A Diwali party invitation needs the date, time, venue and the kind of evening: a Lakshmi puja and dinner at home, a pre-Diwali party with friends, an office celebration, or a new-year sneh milan in Gujarati families. Add the dress code, food, and any games or activities. Because most families are busy at home on Diwali night itself, many parties are held in the days before or after, so give the date clearly and send the invitation two to three weeks ahead.
Which kind of Diwali gathering?
| Gathering | When | What the invitation should say |
|---|---|---|
| Lakshmi puja and dinner | Diwali evening | Puja time, dinner time, and that it's a family evening |
| Pre-Diwali party with friends | The weekend before | Dress code, food, games, end time |
| Office Diwali celebration | A working day in the week before | Time, venue, dress code, whether families are invited |
| Society celebration | Any day of the festival | Rangoli competition, lamps, food stalls, what residents bring |
| Sneh milan (Gujarati new year) | The days after Diwali | Time, venue, light refreshments, a warm greeting |
What to include
- The date, the day and the time, and an end time for an evening party.
- The venue, with a map link.
- The dress code: festive traditional, a colour, or ethnic wear.
- Food: dinner, snacks, a potluck, or sweets only.
- Activities: rangoli, diyas, games, music.
- Whether children are invited, and anything for them.
- Any note on firecrackers, if relevant.
Firecrackers
Many cities restrict firecrackers around Diwali, with permitted hours and, in some places, only green crackers allowed. Check the local rules before planning any, and think of elderly guests, small children and pets.
Wording samples
About the samples
Names, dates and venues are examples.
Shubh Deepavali
Join the Sharma family for Lakshmi puja and Diwali dinner
Puja at 7 pm, dinner at 8:30 pm
Sharma Niwas, 14 Civil Lines, Jaipur
Wear your festive best
Lights, sweets and too much food.
Our pre-Diwali party is on Saturday, from 7:30 pm.
B-402, Sunrise Towers, Baner, Pune
Dress code: ethnic. Bring your best rangoli ideas.
Diwali Celebration
Join the team for an evening of lights, music and dinner
Thursday, 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm
The Courtyard, office campus
Dress code: festive traditional. Families welcome.
शुभ दीपावली
दीपावली के पावन अवसर पर लक्ष्मी पूजन एवं भोजन में
आप सपरिवार सादर आमंत्रित हैं।
पूजन: सायं 7 बजे, भोजन: रात्रि 8:30 बजे
शर्मा निवास, सिविल लाइंस, जयपुर
Sneh milan: the Gujarati new-year gathering
In many Gujarati families and communities, the days after Diwali bring the new year, Bestu Varas, and with it a sneh milan, a get-together where everyone greets each other with “Saal Mubarak” or “Nutan Varshabhinandan”. Societies, community groups and offices often host one, usually with light refreshments.
નૂતન વર્ષાભિનંદન
નવા વર્ષના શુભ અવસરે યોજાયેલ
સ્નેહ મિલન સમારંભમાં આપ સહપરિવાર પધારશોજી.
સમય: સાંજે 6 વાગ્યે
સ્થળ: સમાજ વાડી, અડાજણ, સુરત
Activities guests enjoy
- A rangoli corner with colours laid out, where guests add to one big design through the evening.
- Diya painting for children, with plain clay diyas and safe paints.
- A lamp-lighting moment when everyone lights a diya together, which makes a beautiful photo.
- Music: old Diwali film songs, bhajans for the puja, then whatever the family dances to.
Potlucks and sweets
For a potluck among friends, put it on the invitation and ask guests to reply with what they're bringing, so you don't end up with six boxes of kaju katli. If you'd rather guests didn't bring sweets at all, say so gently: “Please don't bring anything; we've made far too much already.”
Timing tips
- Send invitations two to three weeks ahead. Diwali weekends fill up fast.
- For a party before Diwali, pick the weekend before rather than the festival days, when families are at home.
- For an office celebration, choose a day early in the festival week, before people travel home.
- Send a reminder two days before, with the time and the dress code.
A small gift at the door
A diya or a small box of sweets for each guest to take home is a lovely Diwali touch, and it needs no mention on the invitation.
Designing a Diwali invitation
Diwali designs glow: diyas, lanterns, marigolds, rangoli patterns, and deep blues, maroons and golds that look warm on a phone at night. You can describe one to ShubhLink AI, for example “Diwali dinner invitation, deep blue and gold, diyas and marigolds”, as the AI invitation maker guide shows, and send it as this WhatsApp guide describes. The garba night guide covers the other big celebration of the season, and more festival guides are under festivals.
Questions people ask
When should I send a Diwali party invitation?
Two to three weeks before. Diwali weekends get busy quickly, and guests may be travelling to their families.
What should a Diwali party invitation include?
The date, time and venue, the kind of evening, the dress code, the food, and any activities. Add an end time for an evening party.
What is a sneh milan?
A get-together held in the days after Diwali in many Gujarati families and communities to celebrate the new year, where everyone greets each other with Saal Mubarak.
Should I mention firecrackers on the invitation?
Only if you're planning some. Check your city's rules first, since many restrict firecracker timings and types around Diwali.
Filed under Festivals
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.