Wedding
When to send wedding invitations in India: a timeline that works
By Ved RK, founder of Shubh Invitation · · 4 min read
Send too early and guests forget; too late and they have already promised the date to another wedding. Here is a simple timeline for an Indian wedding, from the save the date and the first card at the temple to the last reminder, with what changes for destination weddings, guests from abroad and the busy wedding season.
In short
In India, send wedding invitations 4 to 6 weeks before the first function, and 6 to 8 weeks before for guests who must travel or in the busy season. Send a save the date 3 to 4 months ahead, or 6 months for guests abroad, and one reminder about ten days before the first function.
The timeline at a glance
Count back from the first function, not the wedding day: guests need to know about the haldi or the sangeet as much as the pheras.
| What | When | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Save the date | 3 to 4 months before; 4 to 6 for a destination wedding; 6 or more for guests abroad | Guests book leave, trains and flights early |
| First card to God | On an auspicious day, before any guest's card | Many families place it before Ganesh or the family deity |
| Cards to elders and close family | 6 to 8 weeks before, in person or with a call | They plan around your dates and often help host |
| Invitation to everyone else | 4 to 6 weeks before the first function | Soon enough to plan, close enough to remember |
| RSVP reminder | About 10 days before the first function | Your caterer needs final numbers |
| Last reminder with the venue | 1 to 2 days before each function | The map and the time, when guests need them |
| Thank-you message | Within two weeks after | While the memories are fresh |
Save the date: three to six months ahead
A save the date needs only your names, the date and the city, so you can send it as soon as the muhurat and the venue are fixed. It matters most for guests who travel.
- Wedding in your own city: two to three months, or skip it and send the invitation early.
- Guests travelling within India: three to four months, so they can book trains when booking opens.
- Destination wedding: four to six months, so guests can plan leave and travel.
- Guests from abroad: six months or more, for visas and leave.
Read save the date messages for wording you can copy.
The first card goes to God
In many Hindu families, the first invitation is not sent to a guest at all. It is placed before Ganesh, the family deity or at a temple, often on an auspicious day the family's pandit suggests, and only then do the cards go out. Some families take the first card to the kuldevi's temple; others to the maternal family, with sweets. Follow your family's custom: it decides the day you start, not how early guests hear.
The invitation: four to six weeks before
Four to six weeks before the first function is right for most guests. It gives them time to plan, book a hall or a hotel and buy outfits, without forgetting the date.
- Elders and close relatives first, six to eight weeks ahead, in person or with a phone call and then the card. They should never hear from someone else first.
- Guests who travel six to eight weeks ahead, the same time as the elders.
- Friends, colleagues and neighbours four to six weeks ahead. Send each one a personal message, not a forward to a group.
- Local guests for a single function, such as the reception, three to four weeks ahead is enough.
In the wedding season, send earlier
Most Hindu weddings fall between Dev Uthani Ekadashi in November and the end of February, with a pause during kharmas from mid-December to Makar Sankranti in mid-January. On the best muhurat dates, a guest may have three weddings on one evening, so the family that invites first gets the visit.
- Wedding on a popular muhurat date: send six to eight weeks before.
- Wedding just after kharmas, in late January: send before kharmas begins in December, so the invitation is not lost in the pause.
- Wedding outside the season: four to six weeks is plenty.
Reminders and replies
Ask for replies by a clear date, usually two to three weeks before the wedding or whenever your caterer needs numbers. Then send one gentle reminder about ten days before the first function, and a last message with the venue a day or two before each function. Read wedding RSVP messages for reminder lines that never sound pushy.
After the wedding
Thank guests within two weeks, while the photos are fresh, and within a month at most. Thank you messages after the wedding has lines for every kind of guest.
Send it on time with Shubh
On Shubh you can send the save the date first and the full invitation later from the same link, so guests always have the latest details.
- Send each guest a personal WhatsApp link that greets them by name.
- See who has opened the invitation and who has replied, so you know whom to call.
- Guests reply to each function in one tap, with adults and children counted.
Start with wedding invitation designs, and read how to send a digital wedding invitation on WhatsApp and wedding invitation etiquette.
Questions
- How many days before the wedding should invitations be sent in India?
- Four to six weeks before the first function for most guests, and six to eight weeks for elders, guests who travel and weddings on busy muhurat dates.
- Is two weeks before the wedding too late to send invitations?
- For most guests, yes: they may have planned other weddings or travel. If you must send late, call close relatives and send the invitation the same day.
- Who should get the first wedding card?
- Many Hindu families place the first card before Ganesh or the family deity, then give cards to grandparents and close elders in person before anyone else.
- When should the save the date go out?
- Three to four months before for guests travelling within India, four to six months for a destination wedding, and six months or more for guests from abroad.
Wedding designs to open as a guest
Make your wedding invitation
Choose a design, add your words and functions, and send it on WhatsApp. Guests reply in one tap. Free to start.