Wedding reception invitations: who hosts, when it happens, and wording to copy
Wedding reception invitation wording in English and Hindi, reception-only invites for colleagues and business guests, WhatsApp messages, and what to include.
A reception invitation stands on its own: the hosts (usually the groom's family), the couple, the date, start and end time, the venue with a map, and whether dinner is served. Many families send it as its own link to colleagues and business contacts, so it should not mention any other function.
On this page
The reception is the one function at an Indian wedding with no religious content at all, which is exactly why it is the most flexible and the most confusing to invite people to.
It has a different host, often a different city, usually a much larger guest list, and in several parts of India it happens before the wedding rather than after. This page sorts that out, then gives wording to copy in English and Hindi, the Hindi headings families use, and the WhatsApp messages that go with the link.
Who hosts, and when
| Tradition | Name | When | Hosted by |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Indian, general | Reception | After the wedding | Groom's family |
| Muslim | Walima | After the Nikah | Groom's family |
| Bengali | Bou Bhaat | Day after the wedding | Groom's family |
| Tamil and Telugu | Reception | Very often the evening before the wedding | Either family |
| Marwari | Mooh Dikhai and reception | After the bride arrives | Groom's family |
The Walima and the Bengali Bou Bhaat have guides of their own, with their own wording.
Why the reception invitation is a different invitation
The reception guest list is usually the largest of the whole wedding. Colleagues, business contacts, extended community, neighbours. Many of these people were not at the ceremony and were never going to be.
That means the reception invitation should stand on its own. It should not assume the reader knows the wedding happened, it should not reference functions they were not invited to, and it should not make anyone wonder whether they missed something.
If you are sending one link for everything, mark clearly which functions each group is invited to. This is the single most common cause of awkwardness at Indian weddings, and it is entirely avoidable.
This season families asked us for exactly this split again and again: every function for close family, the wedding and the reception for the wider circle, and a reception-only link for business contacts or the father's friends. One family sent its reception invitation, worded Aashirwad Samaroh evam Swaruchi Bhoj, to about a hundred business contacts who were never going to be at the pheras.
At Invifest, a second link of your invitation with only the reception on it is ₹999 at checkout: the same design and names, with only the reception's day, time, venue and dress code. When different guests need different combinations, Aangan gives every guest a personal link with only their own functions. Inviting guests to only some functions lists what must not leak onto a reception-only link.
What belongs on it
- A start time and an end time. Receptions are the one function where guests want to know when they can leave.
- The dress code, since this is the function people most want to dress for.
- Whether dinner is served, and when. Many receptions run two hours of greeting before food, which nobody enjoys on an empty stomach.
- Parking or entry instructions for a hotel or a large venue.
- Whether there are speeches or a programme, because it changes when guests should be seated.
Aashirwad Samaroh evam Swaruchi Bhoj, and other Hindi headings
Hindi reception cards rarely say 'reception'. They use one of a few set headings, and each says something slightly different about the evening.
| Heading | What it says |
|---|---|
| Aashirwad Samaroh evam Swaruchi Bhoj (आशीर्वाद समारोह एवं स्वरुचि भोज) | A ceremony of blessings for the newly married couple, then a dinner where guests serve themselves to their own taste: a buffet. The most common heading for a reception after the wedding. |
| Preetibhoj evam Swagat Samaroh (प्रीतिभोज एवं स्वागत समारोह) | A feast of affection and a welcome ceremony. Swagat samaroh is the closest Hindi phrase to 'reception'. |
| Shubh vivah ke upalakshya mein (शुभ विवाह के उपलक्ष्य में) | On the occasion of the auspicious wedding. The line that ties the evening to the marriage without naming the other functions. |
On a reception card after the wedding, the bride is written Sau. (सौ.), because she is now married. The Hindi card matter guide explains every honorific and has a full reception card in Devanagari and in Roman script.
Gifts, and the 'Blessings only' line
The reception is the function where most gifts arrive. If you would rather guests did not bring them, say so gently at the bottom of the invitation. A bride's father this season asked for just two words, Blessings only, so guests would not arrive with boxed gifts and cash envelopes, and it is hard to be clearer than that. Other lines families use, and more in our no gifts wording guide:
- Your presence and blessings are the only gift we ask for.
- Blessings only, please.
- Aapka aashirwad hi hamara uphaar hai.
- Keval aashirwad ki abhilasha hai (केवल आशीर्वाद की अभिलाषा है).
Reception wording and WhatsApp messages you can copy
Invitation wording first, in English and Hindi, then the short messages that go with the link on WhatsApp. Change the names, dates and places. For an office group or your manager, see wedding invitation messages for colleagues.
Mr and Mrs [Surname]
request the pleasure of your company
at a reception in honour of the marriage of their son
[Name]
with
[Name]
[Day, Date] · [Time]
[Venue]
Dinner will be served.
