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