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