Card wording

Tilak ceremony invitation: card matter and messages

Short answer

A tilak ceremony invitation usually comes from the groom's family, who host the tilak at home when the bride's family arrives to apply it. The card says तिलकोत्सव or tilak ceremony, gives the date, muhurat and home address, and closes with the family names. Customs vary by region, so match the wording to how your family does it.

Updated 27 October 2026 · Aaiyega, New Delhi

The tilak is one of the first wedding functions in many North Indian families, especially in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. The bride's brother and male relatives go to the groom's home, apply the tilak on his forehead and bring gifts, and the groom's family hosts them. Because it is held at home and often has its own guest list, it gets its own invitation: a tilak ceremony invitation card, a line on the wedding card, or a WhatsApp message. Below is tilak ceremony invitation card matter in Hindi and English, for the groom's side and the bride's, and short messages to send.

Who invites, and who to
Tilak ceremony invitation card in Hindi
In English and as a line on the wedding card
Tilak invitation messages for WhatsApp

Who sends a tilak ceremony invitation, and to whom?

Customs differ between families and regions, so check with your elders. In most families it works like this:

The groom's family hosts the tilak at their home and invites relatives, neighbours and friends to be present when the bride's family arrives. This is the card most people mean by a tilak invitation.
The bride's family invites the relatives who will go with them to the groom's home. This is usually a phone call or a message rather than a printed card, since the group is small.
Who attends varies. In many families the tilak party is men only; in others the whole family goes. If it matters, say it plainly in the message rather than on the card.

What is the tilak ceremony invitation card matter in Hindi?

Hindi tilak cards follow the same order as a wedding card: an invocation, the invitation, the event, the date and place, and the family names. Use तिलकोत्सव or शुभ तिलक समारोह for the event. More lines for wedding cards are in wedding card matter in Hindi.

Groom's family, formal

॥ श्री गणेशाय नमः ॥ सादर आमंत्रण परम पिता परमेश्वर की असीम कृपा से हमारे सुपुत्र चि. [वर का नाम] के शुभ तिलकोत्सव के पावन अवसर पर आप सपरिवार सादर आमंत्रित हैं। दिनांक: [दिनांक], [वार] शुभ मुहूर्त: [समय] स्थान: [पता], [शहर] दर्शनाभिलाषी: [परिवार के नाम]
Groom's family, shorter

॥ शुभ तिलक ॥ हमारे सुपुत्र चि. [वर का नाम] का तिलकोत्सव [दिनांक] को [समय] बजे हमारे निवास [पता] पर होना निश्चित हुआ है। आपकी उपस्थिति प्रार्थनीय है। स्वागतोत्सुक: [परिवार के नाम]
With the wedding date

॥ श्री गणेशाय नमः ॥ चि. [वर का नाम] (सुपुत्र श्री [पिता का नाम]) का शुभ तिलकोत्सव दिनांक [दिनांक], [समय], निवास स्थान [पता] शुभ विवाह: [दिनांक], [स्थान], [शहर] आप सपरिवार पधारकर शोभा बढ़ाएँ।
Bride's family, to relatives

सादर निवेदन हमारी सुपुत्री सौ.कां. [वधू का नाम] के शुभ विवाह के पूर्व चि. [वर का नाम] के तिलक हेतु हम [दिनांक] को [समय] बजे [शहर] प्रस्थान करेंगे। आप तिलक में साथ चलने की कृपा करें। निवेदक: [परिवार के नाम]

चि. (चिरंजीव) goes before the groom's name and सौ.कां. (सौभाग्यकांक्षिणी) before the bride's on traditional Hindi cards. The wedding card matter for a son guide explains the titles and the order of names on the groom's side.

Tilak ceremony invitation card in English

English cards suit friends, colleagues and relatives who don't read Hindi. Keep the invocation and the word tilak; most guests know it.

