Hindu wedding invitation wording, with examples

marriageproposal.in8 August 2026Updated 2 September 20264 min read

A Hindu wedding invitation is built from four parts, in this order: an invocation (most often to Ganesha), the hosts extending the invitation, the couple and their parentage, and then each function with its date, muhurtham and venue. Copy the blocks below and change the names. The choices worth thinking about are who is named as host and how the ceremony itself is named — both vary by region.

The invocation line

Most Hindu invitations open with a line invoking Ganesha, remover of obstacles, before anything else on the card. It is set small and centred above the main text.

Common invocations

॥ श्री गणेशाय नमः ॥

Shree Ganeshaya Namaha

॥ ॐ श्री गणेशाय नमः ॥

Om Ganeshaya Namah

Shubham Astu — may there be auspiciousness

Some families use a kuladevata invocation instead, or in addition. If your family has one, it goes here and takes precedence over the general form.

Who does the inviting

This is the decision that shapes the rest of the card. Traditionally the bride's parents host and therefore invite; increasingly both families invite jointly, and many couples now invite in their own names. All three are correct and they read very differently.

The bride's parents inviting

Mr. & Mrs. Suresh Nair

request the pleasure of your company

at the wedding of their daughter

Meera

with

Arjun

son of Mr. & Mrs. Ramesh Menon

Both families inviting together

Mr. & Mrs. Suresh Nair

together with

Mr. & Mrs. Ramesh Menon

request the honour of your presence

at the marriage of their children

Meera & Arjun

The couple inviting

Meera & Arjun

together with their families

invite you to share in the joy

as they begin their life together

What to call the ceremony

The wedding itself has different names across regions, and using the local one is what makes a card read as belonging to that family rather than to a template.

Region or community	The ceremony	Usual card wording
Kerala	Muhurtham / Vivaham	The muhurtham will be held between 10:30 and 11:15 a.m.
Tamil Nadu	Muhurtham / Kalyanam	Muhurtham at 9:15 a.m.
North India	Vivah / Shaadi / Phere	Shubh Vivah — the phere will begin at 8:00 p.m.
Maharashtra	Vivah / Lagna	Lagna muhurt: 11:04 a.m.
Bengal	Biye / Shubho Bibaho	Shubho Bibaho
Telugu and Kannada	Vivaham / Kalyanam / Madhuve	Muhurtham 10:00 to 10:30 a.m.

The muhurtham is usually printed as a window rather than a single time, because it is one — an auspicious period within which the ceremony takes place. Printing "10:30 a.m." when the muhurtham runs 10:30 to 11:15 causes guests to arrive at the end of it.

A complete card, front to back

Full wording — bride's family hosting

॥ श्री गणेशाय नमः ॥

With the blessings of the Almighty and our elders

Mr. & Mrs. Suresh Nair

request the pleasure of your company

at the wedding of their beloved daughter

MEERA

with

ARJUN

son of Mr. & Mrs. Ramesh Menon, Thrissur

on Friday, the 27th of November 2026

Muhurtham between 10:30 and 11:15 in the forenoon

at Sree Krishna Kalyana Mandapam

Marine Drive, Kochi

Reception to follow at 7:00 in the evening

Your presence and blessings are all we ask.

Haldi, mehendi and sangeet

The pre-wedding functions carry a lighter register than the ceremony card, and are usually sent to a smaller list. Keep the invocation off these; it belongs on the wedding card.

Haldi

Turmeric, marigolds and far too much laughter.

Join us for Meera's haldi

Thursday, 26th November · 9:00 a.m.

At the family home, Panampilly Nagar

Wear something you don't mind ruining.

Mehendi

Before the vows, the henna.

Mehendi for Meera

Thursday, 26th November · from 4:00 p.m.

Taj Malabar, Willingdon Island

Festive greens — and come hungry.

Sangeet

An evening of music, dancing and questionable choreography.

Sangeet — Meera & Arjun

Thursday, 26th November · 7:30 p.m.

Le Méridien, Kochi

Closing lines and blessings

Traditional closings

We seek your presence and blessings on this auspicious occasion.

Your blessings would mean the world to us.

Sadaram swagatham — a warm welcome to you.

With love and anticipation, the Nair and Menon families.

Wedding breakfast will be served from 8:30 a.m.

A note on "RSVP": it goes at the bottom left with one name and one phone number, not the whole family's. If you are sending a digital invitation, put a link there instead — it collects a headcount rather than a stack of individual replies to somebody's phone.

Sindoor and Kasavu are built for Hindu ceremonies, with separate cards for each function and a muhurtham countdown.

See Hindu invitation designs

Part of our guide to Hindu wedding invitations.