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Most of these guests will come to the reception and nothing else. That one fact decides the wording, and it is why so many families ask us for a separate link that shows only the reception.
Who to invite from work, and to what
You do not have to invite your whole team, but you should not invite half of it in front of the other half. Either invite a whole group (the team, the department, the floor) in one message, or invite people individually and privately.
- Your immediate team: usually all of them, to the reception.
- Your manager, and their manager: in person first, before any group message.
- Friends from work: the sangeet or the wedding as well, if they are friends first and colleagues second. Tell them privately.
- Clients and business contacts: the reception, often on the parents' list. A father's trade contacts can be a guest list of their own.
Email to your team
Email is still the most formal way to invite colleagues, and the right one for a large office or a team spread across cities. Put the date in the subject line, keep the body short, and paste the link as plain text so it can be opened on a phone.
Subject lines that work: 'Wedding invitation: [Your name], [Date]', 'You are invited: our wedding reception on [Date]', or simply 'Invitation to my wedding reception'. Three full emails are in the samples below.
WhatsApp, Teams and Slack messages
In most Indian offices the invitation that actually gets seen goes out on the team's WhatsApp group, or on Teams or Slack. The rules are the same as for email: invite the whole group or nobody in it, and keep the wording a notch more formal than you would with friends.
- Post once, then follow up personally with the colleagues you are closest to. A line in their own chat turns an announcement into an invitation.
- Do not post a link that shows functions they are not invited to. Anyone who has your main link can see every function on it.
- Pick the hour. An invitation posted at lunchtime gets congratulations; one posted at 11 pm gets buried.
Inviting your boss
Tell your manager in person or on a call first, then send the written invitation. It is a courtesy, and it is practical: your manager approves your leave, and hearing about the wedding from the team group first can sting.
- Say it simply: 'I am getting married on the 12th, and I would be very happy if you could come to the reception.'
- Keep the leave request for another conversation. An invitation should not arrive with a form attached.
- For senior leaders, a personal email, or a printed card handed over in person if you have printed a few. In many Indian offices a card in hand is still a mark of respect.
There is more on who to invite first, and how, in Indian wedding invitation etiquette.
Business contacts and clients
When the parents host, their business contacts are a guest list of their own, and often a large one. One family asked us for a reception card for about a hundred of the father's business contacts, worded 'Aashirwad Samaroh evam Swaruchi Bhoj', a blessing ceremony and buffet dinner. Another asked for a reception-only link just for their clients.
The wording for business contacts is formal, in the host's name, and about one function. English and Hindi versions are in the samples below.
Reception-only, said gracefully
The kindest way to invite someone to only the reception is to send them an invitation that is only the reception. They do not see the mehndi or the sangeet, nobody wonders whether they were left out, and your message does not have to explain anything.
With an Invifest invitation there are two ways to do it: a separate link with only one event on it, added at checkout, or Aangan, the guest dashboard, where every guest gets a personal link with only their own functions. If you send the main link instead, remember that anyone who has it can see every function. Inviting guests to only some functions compares the options, and reception invitation wording has the card wording.
When the office network blocks the link
Some company laptops and office networks block personal websites, invitation links included. A groom working abroad found that his company laptop would not open his own invitation because of the office's web filter; it opened at once on his phone. If a colleague says the link does not work, ask them to open it on their phone, on mobile data.
Sending by email? Paste the link as plain text as well as behind any button, so it can be copied to a phone.
Messages for colleagues you can copy
Emails first, then WhatsApp, Teams and Slack, your manager, clients and business contacts in English and Hindi, a parent inviting their own colleagues, and one for your first day back. Change the words in brackets.
Subject: Wedding invitation: [Your name], [Date]
Hi team,
I am happy to share that I am getting married to [Partner's name] on [Date].
We would love to have all of you at our reception on [Reception date] at [Venue], [City], from [Time] onwards. Your families are very welcome too.
The invitation, with the map and a place to let us know you are coming, is here:
[Link]
Thank you, and I hope to see you there.
[Your name]
Subject: Invitation to my wedding reception on [Date]
Dear colleagues,
It gives me great pleasure to invite you to the reception of my wedding with [Partner's name], on [Date] at [Venue], [City], from [Time].
Your presence would make the evening special for both our families.
Invitation and directions: [Link]
Warm regards,
[Your name]
[Team or department]
Subject: You are invited!
Hi [Name], [Name] and [Name],
You have heard far too much about the wedding planning, so it is only fair that you see the result. [Partner's name] and I are getting married on [Date], and we would love you at the [Sangeet] and the wedding.
Everything is on the invitation: [Link]
Please tell me on the link if you can make it.
