| Your wedding invitation is often the first that guests | | | | family like an elder brother and his wife or |
| hear about your wedding. It is also used by guests to | | | | grandparents even. However, the invitation must be |
| glean the style and tone of your wedding. Naturally, if | | | | issued personally. |
| you are planning a theme wedding, then the wedding | | | | For distant relatives and acquaintances it is |
| invitations are used to set up the theme. A | | | | acceptable to courier the invitations. |
| destination wedding is also reflected in the invitation. | | | | Invitations to friends can be distributed by the bride |
| The overall formality or casual nature of the wedding | | | | or groom themselves. These invitations need to be |
| is also made apparent in your wedding invitations. | | | | given personally or sent by mail depending on the |
| In the South Asian cultures, wedding invitations play a | | | | relationship between friends. |
| greater role than just indicating what type of | | | | Guests invited for ceremonies other than the |
| wedding the guests can expect. The manner in which | | | | wedding reception, like the Sangeet party or the |
| the wedding invite is presented may actually | | | | Mehendi , must be invited to the wedding also. It is a |
| determine whether the guests accept the invitation | | | | serious faux pas to invite a guest for a smaller event |
| or not! Here are some quick rules of thumb to keep | | | | and not the wedding itself although the vice versa is |
| in mind when distributing your wedding invitations. | | | | acceptable. Also, any guests who have participated in |
| The first wedding invitation is always sent to the | | | | the planning of the wedding must be invited. Guests |
| parents of your spouse-to-be. In Hindu marriages it is | | | | who have attended the bridal shower or groom's |
| customary to hold a Ganesh puja and invite the Gods | | | | stag party also are to be invited. |
| to the wedding. The same invitation is then given to | | | | It is acceptable to print just one set of wedding |
| the parents of the opposite side. | | | | invitations for both the bride and groom's side of the |
| Wedding invitations can be printed in the | | | | family. This is a great budgeting tip. |
| mother-tongue or English - both are acceptable - as | | | | Out-of-town guests need to be sent a letter |
| per your family's beliefs. However, if you intend to | | | | intimating them of the wedding dates as soon as the |
| invite guests who may not understand or read your | | | | dates have been finalised. The actual wedding |
| mother-tongue it is required that you either print a | | | | invitations can be sent closer to the wedding date |
| set of invitations in English (or any other commonly | | | | with the rest of the details. |
| understood language) or place a set of inserts that | | | | It is better to print inserts for pre-wedding |
| include the necessary information like date, time and | | | | ceremonies so that you can include them with select |
| venue of the wedding. | | | | wedding invitations. Sending a wedding invite with the |
| Wedding invitations are always sent with a box of | | | | details of pre-wedding ceremonies and then not |
| sweets or some other wedding favour - especially | | | | mentioning the ceremony over the phone call is not |
| for a son's wedding. Traditionally, invitations to a | | | | considered acceptable. |
| daughter's wedding were not sent with any favours. | | | | A follow-up phone call is a must for close family and |
| The reason being that the bride's parents were | | | | friends a week or ten days prior to the wedding. |
| already expected to incur large wedding costs and | | | | In Indian culture a guest is akin to God and must be |
| did not need to add to their expense. Most families | | | | treated with equal respect and reverence. The more |
| no longer follow this rule and prefer to give out | | | | guests who show up to bless the union the better |
| wedding favours in all their children's weddings. | | | | the marriage is expected to be. So when inviting your |
| It is customary for the bride or groom's parents to | | | | guests ensure that you extend the warmest |
| go personally and invite close family and friends. The | | | | invitation you can! |
| task can be delegated to other members of the | | | | |