Wedding Wishes: 300+ Messages for Friends, Family, the Card and the Shagun Envelope

At an Indian wedding, a wish travels further than you think. It is written on an envelope in the queue to the stage, typed into a family WhatsApp group of two hundred people, said into a cousin's phone for the wedding film and, if you are very close, read aloud at the sangeet. Most of it is forgotten by the next morning. The good ones are kept: in the box of cards the couple opens on their first anniversary, in a screenshot, in a story told at the next family wedding.

The trouble is that the wish usually gets written in a hurry, with a pen that does not work, on the bonnet of a car outside the venue. Which is how so many cards end up saying the same eight words.

This list is written for the weddings most of us actually go to: five functions, two families, three languages at the dinner table and at least one aunt who will read your card out loud. There are wishes for every relationship, every faith and every function, wishes in Hindi and nine more Indian languages, lines short enough for a shagun envelope, and a simple way to write your own.

Quick answer: A good wedding wish names the couple, says one true thing about them and ends with a blessing for the years ahead. Keep it to one line on a shagun envelope, three to five sentences in a card and a line or two on WhatsApp, sent after the ceremony rather than during it. For the best wishes of all, pick a line below that sounds like you and add one sentence only you could write.

In this article

1. How to write a wedding wish
2. Short wedding wishes
3. Happy married life wishes
4. Heartfelt and formal wedding wishes
5. Wedding wishes for a friend and a best friend
6. Wedding wishes for family
7. Wedding wishes for colleagues and your boss
8. Funny wedding wishes
9. Wedding wishes in Hindi
10. Wedding wishes in other Indian languages
11. Wedding wishes for every faith
12. Wishes for every function, from the roka to the reception
13. What to write on a shagun envelope or gift tag
14. Wedding wishes for WhatsApp and Instagram
15. Belated wishes, and when you cannot be there
16. How to sign off, and what not to write

1. How to write a wedding wish

Every wish that people keep has the same three parts, in this order:

1. Who it is for. Their names, or "you two". It sounds obvious, but a card that names the couple reads as if it was written for them, not bought for them.
2. One true thing. A memory, something you have seen in them as a couple, or what you love about them together. This is the sentence nobody else can write, and the one they will remember.
3. A wish for the years ahead. A blessing, a line from their faith, or a joke if that is your relationship.

Three wishes built that way:

• From a friend: "Ananya and Kabir, when you looked at each other during the varmala, half the hall forgot to throw petals. May you always look at each other like that. All my love."
• From an elder relative: "Beta, we have watched you grow from a shy child into a kind and steady man, and today we watched you choose a partner who is just as kind. May your home be full of laughter. Our blessings are always with you both."
• From a colleague: "Congratulations to you both. Anyone who has worked with Riya knows how lucky you are, Arjun. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness, and a long, uninterrupted honeymoon."

How long it should be depends on where it is going:

Make it yours: if you are speaking at the sangeet, put your toast where it fits the evening in the sangeet running order; if the couple sent an online invitation, the note you add to your reply reaches them before the wedding.

2. Short wedding wishes

For the card you are writing in the car park, the gift tag and the stage photo caption.

• Congratulations to the two of you, and to every morning you will share.
• Two people, one plan, a whole lifetime to fill. Congratulations.
• Here's to a love that only gets better with practice.
• So happy for you both. This is the best news of the year.
• You found each other. Everything else is detail.
• Wishing you a marriage as easy as your laughter together.
• May your home always smell of good food and sound like good company.
• Love, patience and a sense of humour: may you never run short of any of them.
• Congratulations on the best yes of your lives.
• To a lifetime of chai for two.
• May this be the first page of a very long and very happy book.
• Today you married your favourite person. Congratulations.
• Wishing you more good days than you can count, and each other on the hard ones.
• You make each other better. Keep doing that.
• All our love on your wedding day, and on every day after it.
• Cheers to the couple everyone saw coming.
• May your love be the calm in every busy day.
• A new home, a new name on the door, the same two hearts. Congratulations.
• Wishing you a marriage full of small, everyday kindnesses.
• So much love to the newlyweds.
• Seven pheras, one promise, a lifetime to keep it. Congratulations.
• Here's to the two of you, and the team you make.
• May you always choose each other, even on Mondays.
• Wishing you a joy that grows with every year.
• The best is not behind you. It starts today.
• Congratulations, and thank you for letting us share the day.
• May you always be each other's safe place.
• Blessings on your new beginning.
• Two families, one celebration, endless love. Congratulations.
• May your hands stay held and your hearts stay full.

