and JP Sharma
on Sunday, the 14th of March, 2010
at Lawn One, Air Force Auditorium, Subroto Park, New Delhi
Assembly of Baraat – 5:00 PM_
–> basic itinerary details
Wedding – 6:00 PM
Map Overleaf
Example 2: Formal + Parents in Host Line at End of Card
To share our happiness on this auspicious day
Please join us for the wedding ceremony of our son
Bhavik with Aneeta
Daughter of Namita and Ashok Nagar
Saturday, the Seventeenth of October
Two Thousand Fifteen
Baraat – 5:00 PM, Ruby Room
Hasta Melaap – 6:45 pm, The Chambers Terrace
Dinner – 8:30 pm, Ballroom
The Taj Mahal Palace and Tower, Apollo Bunder, Mumbai
Rekha and Rakesh Aggarwal_
–> different format with host line at the end
Example 3: Formal South Indian Wedding + Parents in Host Line
Smt. Meena & Sri M.S. Ramakrishna
request the pleasure of your company on the Occasion of the Wedding of their son
Rushyant with Rukmini
(D/o Smt. Srivani and Sri Mullapudi Ranga Rao)
on Sunday, the 8th of February, 2015 at 4.29 am
at Bhogavalli Bapaiah Kalyana Mandapam, Tanuku
Dinner on Saturday, 7th February, 7 pm onwards
PRO TIP:
You can easily add a single line about a welcome or family dinner to your wedding day insert, instead of opting for a separate Dinner insert
Example 4: Traditional Sikh Wedding + Parents in Host Line
Mrs. Satvir &_ Mr. Surjit Singh Bawa
request the pleasure of your company on the auspicious occasion
of the marriage of their son
Arjun & Meher
Daughter of Mrs. _Preeti &_ Mr. Arvinderjit Singh
on Twentyfifth November, Two Thousand and Sixteen
Anand Karaj – 11 AM
Gurudwara Sahib Sec-11, CHD
Followed by Lunch at Montview, Sector 10, Chandigarh
Example 5: Traditional Christian Wedding + Hosted by Parents
Mr & Mrs Joseph Tauren
request the pleasure of your company at the wedding of their daughter
Amber Tauro to Nathan Salvador
son of Mr & Mrs Kevin Salvador
Sunday, 9th April 2017 at 11:30 am
St. Francis Xavier’s Cathedral, Cleveland Town, Coles Park, Bangalore
Example 6: Traditional + Grandparents in Host Line
Shree Ganeshaya Namah
With the divine mother’s blessings
Late Smt. Kokilaben & Late Shri Vasantlalbhai Mehta
Smt. Manjulaben & Shri Kavinbhai Parikh
cordially invite you and your family to the wedding of their grandson
Anshul
son of Rina & Anuj Mehta
to Megha
daughter of Smt. Kusumben & Shri Sudhirbhai Goenka
on Saturday, 7th February 2015
at the Far Pavilion, Turf Club, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai
Chauviar 5:30 pm onwards
Hasta Melap 6:33 pm onwards
Dinner 8:00 pm onwards
Example 7: Traditional + Parents & Grandparents in Host Line
With the heavenly blessings of Late Smt. Sushil Kumari & Late Sh VN Dudeja
Mrs Darshan & Lt Col Makesh Kumar Dadeja
solicit your gracious presence on the auspicious occasion
of the wedding of their daughter
Shereen with Abhijeet
(S/o Mrs Meena Vohora & Late Sh Bharat Bhushan Vohora)
on Sunday, 6th December 2015
Reception of Baraat – 7:00 PM
Dinner – 8:00 PM
at Hotel Shivalik View, Chandigarh
Example 8: Formal Wordings for E-vite or Whatsapp Image Sent to Friends
Damini and Tarun
invite you to join them in the celebration of their marriage
on March 9, 2018
6:30 pm
Chatarpur Farms, Delhi
Reception to follow
Example 9: Same Invite Sent by Bride & Groom’s Side + Parents in Host Line
Together with Mr & Mrs Jitinder Sudarshan
and Mr & Mrs Sachin Gopinath
Miss Sharanya Sudarshan & Mr Sanjeet Gopinath_
–> bride’s name first
request the honour of your presence at the celebration of their marriage
July 15, 2016 11:00 in the morning
Block T, Neb Sarai, Sainik Farms, New Delhi
Example 10: Modern Casual + Couple in Host Line
Rishi & Nikita
together with their parents invite you to be with us as we begin our new life together
Saturday, 29th of Oct 2016, 12:00 PM onwards
at the Gateway Hotel Lakeside Hubli
Unkal Lake, PB Rd, Hubli, Karnataka
Example 11: Simple Modern + Couple as Hosts
You are invited to witness the wedding celebration of
Kritika Dwivedi and Shibin Krishnan
Friday, July 15, 2016 at 4:30 pm
Jade Garden at the Hotel Sun & Sand, St. Juru Tara, Juhu, Mumbai
Example 12: Only Itinerary on Wedding Day Insert
Anurag & Astha
Wedding
Tuesday 14 February 2017
Narang Farm
3, Maple Avenue, South Drive
DLF Chattarpur Farms
Mehrauli, New Delhi
Ghurchadi at E-396 GK2: 11:15 AM
Departure of Baraat: 12:15 PM
Reassembly of Baraat at Narang Farm: 1:15 PM
Reception of Baraat & Lunch: 2:00 PM
Phere: 3:00 PM
Doli: 5:30 PM
Baraat will reassemble at South Drive 100 mtrs west of Narang Garm
(Narang Farm Map Overleaf)
PRO TIP:
While exact timings like these are helpful if your venue is changing multiple times (for groom’s side), you can opt for a shorter version if you’re the bride.
