In the age of quick e-greetings, the Indian tradition of beautifully designed and printed wedding invitation has prevailed. In fact, because Indian weddings cards are treasured by many, Indian couples often opt for inviting their extended families and friends through elaborate designer invitations that match the wedding’s theme and style.
Budgeting Indian Wedding Invitations
Calculating the wedding card expenditure goes beyond the cost per invitation. It is best to keep the total cost of the wedding cards in mind plus the delivery charges and a buffer for eventualities. When calculating invitation quantities, keep in mind that reprints of wedding cards are not cost-effective, so it is best to budget for a few extra cards.
Here is what will add to the cost of the traditional Indian wedding invitation cards:
- the paper quality: the heavier and better the quality of the paper, the more expensive the card
- color: the more colors used, the higher the costs for the printer
- special color wishes: any color that has to be matched to a desired color will cost extra
- special designs: non-paper materials like pewter, silver and gold will be charged extra
- envelopes: decide how elaborate the matching envelope needs to be
- inserts: each separate invitation to one of the various functions will add to costs (discussed below)
- gifts: any additional give-away will increase the total (see below)
Indian Wedding Card Designs
Apart from standard Indian wedding card templates that any printer will have on file, there are many ways one can personalize Indian wedding invitations, for example according to religion. Regardless if the couple has a Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian or interfaith background, there is a range of Indian wedding card designs available.
Apart from sending the main card with the actual wedding invitation, there are various options for inserts:
- an invitation to the couple’s engagement if that is taking place shortly before the wedding
- an invitation to the wedding sangeet, usually two to three days before the wedding
- an invitation to the mehendi ceremony if separate from the sangeet
- directions to the wedding venue and other functions’ venues
- the wedding program
- a translation booklet if the wedding card is in Hindi or any other language
- place cards for sit-down dinners
- RSVP cards
Personalizing Indian Wedding Invitations
Most Indian weddings have a theme that is reflected in the wedding invitation through colors, style and design. Says Anita Patel, founder of Tania-Tapel wedding planners in Vogue India’s November article “The Wedding Makers”: “Personalized gifts for each guest are becoming a huge trend. . .Another trend is customized wedding stationery, such as elegant and sophisticated invitations, RSVP cards, table plans and more.”
The more elaborate the wedding, the more elaborate the wedding invitations. At Indian celebrity weddings for example, it is not uncommon to receive a gift along with the wedding invitation like a bottle of wine or perfume, imported chocolates or flowers. With the right budget, the sky and one’s own creativity is the limit.
Delivering Indian Wedding Invitations
In India, it is customary to either personally deliver the weddings cards or, if that is not possible, to make sure it is delivered in time by someone else. Rather than giving the job to a delivery service, this might mean entrusting the precious wedding cards to someone who is traveling to or close to a guest’s residence to deliver them – the personal touch counts!
If sticking the cards in the mail, keep in mind that cards printed in India might incur extra mailing charges because of unusual formats or extra weight; so check with local post offices first. Also, if sending wedding invitations worldwide, make sure to inquire about delivery times and the different delivery options from various carriers.
For more on Indian weddings, read about sangeet, baraat and other Indian wedding traditions and mehndi designs. Find out about the colorful rakhis distributed on the upcoming Raksha Bandhan friendship festival.
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