Make it yours: a short wish does the most work on a gift tag; if you are still choosing the gift, our guide to wedding gifts for the couple starts with what they actually want.

3. Happy married life wishes

"Happy married life" is the phrase most Indian guests reach for, and it deserves better than a full stop.

• Happy married life! May every year be kinder to you than the last.
• Wishing you a happy married life full of laughter, patience and late-night talks.
• Happy married life to a couple who already feel like home to each other.
• Here's to a happy married life, and to never fighting over the last gulab jamun.
• May your married life be as warm as your wedding day, and far less tiring.
• Happy married life! May you grow older, wiser and sillier together.
• Wishing you a happy married life built on trust, teamwork and good food.
• A very happy married life to you both. May the love only deepen.
• Happy married life! May your arguments be short and your hugs long.
• To a happy married life: shared dreams, shared chores and shared dessert.
• May married life give you a best friend for every season.
• Wishing you a married life with more sunshine than storms, and one umbrella for two when it rains.
• Happy married life to the couple who make love look simple.
• May your married life be full of the quiet happiness that needs no audience.
• Happy married life! We cannot wait to see the home you build.

Make it yours: add the couple's names in front of any of these and it reads as if it was written for them.

4. Heartfelt and formal wedding wishes

Heartfelt wishes, for the people you love and the cards you write slowly:

• Watching you two together today, we understood what people mean when they say two people were made for each other.
• May you always find in each other the friend you can tell anything and the partner you can face anything with.
• Love is easy on a wedding day. May you find it just as easy on the ordinary Tuesdays that follow.
• You both waited for someone who makes you laugh and makes you braver. We are so glad you found each other.
• May your marriage be a place where you can both be completely yourselves.
• Wishing you the patience to listen, the courage to apologise and the good sense to laugh at yourselves.
• Some people make a room brighter. Together, you two make it glow. May that light never dim.
• May your love be generous enough to hold both your families and wise enough to put each other first.
• Today you made promises in front of everyone who loves you. May you keep them easily and joyfully.
• You do not need luck, because you have each other. We wish you luck anyway, and a lifetime of it.
• We hope the love you feel today becomes the kind that is quieter, deeper and stronger still.
• Wishing you a marriage in which you grow together, not just old together.
• May you always remember how you looked at each other today.
• Thank you for showing everyone in that hall what a real partnership looks like. Congratulations.
• Whatever life brings, may you meet it side by side.

Formal wishes, for elders, your parents' friends, business families and anyone you call "ji":

• Heartiest congratulations on your wedding. Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness.
• Please accept our warmest wishes on this auspicious occasion.
• Congratulations to the bride and groom, and to both families, on this happy union.
• With warm regards and best wishes for a long and happy married life.
• Wishing the newlyweds health, prosperity and many years of togetherness.
• On behalf of all of us, congratulations on your marriage.
• May this union bring joy to you both and to your families.
• Our heartfelt congratulations on your wedding day, and our thanks for including us in the celebration.
• Wishing you both every happiness as you begin your married life.
• Best wishes for a marriage blessed with understanding, respect and love.
• Congratulations on your marriage. May the years ahead bring good health and good fortune.
• Warm wishes to the couple, with our respects to both families.
• It was an honour to witness your wedding. Wishing you a bright future together.
• May your marriage be as gracious as the celebration that began it.
• With sincere congratulations and blessings for your new life together.

Make it yours: for a formal wish, the sign-off matters as much as the wish; see section 16.

5. Wedding wishes for a friend and a best friend

For a friend:

• From late-night hostel talks to your wedding day: I am so proud of you. Congratulations.
• You always said you would know when it was right. You were right. Congratulations, my friend.
• Thank you for letting me be part of your love story. Here's to the next chapter.
• To my friend, and to the person who finally deserves them: congratulations.
• I have seen you happy before, but never like this. Stay this happy.
• Congratulations! Now I have two friends instead of one, and twice the reason to visit.
• Our group chat will never be the same, and that is fine. Congratulations.
• You are marrying someone who laughs at your jokes. Hold on tight.
• So happy to see my friend marry their best friend.
• Wishing you a marriage as loyal and as much fun as our friendship.
• I promise to stay the friend who brings snacks, listens and takes your side, mostly.
• Here's to you two, and to the dinners, trips and inside jokes still to come.
• Watching you walk in today, I cried more than your mother did. Congratulations.
• Every love story is different, but yours is the one I will keep telling.
• Congratulations to my friend, who just made the best decision of their life.