Sample 1:
Baraat & Pheras 10.30 am onwards.
Luncheon to follow.
—
Sample 2:
Function: Baraat, Phere & Lunch
Time: 11.45 am onwards
Followed by Reception Dinner
Time: 8 pm onwards
—
II. Main Wedding Insert + Other Inserts
In case of a wedding day insert like this, there is a
Main Wedding Insert
or area on the card’s jacket where you invite your guests with all the formalities of a request line, host line, etc.
The other inserts
give details of each event (
Mehendi, Sangeet, Wedding, Reception, etc) in a short summary.
This type of Main Wedding Insert will be worded slightly differently.
• You have more space so you can include
a quoteand a longer list of relatives can be added in the best compliments section.
• You can include an additional request line to welcome guests to the wedding after the bride and groom’s names.
Example 13 – Modern Formal Wording with Grandparents in Host Line
The Main Insert says –
With The Heavenly Blessings Of Late Shri Raj Kumar Khanna
Kanta Khanna _cordially invites you to share the joy_ _on the wedding celebrations_ of their granddaughter
Sandhya
(D/o Late Mrs. Arti & Mr. Sanjay Khanna)
with Deepanshu
(S/o Mrs. Usha & Mr. Kamal Krishnan Arora)
PRO TIP:
If you’re going for a modern formal tone, use Mrs. & Mr. salutations for the parents of both the bride & groom.
While there are separate inserts for each event.
The Wedding ceremony insert simply says –
WEDDING
Sunday
8th February
2015
Elroy Lawn
The Umrao, NH8,
Near Rajokri, New Delhi
Reception of Baraat 8 PM
Followed by dinner
(Mapy Overleaf)
—
Example 14 – Formal Wording to Sikh Wedding, Including Grandparents
With the blessings of
[Paternal Grandparents Names]
[Maternal Grandparents Names]
Manju & Rajneesh Garg_
–> parents names
request the honour of your presence at the wedding of their beloved daughter
Nooran _with_ Hargobind
Grandson of Sardar & Sardarni Sukhdev Singh Dhillon
Son of Kamaldeep & Amardeep Singh Dhillon.
Sharing the Love_
–> best compliments section
Jaisha
Gaurav & Udita, Pranav & Yashica
Rhiya & Risha, Yuvika, Inara Mira
Adit & Rishith, Kavik.
PRO TIP:
For a formal Sikh marriage invitation, using salutations “Sardar & Sardarni” for parents or grandparents of the bride and/or groom is an apt choice.
—
Example 15 – Traditional Semi-Formal Wording
Aruna & Nimesh Kampani
cordially invite you to the _Wedding Celebrations_ of their daughter
Amishi
(Granddaughter of Late Smt. Savitaben & Late Shri Nagindas Kampani)
with Akash
(Son of Smt. Geeta & Shri. Sandeep Gambhir)
We would be personally obliged if you could join us on this auspicious occasion and bless the couple.
…
With Best Compliments From
Madhu – Vishal
Avantika, Shiv
& Kampani Family
(Blessings Only)
PRO TIP:
If you are going for traditional wedding invitation wording, use Smt. & Shri. salutations for the parents and grandparents.
—
Example 16 – Casual Wording With All 4 Grandparents as Hosts (Long Version)
If you feel the need to make a generous invitation. Plus, see how they made the host line interesting!
It gives us immense pleasure to invite you to the marriage of our grandson
Anshul
Son of Rina & Anuj Mehta
to Megha
Daughter of Smt. Kusumben & Shri Sudhirbhai Goenka.
Your presence at the wedding celebrations _will enhance the joy of the occasion and_ will add blessings to this happy union.
We will be filled with pleasure if you and _your family will join us for the joyful_ marriage events.
[Names of all 4 grandparents handwritten by them]
UNIQUE IDEA ALERT!
A fun way to include all your grandparents (or other family members!) in the wedding card matter is to add their names in their own handwritings!
—
Example 17 – Casual Wording With All 4 Grandparents as Hosts (Short)
If you want to keep it simple and to the point!
We cordially invite you to share our joy in celebrating the wedding of our grandson
Rohan
Son of Rashmi & Rakesh Verma
TO Namrata
Daughter of Dr. Mrs. Raj & JP Sharma.
Ram Kumari & Priya Ranjan Verma_
–> grandparents’ names
Madhulika & Dr. Binode Jaipuriar
PRO TIP:
You can go truly casual by mentioning your grandparents full names without salutations (unless they’re professional salutations, such as Dr.) if they’re Hosts in your invite.
—
We hope you found this guide helpful. If you’re wondering what options you have for requesting no gifts and if you really need to add all your family members to the “best compliments” part of the card, make sure you check out [this post](https://www.urbancompany.com/blog/weddings/invitation-card-wordings-guide-rsvp-compliments-gifts/ "Wedding Invite Wordings Guide: RSVP, Compliments & Gifts (With Examples From Real Wedding Cards!)").
Do leave a comment with any specific questions you have about wedding invitation wordings – since we know how our cards have their own unique Indian style English!
• Part 1: How To Word Your Indian Wedding Invites (THIS POST!)
• Part 2:
What To Say On The Insert for Every Kind of Indian Wedding Function!Including Reception, Sangeet & More!
And if you’re looking for Wedding Invite Design Ideas, don’t miss –