What to write in an invitation

A good invitation answers every question a guest might ask, before they ask it. Whether it is a printed wedding card or a two-line WhatsApp message, it needs the same seven parts.

The seven parts

1. Who is inviting. The host: parents, the couple, the children, the office. Guests want to know whom to thank and whom to call.
2. What the occasion is. Say it in plain words: wedding, first birthday, griha pravesh. Do not make people guess from the decoration.
3. Who it is for. The names of the couple, the child or the person being honoured, spelt the way they like.
4. The date, with the weekday. Write "Sunday, 14 February 2027". The weekday lets people catch a wrong date at once.
5. The time. Write am or pm. If the main moment is fixed, such as a muhurat or a cake cutting, give that time too.
6. The place. The full address with a landmark. "My place" is not an address for half the guests.
7. How to reply, and anything special. A name and number for replies, and one line each for dress code, food or parking if needed.

A worked example

Count the parts: host, occasion, person, date with weekday, time, place, reply. Nothing is missing and nothing is extra.

Mistakes that confuse guests

• Weekday and date do not match. This is the most common printing mistake. Check them against a calendar.
• No year. It looks obvious today, but the card may be kept as a memory.
• "12 o'clock" without noon or midnight. Write "12 noon".
• Only the hall name. Many towns have two halls with similar names. Add the road and the area.
• Pet names only. Older relatives may not know who "Chintu" is. Give the full name once.
• Too many fonts and colours. If the details are hard to read, the card has failed.

Before you send or print

• Read every name aloud, letter by letter.
• Check the date, weekday, year and time.
• Call the venue and confirm the booking for that date and time.
• Ask one person outside the family to read it. Fresh eyes find mistakes.
• Send a test message to yourself and open it on the phone.

More guides

• When to send invitations
• RSVP wording and replies
• Inviting on WhatsApp
• Special lines to add
• Reminders and thank-you messages

Make an invitation card