For a best friend:

• You have been my person for years. Today I am happy to share you. Congratulations.
• My best friend found their forever, and I found a new favourite person. Everybody wins.
• I knew it was serious when you asked my opinion on the outfit and then ignored it. Congratulations.
• Thank you for letting me stand next to you today. I would do it again, every day.
• You held my hand through every heartbreak. Today I watched you hold theirs. Congratulations.
• Best friend, best day, best person for you. I could not be happier.
• May your partner love you as loudly as I do, and know you even better.
• You are not just getting married; you are getting a teammate for life. Play well.
• I am officially handing over the 2 am phone calls. Please answer them kindly.
• My best friend just married their best friend. That is a lot of best. Congratulations.
• No card could hold what you mean to me, so I will just say this: be happy, always.
• Still my favourite person, now with a plus one for life.
• Whatever changes, our friendship stays. There are just three of us now.
• Today I watched you choose love. I have never been prouder of you.
• Here's to the friend who taught me what loyalty looks like. You deserve all of it back.

Make it yours: a wish from a friend can be cheekier than one from family; keep the private jokes for the toast. When your own turn comes, our guide to inviting friends has the words.

6. Wedding wishes for family

For your brother (and your new bhabhi):

• Bhaiya, you finally found someone who can handle you. Welcome, bhabhi, and good luck!
• To my brother and my new sister: may your home be full of noise, food and love.
• Congratulations, bhai. Treat her like the queen she is, or you will hear from me.
• I gained a sister today, and you gained the best partner. Happy married life, bhaiya and bhabhi.
• You looked out for me my whole life. Now may life look out for you both. Congratulations.
• From fighting over the TV remote to watching you get married. So proud of you, bhai.
• Bhabhi, welcome to the family. He is all yours now, socks included.
• May your marriage be as strong as the bond between us.
• Congratulations to my brother, who looked happier today than on any result day.
• Bhaiya and bhabhi, may your jodi stay blessed and your home stay full.

For your sister (and your new jiju):

• Didi, today you looked like the happiest person in the world. May you always feel that way.
• To my sister and my new brother: welcome to the madness, jiju. Congratulations!
• Jiju, you are lucky. She is the best person I know, and I will be checking.
• My first best friend just got married. I am happy, proud and a little lost. Congratulations, didi.
• May your marriage be as fun as our childhood and as calm as Maa's kitchen on a Sunday.
• Congratulations to my sister, who now has a whole new wardrobe to borrow from.
• You looked after me all my life. May you be looked after just as lovingly now.
• Didi and jiju, may you laugh together every day and argue only about holidays.
• My little sister is married. I will need some time. Congratulations, and all my love.
• To the bride, my sister: you are going to make such a beautiful home.

For a cousin:

• From summer holidays at Nani's to your wedding day: so happy for you. Congratulations.
• The cousins' WhatsApp group is officially celebrating. Happy married life!
• Congratulations! You are the first of us to marry, so set a good example.
• May your marriage be full of the fun we had every summer as children.
• Welcome to the family! You have married into a noisy, loving and very hungry crowd.
• Our family just got bigger and better. Congratulations to you both.

For your son:

• Beta, watching you become a husband today made us prouder than we know how to say.
• We raised a good boy, and today we watched him become a good man. Congratulations.
• To our son and our new daughter: our home is yours, and our love is doubled.
• May you be as patient a husband as your father tries to be. Congratulations.
• You will always be our child, and now you have a partner for life. Bless you both.
• Beta, cherish her, listen to her and never stop making her laugh.
• Our blessings go with you into your new life. Be happy, both of you.
• Welcome to our family, beti. We prayed for someone like you for our son.

For your daughter:

• Beti, you were our whole world. Now you get to build your own. Our blessings are always with you.
• The day you were born, we dreamed of this day. You made it more beautiful than we imagined.
• May your new home be as full of love as the one you grew up in, and may you visit often.
• You are not leaving us; you are taking our love with you. Congratulations, beta.
• To our daughter and our new son: welcome to the family. Please look after each other.
• We gave you roots and wings. Fly happily, our girl.
• Wishing our daughter a marriage built on respect, kindness and laughter.
• Our blessings, today and always. Sada khush raho, beta.

