Haldi, mehndi and sangeet invitation wording: short messages you can send on WhatsApp

A big Indian wedding is several small events, and each one has its own guest list, dress code and time. The formal card covers the whole schedule, but on the day people look for a short message they can read in ten seconds: what is this, when, where and what do I wear.

Here is how to write those messages, with examples you can adapt. Names, dates and places are made up, so swap in yours.

The five details every message needs

1. Who is hosting. "The Sharma family" or "Riya and Arjun".
2. What the function is. Haldi, mehndi, sangeet, engagement, reception.
3. The date and time. Include the day of the week, and the year if the message might be read months later.
4. The venue. Name it, and add a map pin or a landmark, because a pin saves many phone calls.
5. What to wear or bring. Guests ask this every time, so answer it before they do.

Add a sixth if you need it: a reply date for the headcount.

Haldi

Haldi is usually a morning function, and guests often get messy, so the dress code matters most here.

Haldi time! Please join us for Riya's haldi on Friday, 12 December, at 11 am, at the Sharma home, Indiranagar (pin below). Wear yellow, or something you do not mind getting a little golden. Lunch to follow. With love, the Sharma family.

Haldi hai! Riya ki haldi mein zaroor aana: Friday, 12 December, subah 11 baje, Sharma ji ke ghar, Indiranagar (pin neeche hai). Peela pehen ke aana, ya kuch aisa jo thoda peela ho jaye toh chalega. Khaana saath mein hoga.

Mehndi

Henna takes time to apply and dry, so tell guests how long to plan for.

Mehndi evening for Riya and her girls! Thursday, 11 December, from 4 pm, at the Sharma home (pin below). Mehndi artists will be there, so plan to stay a few hours, and wear short or loose sleeves. Dinner at 8.

Mehndi ki shaam! Thursday, 11 December, 4 baje se, Sharma ji ke ghar (pin neeche). Mehndi lagwani ho toh thoda jaldi aa jana, kyunki lagne aur sookhne mein time lagta hai. Halke ya loose sleeves wale kapde pehenna. Raat ka khaana 8 baje.

Sangeet

Sangeet is the party, so say when the dancing starts and whether guests can perform.

Sangeet night! Join us for music, dance and dinner on Saturday, 13 December, from 7:30 pm at the Lotus Hall, Jayanagar (pin below). Wear something you can dance in. If you would like to perform, send your song to Priya by Wednesday.

Sangeet ki raat! Gaana, naach aur khaana: Saturday, 13 December, shaam 7:30 baje se, Lotus Hall, Jayanagar (pin neeche). Aisa kuch pehenna jisme naach sako. Perform karna ho toh apna gaana Wednesday tak Priya ko bhej dena.

Engagement

We are getting engaged! Riya and Arjun would love to have you with them for the ring ceremony on Sunday, 7 December, at 6 pm, at the Orchid Banquet, Whitefield (pin below). Dinner will follow. Please let us know by 1 December if you can come.

Hamari engagement hai! Riya aur Arjun ki ring ceremony mein aap sabko aana hai: Sunday, 7 December, shaam 6 baje, Orchid Banquet, Whitefield (pin neeche). Iske baad khaana hoga. 1 December tak bata dijiye ki aa rahe hain.

A short reminder for the week of

Reminder: Riya's haldi is tomorrow, Friday at 11 am, at the Sharma home. Pin: [link]. Wear yellow.

One function, one time and one pin. Send it the day before and again on the morning, and then it stays quiet.

Mistakes to avoid

• No year. A message forwarded in March that says "12 December" is ambiguous.
• 12-hour and 24-hour mix-ups. Write "7:30 pm", not "19:30", unless your guests use that.
• Too many functions in one message. One message per function is easier to read and easier to forward. Put the full schedule in the formal invitation.
• No map pin. "Near the big temple" is not an address.
• Forgetting the dress code. It is the most common question guests ask.
• No reply date. If you need a headcount for food, say by when.

Make the card and the message together

The free Wedding Studio writes a message like these for each function and puts the same details on a card. Pick the function, enter the names, date, city and time, and copy the WhatsApp text or save the card as a picture. It works in your browser and nothing is uploaded.

If you want a photo of the couple to go with it, the Indian wedding photo prompts guide has prompts for haldi, mehndi and sangeet portraits, and AI wedding invitation card prompts covers the printed card. To work out when to send each message, see the save the date and invitation timeline.

Quick checklist

• Host, function, date and time, venue with a pin, dress code.
• Five or six lines per WhatsApp message.
• The year on anything that might be forwarded later.
• One message per function, one reminder the day before.
• A reply date when you need a headcount.

Prompts to try

Image7 blanks to fillWedding save-the-date cardGemini · ChatGPT · Midjourney Image5 blanks to fillInvitation card designGemini · ChatGPT · Ideogram Photo edit1 blank to fillHaldi ceremony portraitGemini · ChatGPT Photo edit1 blank to fillSangeet night portraitGemini · ChatGPT

Browse all 1611 prompts →