Smt. [Name] and Shri [Name]
request the pleasure of your company
at the reception in honour of
[Groom's name] and [Bride's name]
[Day, Date]
[Time] onwards, dinner from [Time]
[Venue], [City]
Blessings only, please.
We are married.
Come celebrate with us.
[Name] and [Name]
[Day, Date] · [Time] onwards
[Venue]
Dinner, music and far too many photographs.
[Name] and [Name]
invite you to their wedding reception
[Day, Date] · [Time] to [Time]
[Venue], [City]
Dress: [dress code]
Dinner will be served from [Time].
Shri [Name] and family
invite you to the wedding reception of their son
[Name]
with
[Name]
[Day, Date] · [Time] onwards
[Venue], [City]
We would be honoured by your presence.
[Name] weds [Name]
Reception: [Day, Date] · [Time]
[Venue]
Muhurtham: the following morning, [Time]
[Venue]
Yes, the reception is first. That is how we do it.
Vivah ke shubh avsar par,
Preetibhoj evam Swagat Samaroh
[Naam] evam [Naam]
[Din, Tithi] · [Samay]
[Sthaan]
Aapki upasthiti prarthaniya hai.
॥ श्री गणेशाय नमः ॥
आशीर्वाद समारोह एवं स्वरुचि भोज
हमारे सुपुत्र चि. [नाम] एवं सौ. [नाम]
के शुभ विवाह के उपलक्ष्य में
आप सादर आमंत्रित हैं।
दिनांक: [दिन, तिथि]
समय: सायं [समय] से
स्थान: [स्थान का नाम एवं पता]
नवदंपति को आशीर्वाद देने अवश्य पधारें।
विनीत: श्रीमती [नाम] एवं श्री [नाम]
स्वागतोत्सुक: [परिवारजनों के नाम]
|| Shri Ganeshaya Namah ||
Aashirwad Samaroh evam Swaruchi Bhoj
Hamare suputra Chi. [Naam] evam Sau. [Naam]
ke shubh vivah ke upalakshya mein
aap sadar aamantrit hain.
Dinank: [Din, Tithi]
Samay: saayam [Samay] se
Sthaan: [Sthaan ka naam evam pata]
Navdampati ko aashirwad dene avashya padharein.
Vineet: Shrimati [Naam] evam Shri [Naam]
Swagatotsuk: [Parivarjanon ke naam]
Hi all, I am getting married on [date], and we are having a reception on [Day, Date] at [Venue], from [Time]. It would be lovely to see the whole team there. Details and the map: [link]
Namaste [Name] ji, it would be an honour to have you at the wedding reception of my son [Name] on [Day, Date], from [Time], at [Venue]. The invitation, with the map, is here: [link]
[Name] and [Name] are married! Please come and bless them at the reception on [Day, Date], [Time] onwards, at [Venue]. Everything is on this link: [link]
Namaste [Naam] ji, [Naam] ke vivah ke upalakshya mein [Din, Tithi] ko [Samay] baje se [Sthaan] par aashirwad samaroh evam swaruchi bhoj hai. Aap sapariwar zaroor padhariye: [link]
Want these words on a real invitation? See the designs.
Hindu wedding invitation designs
8 designs you can personalise. Open any one to see it full size, with a live demo.
Questions people ask
Who hosts the wedding reception?
Traditionally the groom's family in most North Indian communities, and the same for the Walima in Muslim families and Bou Bhaat in Bengali ones. In South India it is often hosted by either family and held the evening before the wedding.
How do I word a reception-only invitation?
Open with the hosts, name the couple, and give only the reception: the date, the start and end time, the venue with a map, and whether dinner is served. Leave out every other function, and do not apologise for inviting someone to the reception alone. It is a whole invitation in itself.
What is 'Aashirwad Samaroh evam Swaruchi Bhoj'?
A common Hindi heading for a reception: a ceremony of blessings for the newly married couple, followed by a buffet dinner. Swaruchi bhoj means a meal guests serve themselves, to their own taste.
Is the reception before or after the wedding?
After, in most of North India. Before, very commonly in Tamil and Telugu weddings. If yours is before, state it clearly and more than once, because guests from elsewhere will assume otherwise.
What is Bou Bhaat?
The Bengali reception, hosted by the groom's family the day after the wedding. It usually has its own guest list.
Can we invite people to only the reception?
Yes, and it is completely normal. It is usually the largest guest list of the wedding. Just make sure the invitation stands on its own and does not leave people wondering what they missed. Our guide to inviting guests to only some functions shows how families split it.
Should the reception invitation mention a dress code?
Yes. It is the function guests most want to dress for, and stating it saves a great many messages asking how formal to go. Our guide to the dress code on an invitation has wording for it.