For a grandchild:

• We held you as a baby. Today we watched you marry. God bless you both.
• Our blessings on our grandchild and the newest member of our family.
• May you have a marriage as long and happy as ours, with fewer quarrels.
• Jeete raho, khush raho. Our love goes with you both.
• Your Nani and Nana are so proud of you today.

For the couple's parents:

• Congratulations on the wedding! What a beautiful celebration you gave them.
• Badhai ho! You must be so proud today.
• Congratulations to both families on this happy union.
• You raised a wonderful person, and today they married another. Congratulations.
• Thank you for welcoming us so warmly. Heartiest congratulations to the whole family.
• Your care showed in every detail of the wedding. Congratulations, and rest well.
• May the new bond between your two families be as warm as today.
• Congratulations on gaining a daughter. Your family just got bigger and happier.

For a new member of the family:

• Welcome to the family! We are so happy you are one of us now.
• We have heard so much about you. Now we cannot wait to make memories with you.
• You have married into a family that loves loudly and eats often. Welcome!
• Welcome home. Our door is always open to you.
• Our family was waiting for you. We just did not know your name yet.
• Welcome to our family. Here's to many festivals, holidays and Sunday lunches together.

Make it yours: the family that is hosting has a long list to manage; if that is you, the guest list in our planning tools keeps every side of the family in one place.

7. Wedding wishes for colleagues and your boss

For a colleague:

• Congratulations on your wedding! Wishing you both a lifetime of happiness.
• Enjoy every moment of the celebration and the honeymoon. Your inbox can wait.
• From all of us at work: heartiest congratulations to you both.
• Wishing you a marriage as well planned as your best project, and far more fun.
• Congratulations! We will miss you at the morning meeting, but this is worth it.
• Best wishes from your colleagues for a happy married life.
• So happy for you. Thank you for inviting us to share your day.
• May your marriage have more good meetings than ours. Congratulations!
• Wishing you love, laughter and a long, uninterrupted leave.
• Congratulations to a wonderful colleague and a wonderful couple.

For your boss:

• Heartiest congratulations on your wedding. Wishing you both every happiness.
• Congratulations on your marriage, and thank you for including the team in your celebration.
• Wishing you and your partner a lifetime of joy and togetherness.
• With warm regards from the whole team, and our best wishes for your married life.
• Congratulations! May your marriage be as successful as everything you lead.

For someone in your team:

• Congratulations from your team! Take all the time you need; we have got this.
• Wishing you a wonderful wedding and a well-deserved break.
• You bring so much to this team. May your marriage bring you just as much joy.
• Warmest congratulations to you and your partner from everyone at the office.
• Happy married life! We will keep your desk and your favourite mug safe.

Make it yours: at work, sign the card with your full name; the couple will be reading a pile of them.

8. Funny wedding wishes

The rule for funny wishes at an Indian wedding: the joke is on marriage, never on the couple, and it should survive being read aloud by their grandmother.

• Congratulations on finding someone who will tell you the truth about your cooking.
• Marriage: finally, a permanent partner for "Where shall we eat?" Good luck.
• The rishta aunties can finally rest. Congratulations!
• May your Wi-Fi be strong, your snacks be shared and your arguments end before dinner.
• You are now legally required to share dessert. Congratulations.
• Congratulations on finding the one person who will watch you fall asleep in every movie.
• May you always agree on two things: the AC temperature and who gets the window seat.
• Here's to a lifetime of "Have you seen my keys?"
• Congratulations on choosing your forever person to annoy.
• Marriage tip: whoever cooks does not wash the dishes. Negotiate everything else.
• Your streaming password is now a joint account. Treat it with respect.
• Love is sharing the last samosa. True love is letting them have it.
• Congratulations! You are now officially each other's emergency contact and permanent plus one.
• Every argument can be solved with chai and an apology. Usually in that order.
• May your fridge be full, your phones be on silent and your relatives visit on time.
• Welcome to married life, where "I'm fine" is a whole conversation.
• Congratulations on the wedding. Your next big decision: whose family gets Diwali.
• May you always laugh at each other's jokes, even the old ones.
• Today you said yes. Tomorrow you will say "Did you pay the electricity bill?" Congratulations!
• Congratulations to the only two people allowed to finish each other's chips.

