Hindu Wedding Invitation Wording in English, with Shlokas and Samples

Hindu wedding invitation wording in English starts with a prayer to Ganesha at the top, most often "Om Shri Ganeshaya Namah" or the Vakratunda Mahakaya shloka. Below it come the hosts and the couple with their parents' names. Then the muhurat, the venue and the other functions, with a line of compliments from the family at the end.

This page goes deeper than our general wedding invitation wording guide. It gives the shlokas with their meaning, formal and modern samples, and function blocks for a three-day wedding. All names, dates and times below are made up. Your muhurat comes from your own priest.

What Goes on a Hindu Wedding Card, in Order

A Hindu card is read from top to bottom like a small letter, and elders notice when something is missing.

The shloka sits in the centre, often in red or gold, sometimes under a small Ganesha picture. If you print a Ganesha picture, ask guests not to throw the card away carelessly. Many families add a line for this, which we give further down.

Shlokas for the Top of the Card, with Meaning

Pick one. A card with three shlokas stacked on top looks crowded, and the printer will have to shrink the names.

Vakratunda Mahakaya

This is the most printed Ganesh shloka on wedding cards across India.

Meaning: O Lord with the curved trunk and the mighty body, shining like a crore suns, remove the obstacles from all my work, always. The text above matches the version on shlokam.org.

The Vishnu Mangalam Shloka

Many families print this one at the bottom of the card, or on the envelope flap.

Meaning: Auspicious is Lord Vishnu, auspicious is the one with Garuda on his flag. Auspicious is the lotus-eyed one, and may Hari bring auspiciousness to us. The Devanagari follows shlokam.org's text.

Short Openers

When the design has little space, one line is enough.

A family deity line can go just under the opener: "With the blessings of Sri Meenakshi Amman" or "Kuldevi Ma Chamunda ki kripa se". Use the deity your family names in every puja.

Sanskrit spellings in English vary from printer to printer. Pick one spelling and use it on both the card and the envelope.

Formal Samples Hosted by the Parents

From the Bride's Parents

From the Groom's Parents

When a Grandparent or Uncle Hosts

Use "Late" before the name of a parent who has passed away. Relatives expect to see the full family on the card.

Modern Samples

Couples who live in another city, or who plan the wedding themselves, often want plainer English. Keep the shloka on top anyway if the parents ask for it. It costs one line.

A shorter one for office friends:

Shruti and Nikhil are getting married. Saturday, 12 December 2026, Shree Lawns, Wardha Road, Nagpur. Pheras at 11:10 am. Please come for lunch and stay for the photos.

If you are sending these on the phone, our WhatsApp wedding invitation messages are written to be forwarded.

How to Write "Shubh Vivah" on the Card

Shubh Vivah (शुभ विवाह) means "auspicious wedding". It usually goes as a heading above the couple's names, or in large letters on the cover.

On an English card you can print it in Devanagari, in English letters as "Shubh Vivah", or both. South Indian cards often use "Subha Muhurtham" or "Kalyana Patrika" instead. Do not translate it into "Happy Wedding". It reads oddly to elders.

Function Blocks for a Wedding with More than One Event

When there are several events, list them in a small block, in the order they happen. Give each event its own line with the date, time and place. Guests from outside the city book trains and rooms from this block.

On a printed card, an insert card for each event also works. Relatives who are invited only to the reception get only that insert.

Check every day against its date before printing. 12 December 2026 is a Saturday. One wrong weekday on a card sends half the guests on the wrong evening. Our December 2026 vivah muhurat list gives the day for each muhurat date.

A night muhurat that runs past midnight needs care. If the pheras are at 1:30 am after a Saturday reception, write "night of Saturday, 12 December 2026 (1:30 am, 13 December)" so nobody arrives a day late.

Lines for the Bottom of the Card

The bottom of a Hindu card carries the compliments and RSVP lines. Some families add a request too.

Compliments

• With best compliments from: Dadaji, Dadiji and the entire Deshpande family
• Awaiting your presence: all relatives and friends
• With love from the little ones: Aarav, Ishita and Kiaan

The last one is the English version of the bal manuhar (children's request) line on Hindi cards. Children's names on the card make the grandparents very happy.

RSVP

• RSVP: Prakash Deshpande, 98xxxxxx41; Amit Deshpande, 97xxxxxx08
• Please confirm by 30 November 2026 for room bookings

Two numbers is enough. Write them with the name, so a guest knows whom he is calling.

Requests

• Your blessings are our gift. (for families who do not want gifts)
• This card carries the name of Lord Ganesha. Please do not throw it away carelessly.
• Parking at Shree Lawns, Gate 2

The first line is the polite way to say "no gifts". Close relatives may still bring something, and that is fine.

Matching the Card to the Biodata

The parents' names, native place and family deity on the card are the same details that went into the biodata. Spell them the same way on both. If someone else in the family is still looking for a match, you can make a Hindu biodata with a Ganesha header using the same family details.

For the Hindi side of the card, see our wedding card matter in Hindi. Marathi families can use the lagna patrika wording in Marathi. More guides are in the invitations and gifts section.