A Bengali wedding card usually opens with শ্রী শ্রী প্রজাপতয়ে নমঃ, an invocation to Prajapati, often beside a butterfly motif, since prajapati also means butterfly in Bengali. The main text announces the biye of the family's daughter or son, names the other family, gives the date and the venue, and asks guests to come with their friends and family and bless the couple. Many cards also list the aashirbad, the gaye holud and the bou bhaat, the reception hosted by the groom's family.
About the samples
The names, dates and places in the samples are examples. Bengali card matter is often written in a formal, older style; have a Bengali reader in the family check it before printing or sharing.
The usual order of a Bengali wedding card
- The invocation: শ্রী শ্রী প্রজাপতয়ে নমঃ, with a butterfly or a pair of fish, both auspicious.
- The salutation: মহাশয় or a respectful address to the guest.
- The announcement: the parents announce the wedding of their daughter, written with কল্যাণীয়া, or son, written with শ্রীমান.
- The other family: the groom's or bride's parents, and often their town.
- The date: the English date, and often the Bengali date from the panjika.
- The request: an appeal to attend with friends and bless the couple.
- The venue: the biye bari or the hall.
- The signature: বিনীত (humbly) and the host's name.
Words you'll see on most cards
| Bengali | Roughly means | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| শ্রী শ্রী প্রজাপতয়ে নমঃ | Salutations to Prajapati | The top of the card |
| শুভ বিবাহ | Auspicious wedding | The heading |
| কল্যাণীয়া / শ্রীমান | Honorifics for the bride and the groom | Before their names |
| সবান্ধবে | With your friends | In the request |
| আশীর্বাদ | Blessings | In the request |
| বিনীত | Humbly yours | Before the host's name |
| বৌভাত | The groom's family's reception | On the groom's family's card |
A sample Bengali card
শ্রী শ্রী প্রজাপতয়ে নমঃ
মহাশয়/মহাশয়া,
আগামী ১২ ডিসেম্বর ২০২৬, শনিবার
আমার কন্যা কল্যাণীয়া শ্রেয়ার সহিত
শ্রীমান অর্ক
(শ্রী অমিত ও শ্রীমতী রিনা বসুর পুত্র)
এর শুভ বিবাহ স্থির হইয়াছে।
এই শুভ অনুষ্ঠানে আপনি সবান্ধবে উপস্থিত থাকিয়া
নবদম্পতিকে আশীর্বাদ করিলে বাধিত হইব।
বিবাহ বাসর: আনন্দ ভবন, সল্টলেক, কলকাতা
বিনীত
সৌরভ বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়
The style above is the classic sadhu bhasha that elders expect. Many younger families now write the same lines in everyday Bengali, which is equally correct and easier for friends to read.
An English version
Sri Sri Prajapataye Namah
Mrs. Rumki and Mr. Sourav Banerjee
request the pleasure of your company
at the wedding of their daughter
Shreya
with
Arka
son of Mrs. Rina and Mr. Amit Basu
Saturday, 12 December 2026, 7 pm onwards
Ananda Bhavan, Salt Lake, Kolkata
The functions families list
| Function | What happens |
|---|---|
| Aashirbad | Elders of each family bless the bride and groom, often with paddy and durba grass |
| Aiburo bhaat | A last meal as an unmarried person, hosted by family and friends |
| Dodhi mangal | An early morning ritual on the wedding day, with curd and rice |
| Gaye holud | Turmeric applied to the groom, then sent with gifts to the bride's home for her ceremony |
| Biye | The wedding: shubho drishti, mala badal, saat paak and sindoor daan |
| Bidaay | The bride's farewell, when she throws rice back over her shoulder |
| Bou bhaat | The reception at the groom's home, when the bride serves rice to the family |
The bou bhaat card
The bou bhaat is hosted by the groom's family, usually a day or two after the wedding, and it often has its own invitation. It's the evening when the new bride is welcomed into the family and guests meet her, and for many guests it's the main party.
With joy, Mrs. Rina and Mr. Amit Basu
invite you to the bou bhaat
to welcome Shreya into our family
Monday, 14 December 2026, 7:30 pm
Basu Bari, Behala, Kolkata
Dates in Bengali
Many Bengali cards give the date twice: the English date and the Bengali date from the panjika, the almanac, such as a day in Agrahayan. Ask the family priest for the Bengali date and the lagna time, since both come from the panjika, and print them exactly as given.
Design and motifs
Bengali cards favour red and white, the colours of the shakha and pola bangles and the red-bordered saree, with gold. Common motifs include the butterfly, a pair of fish, conch shells, alpana patterns and the topor, the groom's conical headpiece. The colour combinations guide has a red and gold palette, and the fonts guide explains why Unicode fonts matter for any Indian script.
Two languages
For a bilingual card, put the Bengali text first for the elders and the English text on the next page for friends and colleagues, rather than side by side.
Related guides
For other regions, see the Marathi lagna patrika and the Punjabi wedding invitation guide. The Indian wedding invitation guide covers timing and guest lists, and more are under weddings across India.
Questions people ask
What is written at the top of a Bengali wedding card?
Usually শ্রী শ্রী প্রজাপতয়ে নমঃ, an invocation to Prajapati, often with a butterfly motif.
What is bou bhaat?
The reception hosted by the groom's family a day or two after the wedding, when the new bride serves rice to the family and guests meet her.
What do কল্যাণীয়া and শ্রীমান mean on a card?
They are honorifics: কল্যাণীয়া before the bride's name and শ্রীমান before the groom's.
Should the Bengali date be on the card?
Many families include it beside the English date. Get it, and the lagna time, from the family priest.
Filed under Weddings across India
Written by ShubhLink Editorial Team
The team behind ShubhLink's invitation templates and ShubhLink AI. We write down what families ask us most, and check each guide before it goes live.