Jokes to leave out, however funny they were at the bachelor party: divorce, in-laws as villains, dowry, "finally" or anything about age, weight and looks, the question of when the baby is coming, exes, and drinking jokes in a family that does not drink.

Make it yours: if you are telling the joke into a microphone, test it on someone from the other side of the family first.

9. Wedding wishes in Hindi

For elders, for family WhatsApp groups and for anyone who will read a Hindi wish twice. Each comes with what it means.

• शादी की ढेरों बधाइयाँ! आप दोनों की जोड़ी हमेशा सलामत रहे। (Many congratulations on your wedding! May your pair always stay safe and together.)
• नए जीवन की शुरुआत पर आप दोनों को हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ। (Warm wishes to you both as you begin a new life.)
• भगवान आप दोनों को हमेशा ख़ुश रखे। (May God always keep you both happy.)
• आपका साथ सात जन्मों तक बना रहे। (May you stay together for seven lifetimes.)
• प्यार, भरोसा और हँसी आपके जीवन की सबसे बड़ी पूँजी बनें। (May love, trust and laughter be the greatest wealth of your life.)
• दो दिल, दो परिवार, एक नई कहानी। बहुत-बहुत बधाई! (Two hearts, two families, one new story. Many congratulations!)
• आपकी शादी पर हमारी ओर से ढेर सारा प्यार और आशीर्वाद। (Lots of love and blessings from us on your wedding.)
• हर सुबह साथ की चाय और हर शाम साथ की बातें, यही हमारी दुआ है। (Tea together every morning and talk together every evening: that is our prayer for you.)
• आप दोनों का रिश्ता समय के साथ और गहरा होता जाए। (May your bond grow deeper with time.)
• नई ज़िंदगी, नया घर, नई ज़िम्मेदारियाँ, पर प्यार वही पुराना रहे। (A new life, a new home, new responsibilities, but may the love stay the same.)
• वर-वधू को सुखी दांपत्य जीवन की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ। (Heartfelt wishes to the bride and groom for a happy married life. A formal line, good for a card from a family.)
• शुभ विवाह के पावन अवसर पर हार्दिक बधाई। (Heartfelt congratulations on the sacred occasion of the wedding. Formal, and good for an envelope.)
• आप दोनों एक-दूसरे की ताक़त बनें। (May you each be the other's strength.)
• झगड़े छोटे हों, सुलह जल्दी हो, और प्यार हमेशा बड़ा रहे। (May your quarrels be small, your making up quick and your love always big.)
• ख़ुश रहो, आबाद रहो। (Stay happy, and may your home flourish. An elder's blessing.)
• सदा सुखी रहो। (May you always be happy. An elder's blessing to the couple.)
• आयुष्मान भव, सौभाग्यवती भव। (May you live long; may you always be fortunate in your marriage. The traditional blessings an elder gives the groom and the bride.)
• भैया-भाभी, आपकी जोड़ी को किसी की नज़र न लगे। (Bhaiya and bhabhi, may no evil eye ever fall on your pair.)
• दीदी, जीजू बहुत क़िस्मत वाले हैं, और यह बात उन्हें रोज़ याद रहे। (Didi, jiju is very lucky, and may he remember it every day.)
• आपकी ज़िंदगी प्यार और ख़ुशियों से भरी रहे। शादी मुबारक! (May your life stay full of love and happiness. Congratulations on your wedding!)

Make it yours: for a family that reads Hindi, write the wish in Devanagari and sign in the same script; it will be read with more care than any English card.

10. Wedding wishes in other Indian languages

The simplest way to make a wish feel personal is to write it in the couple's own language. These are the everyday ways to say congratulations on a wedding.

Make it yours: a greeting in their language, then your own wish in English, is a lovely card. If you are writing in a language that is not yours, ask someone who speaks it to read it before you seal the envelope.

11. Wedding wishes for every faith

A wish in the couple's own tradition says you know who they are. Match the faith of the couple, not your own.

