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A mehndi invitation needs the bride's name (or both names for a joint mehndi), the date, a time window rather than a single start time, the venue and the dress code, which is usually green, pink or any bright colour. Because mehndi takes hours and guests wait their turn with the artists, tell them roughly how long it runs and whether food and music are part of the evening. Samples in English, Hindi and Gujarati follow.
About the samples
The names, dates and places in the samples are examples.
Why a mehndi invitation is different
Most functions start at a time and follow an order. A mehndi drifts. The bride's mehndi alone can take three or four hours, while guests sit with the artists one after another, eat, sing and dance in between. An invitation that says “4 pm” makes guests worry they're late at 4:30. One that says “from 4 pm until late” tells them the truth and lets them plan.
It is also, in many families, the most relaxed function of the wedding: dholki songs, teasing, plenty of food. The wording can relax with it.
What to put on a mehndi invitation
- Whose mehndi. Usually the bride's, at her family's home or a small venue. Some couples hold a joint mehndi; then name both.
- A time window. “From 4 pm onwards” or “4 pm to 10 pm”.
- The venue, with a map link and the floor or lawn if it's a large place.
- The dress code. Green and pink are traditional, but many families now say “bright colours” or set a theme.
- Whether guests get mehndi. If there are enough artists for everyone, say so. Guests love knowing.
- Food and music, so nobody eats dinner before coming.
Formal mehndi invitation wording
The Kapoor family invites you
to the mehndi ceremony of
Simran
Thursday, 10 December 2026
From 4 pm onwards
The Garden Room, Hotel Mayfair, Chandigarh
Dress code: shades of green and pink
Mehndi artists for all guests. Dinner and dholki to follow.
Simran and Arjun
invite you to an evening of mehndi and music
Thursday, 10 December 2026, 5 pm to 10 pm
The Garden Room, Hotel Mayfair, Chandigarh
Come in your brightest colours
Fun and casual wording
Henna on the hands, dholki in the air.
Join us for Simran's mehndi.
Thursday, 10 December, from 4 pm
Kapoor House, Sector 8, Chandigarh
Bring your voice. We have the songs.
Mehndi tomorrow from 4 pm at home.
Artists for everyone, chaat from 6, dholki after dinner.
Wear green or pink, and come with clean, lotion-free hands.
Hindi mehndi invitation wording
॥ श्री गणेशाय नमः ॥
मेहंदी की रस्म
सौ. कां. सिमरन की मेहंदी के शुभ अवसर पर
आप सपरिवार सादर आमंत्रित हैं।
गुरुवार, 10 दिसंबर 2026
शाम 4 बजे से
स्थान: कपूर निवास, सेक्टर 8, चंडीगढ़
मेहंदी, संगीत और भोजन के साथ
Gujarati mehndi invitation wording
॥ શ્રી ગણેશાય નમઃ ॥
મહેંદી રસમ
ચિ. સૌ. કાં. ધ્રુવીના મહેંદી પ્રસંગે
આપ સહપરિવાર પધારશોજી.
તારીખ: 10 ડિસેમ્બર 2026, ગુરુવાર
સમય: સાંજે 4 વાગ્યાથી
સ્થળ: 'શ્રીજી કૃપા', અડાજણ, સુરત
A simple timeline for the evening
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 3 pm | The artists start on the bride's hands and feet, which takes the longest |
| 4 pm | Guests arrive; the other artists start on the family and friends |
| 6 pm | Chaat, tea and snacks while the queue moves |
| 7:30 pm | Dholki, songs and dancing, once most hands are dry |
| 9 pm | Dinner |
The bride's mehndi is usually applied a day or two before the wedding, because the colour deepens over the following day. If the haldi and mehndi fall on the same day, many families hold the haldi in the morning and the mehndi in the afternoon.
Details guests will thank you for
- Ask guests to come with clean, dry hands and no lotion, since mehndi takes better on bare skin.
- If there's a queue for the artists, a simple sign-up list at the entrance saves arguments.
- Tell guests that wet mehndi and silk don't mix, so loose sleeves help.
- If the mehndi is outdoors in the afternoon, mention shade and water.
- For the bride, plan to eat before her hands are done. Someone will be feeding her for the next few hours otherwise.
The hidden name
Many brides hide the groom's name or initials somewhere in their mehndi design, for him to find later. If you're keeping the tradition, tell the artist in advance.
Matching it to the rest of the wedding
The mehndi card can be the most colourful in the set. A green and gold or rani pink design sits well beside a maroon wedding card; the colour combinations guide has palettes. The haldi wording guide covers the function that often comes the same day or the morning after, and the Indian wedding invitation guide explains how the function invitations fit with the main card. More are under wedding events.
Questions people ask
When should the mehndi invitation be sent?
With the main wedding invitation, or two to three weeks before the wedding if it's a separate card. Send a short reminder the morning of the mehndi.
What should guests wear to a mehndi?
Green and pink are traditional, and any bright colour works. Loose sleeves are practical, since guests will be getting mehndi on their hands.
Do all guests get mehndi applied?
Only if you have enough artists. Two or three artists can usually manage close family and friends over an evening. Say on the invitation whether it's for everyone.
Is the mehndi only for women?
Traditionally it was mostly a women's gathering, but many families now invite everyone, and the groom often has a small mehndi of his own. Say on the invitation who it's for.
Filed under Haldi, mehndi & wedding events
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.