[Your name]
Subject: Wedding invitation
Dear [Manager's name],
Thank you for your good wishes when we spoke. As promised, here is the invitation to our wedding reception on [Date] at [Venue], [City], from [Time].
It would be an honour to have you and your family with us.
[Link]
Warm regards,
[Your name]
Hi everyone!
Some happy news: I am getting married on [Date]. You are all invited to the reception on [Reception date] at [Venue], from [Time], with your families.
Invitation and map: [Link]
Please RSVP on the link so we can plan. Hope to see you all there!
Hi team, I am getting married on [Date]! You are all warmly invited to our reception on [Reception date] at [Venue], [City]. Details and RSVP: [Link]
Hi [Name], I just posted the wedding invitation in the team group, but I wanted to tell you myself as well. It would mean a lot to have you at the reception on [Date]. [Link]
Hello team!
Shaadi fix ho gayi hai: [Date]. Reception [Reception date] ko [Venue] mein hai, shaam [Time] baje se, aur aap sab family ke saath invited ho.
Details aur location: [Link]
RSVP zaroor kar dena!
Hi [Name], I know [City] is a long way, so no pressure at all, but I would love to have you at our reception on [Date]. If you can make it, tell me and I will help you find a hotel nearby. [Link]
Good evening [Sir/Ma'am], thank you once again for your wishes today. Sharing the invitation for our reception on [Date] at [Venue], from [Time]. It would be an honour to have you and your family with us. [Link]
Dear [Name],
I would be honoured if you could attend the reception of my wedding with [Partner's name], on [Date] at [Venue], [City], from [Time].
I know your calendar is full, and I am grateful for your consideration.
Invitation: [Link]
With regards,
[Your name]
[Designation]
Respected [Name] ji,
It gives me great pleasure to invite you and your family to the wedding reception of my son [Groom's name] with [Bride's name], on [Date] at [Venue], [City], from [Time] onwards.
Your presence and blessings will mean a great deal to our family.
Invitation: [Link]
With regards,
[Your name]
[Company name]
Dear [Name],
I would be delighted if you could join us for the reception of my wedding on [Date] at [Venue], [City], from [Time].
It has been a pleasure working with you, and it would mean a great deal to celebrate with you.
Invitation and directions: [Link]
Warm regards,
[Your name]
[Company]
आदरणीय [नाम] जी,
हमारे सुपुत्र [नाम] के शुभ विवाह के उपलक्ष्य में आशीर्वाद समारोह एवं स्वरुचि भोज का आयोजन किया गया है।
दिनांक: [तिथि]
समय: सायं [समय] बजे से
स्थान: [स्थान], [शहर]
आपकी गरिमामयी उपस्थिति प्रार्थनीय है।
निमंत्रण: [लिंक]
विनीत,
[नाम]
[फर्म का नाम]
Aadarniya [Naam] ji,
Hamare suputra [Naam] ke shubh vivah ke upalakshya mein Aashirwad Samaroh evam Swaruchi Bhoj ka aayojan [Tithi] ko shaam [Samay] baje se [Sthaan] par kiya gaya hai.
Aapki upasthiti prarthaniya hai.
Nimantran: [Link]
[Naam]
[Firm ka naam]
Dear colleagues,
I am happy to share that our daughter [Name] is getting married on [Date]. My family and I would be delighted to see you at the reception on [Reception date] at [Venue], [City], from [Time].
The invitation, with the map: [Link]
With warm regards,
[Your name]
Hi all, I'm back! Thank you for all your wishes, and to everyone who came to the reception. There are sweets from the wedding at my desk, please help yourselves.
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Questions people ask
How do I invite colleagues to my wedding?
With a short, formal message or email: the occasion, the date and venue of the function they are invited to (usually the reception), whether families are welcome, and the link. Post it once to the whole group, then follow up personally with the people you are closest to.
Should I invite my whole team?
Either the whole team or individuals privately. What causes hurt is a partial invitation in a shared channel, where the people left out can see it.
How do I invite my boss to my wedding?
Tell them in person or on a call first, then send the written invitation the same day. Keep the leave request for a separate conversation.
Can I send a wedding invitation by email?
Yes, and for colleagues it is the most formal option. Put the date in the subject line, keep the body short, and paste the link as plain text so it opens on a phone.
What if the invitation link does not open on an office laptop?
Company networks sometimes block personal websites, invitation links included. Ask the colleague to open it on their phone, on mobile data: one groom found his company laptop blocked his own invitation while his phone opened it at once.
Do I have to invite colleagues' spouses?
In India a reception invitation is usually read as 'with family'. If you can host only the colleague, address the invitation to them by name and leave out 'with family'; if spouses are welcome, say so in the message.