For a Hindu wedding:

• May Agni, the witness to your seven pheras, keep your home warm and your hearts warmer still.
• "Be ye not parted; dwell ye here reach the full time of human life." This blessing from the Rig Veda's wedding hymn (Book 10, Hymn 85, verse 42), in Ralph Griffith's 1896 translation, is our wish for you too.¹
• "Sakha saptapadi bhava": with these seven steps you have become my friend, which the couple say together once the saptapadi is complete.² May that friendship guide every step you take after them.
• May Ganesha clear every obstacle from the path you walk together.
• May Lakshmi fill your home with plenty, and Saraswati with wisdom.
• Like Shiva and Parvati, may you always be two halves of one whole.
• Sada sukhi raho. Our blessings on your shubh vivah.
• May the vows you made around the sacred fire stay as bright as it burned today.

For a Muslim wedding:

• Nikah Mubarak! May Allah fill your home with peace, love and barakah.
• The Prophet's prayer for a newlywed, as Abu Hurairah reported it: "May Allah bless you and send blessings upon you, and bring goodness between you".³ In Arabic: Barak Allahu laka wa baraka alaik, wa jama'a bainakuma fi khair.
• Shaadi Mubarak! Allah aap dono ki jodi hamesha salamat rakhe.
• May Allah make you a comfort to each other's eyes, as the Quran's prayer for spouses and children asks (Surah Al-Furqan 25:74).⁴
• May Allah place between you the affection and mercy the Quran speaks of (Surah Ar-Rum 30:21).⁵
• Mubarak ho! May your marriage be a source of sukoon for you both.
• Nikah Mubarak to a beautiful couple. May your home always be full of duas and of guests at the dastarkhwan.

For a Sikh wedding:

• Lakh lakh vadhaiyan on your Anand Karaj! May Waheguru's grace be with you always.
• "They alone are called husband and wife, who have one light in two bodies." May these words of Guru Amar Das, the third Sikh Guru, on Ang 788 of the Guru Granth Sahib, always be true of you⁶.⁷
• Four laavan, one path, a lifetime together. Congratulations.⁸
• Waheguru ji di mehar tuhade te bani rahe. (May Waheguru's grace stay with you.)
• May your marriage be built on seva, simran and a great deal of laughter.
• Viah diyan vadhaiyan! May your home always have a full langar and an open door.

For a Christian wedding (the verses in the King James Version):

• "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." Congratulations on your wedding (Mark 10:9).⁹
• "A threefold cord is not quickly broken." May God be the third strand in your marriage (Ecclesiastes 4:12).¹⁰
• "Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it." Wishing you a love like that (Song of Solomon 8:7).¹¹
• "Whither thou goest, I will go." May you always walk together (Ruth 1:16).¹²
• "Forbearing one another in love": the secret of every long marriage. God bless you both (Ephesians 4:2).¹³
• May the Lord bless your home and keep you close to Him and to each other.
• Congratulations on your holy matrimony. Praying for a lifetime of faith, hope and love.
• Wishing you a marriage blessed by God and surrounded by family.

For a registered, interfaith or intercultural wedding:

• Two traditions, one love and the best of both families. Congratulations.
• However you said your vows, the promise is the same. Congratulations on your marriage.
• Congratulations on your registered marriage! A small wedding and a very big love.
• May your home be big enough for both your festivals and all of your families.
• Whatever the ceremony, the vows mean the same. We are so happy for you.

Make it yours: for a couple marrying at the registrar's office, our guide to court marriage in India explains what their day involved; if you are planning a wedding of your own, a pandit, a priest or a granthi can tell you which blessings the family will expect.

12. Wishes for every function, from the roka to the reception

An Indian wedding is five celebrations, and each one deserves its own line.

For the roka or the engagement:

• Congratulations on your roka! The countdown to the wedding starts now.
• The rings are on, the families have met and the planning begins. Congratulations on your engagement.
• One step closer to forever. Congratulations to you both.
• Happy engagement! May the months until the wedding be as sweet as today's mithai.
• Congratulations on your sagai. We cannot wait to dance at the wedding.

For the haldi:

• Wishing you a haldi full of laughter, and a glow that lasts long after the turmeric washes off.
• Happy haldi! May your skin glow, your heart glow brighter and your outfit survive.
• Haldi today, happily ever after tomorrow. Love to you both.
• May the haldi bless you with health, happiness and very good photos.

For the mehndi:

• May your mehndi be dark and your love even deeper.
• Happy mehndi! May the colour stay for days and the memories for a lifetime.
• Somewhere in those designs is your partner's name. May they spend a lifetime finding new things in you.
• Wishing you a mehndi night full of songs, giggles and dholak.
• Sit still, let it dry and enjoy being looked after. Happy mehndi!