Groom's family, formal

|| Shri Ganeshaya Namah || Mr and Mrs [Groom's parents] request the pleasure of your company at the tilak ceremony of their son [Groom] on [Day, Date] at [Time] at our residence, [Address], [City]. With warm regards, [Family names]
Groom's family, simple

You are warmly invited to [Groom]'s tilak ceremony at our home on [Date] at [Time]. [Bride]'s family will be arriving for the tilak, and we would love you to be there to welcome them. Address: [Address]
Bride's family

[Bride]'s family will travel to [City] on [Date] for [Groom]'s tilak, ahead of the wedding on [Date]. We would be glad if you could come with us. Please let us know by [Date] so we can plan travel.

How do you add the tilak to the wedding card?

If the tilak guests are the same as the wedding guests, a single line in the list of functions is enough. Put it first, since it usually comes before the other functions.

Function list, Hindi

कार्यक्रम तिलकोत्सव: [दिनांक], [समय], [स्थान] हल्दी व मेहंदी: [दिनांक], [समय] बारात प्रस्थान: [दिनांक], [समय] पाणिग्रहण संस्कार: [दिनांक], [समय], [स्थान]
Function list, English

Programme Tilak: [Date], [Time], [Place] Haldi and mehendi: [Date], [Time] Baraat: [Date], [Time] Wedding: [Date], [Time], [Venue]

Tilak invitation messages for WhatsApp

Most relatives now expect the details on their phone, even when a card follows by hand. Call the elders first, then send.

Family group, Hinglish

Namaste sabko 🙏 [Groom] ka tilak [Date] ko [Time] baje ghar par hai. [Bride] ke ghar wale aa rahe hain, aap sab pehle se aa jaiyega. Address aur map: [link]
To an elder

Pranam [Name] ji. [Groom] ka tilakotsav [Date] ko hai. Aapka aashirwad aur upasthiti dono chahiye. Card ghar bhej rahe hain, details yahan bhi hain: [link]
Hindi, short

सादर आमंत्रण: चि. [वर] का तिलकोत्सव [दिनांक], [समय], [पता]। आप सपरिवार पधारें।
Bride's side, to cousins

[Groom] ke tilak ke liye [Date] ko subah [Time] baje nikal rahe hain. Jo saath chal rahe hain, please [Date] tak bata dena, gaadi ka intezaam karna hai.
Reminder

Kal [Time] baje tilak hai, sab samay par aa jaana. Location: [link]

What should you check on a tilak invitation?

The muhurat. Print the exact time the pandit gives, and the date in both the English and the Hindu calendar if your family does that.
The address. The tilak is usually at home; add a landmark and a map link for guests who haven't visited.
Who it's for. If the tilak guest list is smaller than the wedding's, send it separately, not on the main card.
Food. If a meal follows, say so, so that guests plan their day.

For the functions on either side of the tilak, see engagement and roka messages and haldi, mehendi and sangeet messages.

An Aaiyega invite has tilak as one of its function presets, so the tilak, haldi, baraat and pheras can each have their own date, time and map in one link. See the designs.

Questions

Questions people ask

Who sends the tilak ceremony invitation?

Usually the groom's family, because the tilak is held at their home and they invite their own relatives to receive the bride's family. The bride's family may also send a short invitation to the relatives who will travel with them to apply the tilak.

What is written on a tilak ceremony invitation card in Hindi?

An opening like ॥ श्री गणेशाय नमः ॥, then सादर आमंत्रण, the groom's name, “के शुभ तिलकोत्सव के अवसर पर”, the date, time and home address, a request to attend, and the family names under दर्शनाभिलाषी or स्वागतोत्सुक.

Is the tilak ceremony on the wedding card or a separate card?

Both are common. Many families add a line for the tilak inside the main wedding card under the list of functions. A separate small card or WhatsApp message makes sense when the tilak guest list is different from the wedding's.

How many days before the wedding is the tilak?

It depends on the family and the region. In many families it falls a few days to a couple of weeks before the wedding, on a date the pandit fixes. Print the exact date and muhurat rather than describing it relative to the wedding.

Can I send a tilak invitation on WhatsApp?

Yes. Call the elders first, then send the card or a short message with the date, time, address and a map link. Most relatives now expect the details on their phone, even when a printed card arrives later.