How to Word a Multicultural Wedding Invitation (And Make It Feel Like You)

Most couples spend months choosing a venue, a dress and a colour scheme. Then they sit down to write the invitation and find there is no template that fits.

That is particularly true for multicultural couples. When your wedding brings together two families from different cultural backgrounds, two sets of traditions and sometimes two languages, the invitation becomes a real decision. It is the first thing guests read. It sets the tone and builds the anticipation.

Here is what to think through before you start, including some things beyond the invitation that most couples do not consider until it is too late.

Bespoke multicultural wedding stationery suite by Ananya | Photography by Rahul Khona

FIRST, A WORD ON SPELLING

One of the first things multicultural couples want to check is the spellings of ceremony names. Is it Mehndi, Mehendi or Mendi? Nikah or Nikkah? Baraat or Barat? 

All are correct. There is no single authoritative English spelling for many of these ceremony names, which is why couples see different versions on different wedding websites and start second-guessing themselves.

The answer is simple. Choose the spelling your family uses and apply it consistently throughout your entire stationery suite. We will design around whichever version you bring to us.

Elephant Royale bespoke wedding invitations by Ananya | Hayley Gell Photography

start with your ceremonies, not the card 

Before you think about wording, list every ceremony or event your guests need to know about. A multicultural wedding might include a Mehndi, a Sangeet, a Baraat, a civil ceremony and a reception. Not everything belongs on the main invitation card. Some ceremonies will sit on enclosure cards or form part of an information suite.

Deciding what goes where shapes how the main card reads. Trying to fit everything onto one card often results in a design that does not do justice to either tradition. Our multicultural wedding invitations page shows how we approach this.

WHOSE NAMES GO FIRST?

There is no universal rule.

Traditional British wedding invitations name the bride's parents as hosts. Many South Asian invitations name both families jointly. Hindu wedding stationery often lists the groom's family first on cards sent from that side. For how Hindu wedding invitations are typically structured, see our Hindu wedding invitations page.

For multicultural couples, listing both families jointly as hosts is the most common and graceful approach. Have that conversation early, before the design process begins rather than after

LETTING YOUR STATIONERY CARRY YOUR FAITH AND CULTURE

The invitation wording does not have to do all the work. Stationery is one of the most underused ways to reflect both faiths and cultural identities across an entire wedding.

Certain words can appear in a second language without needing translation. A table plan that uses the word "Mehman" rather than "Guests." A menu card that names a dish in Hindi and English. An order of service that carries a line of scripture from both traditions. These are small decisions with a significant effect on how welcomed guests from both sides feel when they arrive.

The design itself carries meaning too. Motifs, colour choices, paper finishes and embellishments can represent each tradition visually, which allows the words to stay cleaner. Our guide on choosing the perfect colour palette for your wedding invitations is a useful companion here.

Digital cherry blossom invitation for a Sikh wedding by Ananya

BEYOND THE INVITATION: ON-THE-DAY STATIONERY

This is where multicultural couples have the most creative freedom and often the most fun.

One of our favourite commissions was for an Indian-Scottish wedding. Their pre-wedding event was called Tartan Turbans, combining Scottish dancing with a henna party. The name alone said everything about who this couple was and what the day was going to feel like. At the reception itself, rather than a guest book, they had a wish tree. Vibrantly coloured wish tags representing the richness of the Indian celebration were tied with tartan ribbon for the Scottish side. It was specific, joyful and completely theirs.

That same spirit can run through an entire suite. Cocktail menus are a wonderful opportunity. A Mango Lassi Spritz. A Chai Old Fashioned or a Whisky Negroni with a turmeric twist. Naming cocktails with a multicultural nod gives guests something to smile at before they have even had a drink.

Table names are just as powerful and almost always overlooked. Couples often default to numbers when they could choose cities that mean something to both families. Mumbai and Edinburgh. Dubai and London. Delhi and New York. Or they name tables after shared traditions, favourite foods or places they have travelled together. Guests remember it for years and it costs nothing extra to do.

Multicultural wedding menu by Ananya | Photography by Muse

For all of this to work together, the suite needs to be designed as a whole from the beginning rather than added to piece by piece. Our essential wedding stationery guide covers everything from save the date to on-the-day pieces, and our guide to planning a multicultural wedding in five steps covers the broader planning picture.

For Sikh wedding stationery our Sikh wedding invitations page covers the specific considerations, and for Muslim wedding stationery including Nikah wording, our Muslim wedding invitations page is the place to start.

For a useful reference for cultural and multicultural weddings, Khush Magazine is a thorough and well-regarded resource.

Until next time,

Vaishali x

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is it Mehndi, Mehendi or Mendi?
All three spellings are widely used and all are correct. Choose the version your family uses and apply it consistently across your entire stationery suite.

Can a multicultural wedding invitation be in two languages?
Yes. Bilingual invitations work well when designed carefully. A dual-sided layout or two separate cards give each language room and avoids the card feeling crowded.

Whose parents are named first on a multicultural wedding invitation?
There is no fixed rule. Many multicultural couples list both families jointly as hosts, which ensures neither family appears secondary.

Do I need separate cards for each ceremony at a multicultural wedding?
Not always. One main card works well for couples hosting a single ceremony and reception. For weddings with multiple ceremonies across different days, an information suite with enclosure cards is clearer for guests. Your stationer will be able to guide you.

How far in advance should multicultural wedding invitations be sent?
For weddings with international guests, 2-3 months in advance of when you require the RSVPs is recommended. Save the dates should go out earlier still, particularly for multi-day celebrations.