For the sangeet:

• Tonight we dance; tomorrow you marry. Happy sangeet!
• May your sangeet be loud, your steps be in sync and your love song never end.
• Wishing you a sangeet both families will talk about for years.
• Happy sangeet! Practise your steps; the cousins are watching.
• To the couple of the night: may your marriage have as much rhythm as this dance floor.

For the reception:

• Congratulations to the newlyweds on a beautiful start.
• You did it! Now eat something and enjoy your own party.
• Wishing you both a lifetime as happy as you look on that stage.
• Thank you for a wonderful evening. Here's to many more celebrations together.
• Congratulations, and welcome to the first night of the rest of your lives.

Make it yours: the custom of hiding the groom's name in the bride's mehndi is one of many in our guide to the mehndi ceremony's rituals, if you would like your mehndi wish to land.

13. What to write on a shagun envelope or gift tag

The envelope carries the blessing; the card carries the words. On the envelope itself, one line is enough.

• With blessings for a happy married life.
• Shubh vivah. With love from all of us.
• Shubh aashirwad, from the whole family.
• For your first home together, with love.
• Sada khush raho. Aashirwad sahit.
• A small token for a big day. Congratulations!
• With best wishes for your new journey.
• For the honeymoon, the first dinner out or the flowers after your first argument. Love always.
• Blessings to the couple, from all of us.
• With love and good wishes for your future together.
• Something for the new home, with all our love.
• May this bring you a little joy and a lot of luck.
• Heartiest congratulations, with warm regards.
• To the newlyweds, with love and blessings.
• शुभ विवाह। सस्नेह आशीर्वाद सहित। (A happy wedding. With loving blessings.)

Four small things make an envelope easy for the couple, who will open hundreds of them on the night:

1. Write your names clearly, on the back or inside, with your city if the family has several people with your name. The couple wants to know who to thank.
2. Keep the amount off the outside. It is between you and the couple.
3. Add the one-rupee coin if your family does; our gifts guide explains the extra rupee, how much shagun to give and the cash rules worth knowing.
4. Seal it, and hand it to the couple or the family member they have asked to collect envelopes.

Make it yours: if the couple has a Shagun Registry, every gift or amount you promise on it can carry a note for them too, which they see in their planning tools.

14. Wedding wishes for WhatsApp and Instagram

For WhatsApp, sent after the ceremony, not during the pheras:

• Just saw the photos. You both look stunning. Congratulations and happy married life!
• I waited until the pheras were done to send this: many, many congratulations to you both!
• Still smiling from last night's sangeet. What a wedding. Congratulations!
• Happy married life, you two. Rest, eat, and reply to these messages next week.
• Sending love and blessings from all of us. Congratulations to the couple and to both families.
• So sorry we could not be there today. Watching the photos come in and wishing you all the happiness in the world.
• Congratulations! Thank you for having us. The food, the dancing, the two of you: perfect.
• Badhai ho! Aap dono ko shaadi ki dher saari shubhkamnayein.
• A voice note is coming, but first: congratulations! So happy for you.
• To the newlyweds: no need to reply to this. Just enjoy every minute.

For an Instagram comment or caption:

• Two hearts, one hashtag. Congratulations!
• The couple everyone has been waiting for. Happy married life!
• Cannot stop looking at these photos. Congratulations, you two.
• Officially the wedding of the season.
• So lucky to have been there for this. Love you both.
• Pheras done, forever begins.
• Main character couple energy. Congratulations!
• This is what happily ever after looks like.

Make it yours: if the couple sent their invitation as an online invitation website, the reply form has room for a note, and the couple sees it beside your family's reply. If you still have to reply, how to reply to a wedding invitation on WhatsApp has the words.

15. Belated wishes, and when you cannot be there

Belated wedding wishes:

• Late, but with all my heart: congratulations on your wedding.
• The wishes are late; the love is not. Happy married life!
• I missed the date but not the joy. Congratulations to you both.
• A little late to the party, but here's to your first weeks of married life.
• Belated congratulations! I hope married life is everything you hoped for.
• It is never too late to wish you happiness. Congratulations.

When you cannot attend:

• We are so sorry we cannot be there, but our hearts will be at the mandap with you.
• Wishing you a beautiful wedding from miles away. We will be watching the photos and cheering.
• We will miss the celebration, but not the chance to say congratulations, with all our love.
• Sending our blessings ahead of the big day. Please save us a laddoo.
• Though we cannot join you, we are celebrating you from here. Happy married life.
• Sorry to miss your big day. Dinner is on us when you are back from the honeymoon.

Make it yours: if you cannot go, send your wish before the wedding, call if you are close, and send the gift or shagun anyway: a bank transfer makes that easy from anywhere, and if the couple has a Shagun Registry you can promise your gift on it, with a note.

16. How to sign off, and what not to write

Sign-offs that work:

• With love and blessings,
• Aashirwad sahit (with blessings),
• Sapariwar (with the whole family), followed by the family's name,
• With warm regards,
• Lots of love, Mausi and Mausa,
• With best wishes from all of us,
• Cheering for you always,
• Your friend for life,
• Yours, with a full heart,
• With respect and best wishes (for a formal card),
• Love, and see you at the reception,
• God bless,

What not to write, however tempting:

• "Finally!" It makes the wedding sound overdue.
• The amount. It belongs inside the envelope, not on the card.
• Anything about an ex, weight, looks or age.
• "When is the good news coming?" The couple will hear it enough from others.
• Complaints, about the traffic, the food or the seating. The card is not a review.
• Jokes about divorce, dowry or the in-laws.
• A wish in a faith that is not theirs, unless you know they share it.
• A long story. Save it for the toast, or for dinner when they are back.

Make it yours: if you are the couple and the wishes are pouring in, thank-you messages for after the wedding are near the end of our guide to WhatsApp invitation messages.

The wish they keep

On the morning after the reception, the cards are opened in a heap. A few are kept for years. The difference is rarely the poetry. It is the one sentence that could only have come from you: the memory, the joke, the thing you noticed about them as a couple. Use the lists above for the rest.

If you are the couple, and you are reading this because the planning has begun, Shaadiwaale's planning tools keep your guest list, budget, checklist and invitations in one place, and our team is free to ask whenever you are stuck.

Frequently asked questions

What should I write in a wedding card?

Name the couple, say one true thing about them, and end with a wish for the years ahead: three to five sentences in all. For example: "Ananya and Kabir, you make each other laugh more than anyone we know. May you never stop. With love and blessings." Write it by hand and sign it with your full name, so the couple knows who it is from.

What is a good short wedding wish?

"Congratulations on the best yes of your lives", "Wishing you a lifetime of chai for two" and "May you always be each other's safe place" all fit a gift tag or an envelope. A short wish works best with the couple's names in front of it.

How do you wish a happy married life in Hindi?

The everyday wish is "शादी की बहुत-बहुत बधाई" (shaadi ki bahut-bahut badhai), many congratulations on your wedding. For a fuller wish, "वर-वधू को सुखी दांपत्य जीवन की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ" wishes the bride and groom a happy married life, and elders often bless the couple with "सदा सुखी रहो", may you always be happy.

What do you write on a shagun envelope?

One line of blessing, such as "With blessings for a happy married life" or "Shubh vivah, with love from all of us", and your names clearly on the back or inside, with your city if the family has several people with your name. Keep the amount off the outside.

What do you say to congratulate a couple at a nikah?

"Nikah Mubarak" or "Shaadi Mubarak" are the usual greetings. You can also offer the Prophet's prayer for a newlywed, as Abu Hurairah reported it: "Barak Allahu laka wa baraka alaik, wa jama'a bainakuma fi khair", May Allah bless you and send blessings upon you, and bring goodness between you.

What should you not write in a wedding card?

Avoid "finally", the amount of your gift, anything about exes, looks, weight or age, questions about a baby, complaints about the wedding, and jokes about divorce, dowry or the in-laws. A wish in a faith that is not the couple's is best left out unless you know they share it.

When should I send wedding wishes on WhatsApp?

After the ceremony, or the next morning, rather than during the pheras or the nikah, when the couple is busy and messages pile up unread. If you cannot attend, send your wish before the wedding and call if you are close.

Is it okay to send belated wedding wishes?

Yes. A late wish is still welcome, especially with a line that admits it is late, such as "The wishes are late; the love is not." Send it as soon as you remember, and send the gift or shagun with it if you have not given one yet.