What is the best wording for a multicultural wedding invitation?
The best wording reflects both families equally, names all ceremonies clearly and uses a tone that matches the couple rather than defaulting to one family's tradition.

Which Type of Wedding Stationery Will You Choose? An Essential Guide

So, it’s time to choose wedding stationery and all things gorgeous for your day! But, do you know your laser cut from your letterpress? No? Don’t worry, you aren’t expected to unless stationery and printing is your business! But, when it comes to your wedding, you want to be able to make the right choice. Read on for Ananya’s essential guide to wedding stationery types.

Letterpress

Letterpress party invitation

Let’s start with Letterpress. It's the ‘Grand Dame’ of printing in that it’s one of the oldest stationery printing techniques in use. Essentially, letterpress is a ‘relief printing’ technique, in which the design is ‘raised’ on a metal plate. Using a printing press, an impression is made into the paper by pressing into it from one side. It’s usually done with ink but can also be without ink. If you run your hand across the finished print you can usually feel the indentations in the paper.

Letterpress printing is high in quality but is slower than other printing methods. For example, the printer has to place each letter of type into a special holder that they also have to place ‘mirror image’ to what the finished print will be.  In other words the type for the press has to be set left to right and upside down. Wow, that’s a lot of work!

Taking letterpress from assembly to proof and then to print is time consuming without a doubt. But, on the upside, it is lovely for a vintage style or traditional wedding. 

Screen printing

Ananya''s 'Trio of Life' bespoke screen printed wedding stationery: parrot

Photography by Fiona Kelly Photography

Ananya's 'Trio of Life' screen printed bespoke wedding stationery: elephant

Photography by Fiona Kelly Photography

Screen printing is one of our favourite mediums of printing at Ananya. We love it! Many of our favourite designs, especially using metallics such as gold or silver, use the screen printing technique, including Mandala Love and Trio of Life.

In screen printing, ink is pressed through a mesh screen using a rubber blade or ‘squeegee’ to move across it and fill the open ‘windows’ with ink. When the blade is reversed back across, the screen touches the paper (or media) that’s being printed on to create your design.

Ananya's 'Mandala Love' screen printed wedding stationery

For Mandala Love, the screen printing for the delicate hand printed mandala motif required an exceptional level of technical skill. Ananya’s craftsmen had to print each piece four times no less; a single colour printed each time. Deep blue and gold are the feature colours of this design, with the deep blue printed first, followed by the gold elements of the mandala. Yellow was applied after that and finally cyan. Accurate positioning without overlap or gaps was critical to ensuring that each element of this intricate design printed perfectly. The design really pops with its vibrant colours and juxtaposition of matt and metallic elements. Only hand printed silk screen in our opinion at least gives that level of covetable artisanal quality.   

Offset printing

Offset/Litho printed wedding invitation

In comparison to letterpress printing, offset printing is a more indirect print technique. It’s popular for big volume production, and is also known as ‘flat printing’ or ‘litho printing’. Offset, by the way, is just another way of saying ‘transferred’. So, essentially, images on metal plates are ‘offset’ to rollers (or rubber blankets). Once that’s done, the image is printed onto the paper or print media that you've chosen. The metal plates and paper (or other media) don’t come directly into contact with each other during the process.

Digital printing

Digital printed floral wedding stationery

Modern, fast and accurate, digital printing is almost the polar opposite of letterpress! Digital printing uses tiny dots (a lot of them of course!) to create text and images. Digital printing is good for smaller quantities and is cost effective. What are the disadvantages? It’s likely that there'll be limits to the type of paper that you can use. This technique tends to suit thinner paper styles and quality can be variable dependant on the printer. Digital printing is also not suitable for accurately printing metallics – for example, you will not get a shiny bright gold or silver but instead a duller brown gold or grey silver.

Laser cut

Laser cut wedding stationery

When it comes to Laser cutting it’s a whole different world of precision and design. Creating and cutting out paper into different shapes isn’t new of course. In China they create ‘Jianzhi’, intricate symmetrical designs created with knives and scissors. And who hasn’t created their very own ‘origami garland’ as a child? Laser cutting definitely moves those hand created designs on a few millennia! Fast and accurate, laser cutting enables the production of intricate designs on an industrial scale.

How is laser cutting done? It’s a non-contact process utilising a laser to cut the material i.e. paper. Directing the laser beam through a nozzle to the media or material, a combination of heat and pressure creates the cutting action. Laser cutting is popular for the modern and vintage bride. It's good for delicate lace designs and works well with 3D designs such as cityscapes or representations of your wedding venue.  

Embossing and Debossing

Embossed notecard envelope

Embossing produces a raised textured image or text. But, unlike letterpress, it uses two engraved metal moulds to create your chosen design. The moulds used are often copper or brass, designed to fit into each other. During printing, the raised mould forces the paper into the recessed mould and creates the embossed impression of your design, as you can see on our envelopes for our notecards and personal stationery.

Debossing creates an indent in the paper rather than a raised design. Both of these techniques work well with a personal monogram design. Another of Ananya’s favourites! 

Engraving

Engraved monogram wedding invitation

Engraved personal stationery

And finally, we must mention engraving. It’s perhaps the most formal and classic of the printing styles for wedding stationery. It’s also one of the most expensive! During engraving an etched metal plate is used to create the design. When pressed into the back of the paper it creates raised lettering on the front which you can feel and leaves a slight indent on the back. The printer will apply ink to the raised lettering afterwards. Impressive to receive, we love luxurious engraved stationery at Ananya.

Which type do you think you are? Whatever you choose, Ananya would love to help you design your perfect wedding stationery. Say hello at info@ananyacards.com  and let’s talk!  

Vaishali x