Wording guide
Malayalam wedding invitation wording for Hindu and Christian weddings in Kerala
By the Wishly team · Updated
A Malayalam wedding invitation, the kalyana kshanakkathu, comes from the parents and names each family with its house name and town, as Kerala addresses do. A Hindu card gives the muhurtham at the temple or hall, and a Christian card gives the church, the time of the Holy Qurbana or Holy Mass, and the reception.
Both share Kerala habits: short ceremonies, exact times and a meal after. Below are the order of lines for each, samples in Malayalam transliteration and in English, and the etiquette.
The order of lines on a Kerala Hindu card
Hindu weddings in Kerala are brief, often over within minutes, so the muhurtham is the line that matters. Many are held at temples where each wedding has a short slot, and families print the time to the minute.
- The family deity's name or an invocation at the top.
- The parents, with the family's house name and town.
- The bride and groom, with the parents of each.
- The muhurtham: date, weekday and time, and the temple or hall.
- The sadya, the feast served on a banana leaf, and an evening reception if there is one.
The order of lines on a Kerala Christian card
Kerala Christian cards are usually in English, often with a verse from the Bible at the top, and they name the parish as well as the family. Syro-Malabar and Orthodox churches speak of the Holy Qurbana, and Latin Catholic parishes of the Holy Mass.
- A verse or a cross at the top.
- The parents, with the house name, town and parish.
- The couple, with each one's parents.
- The service and the solemnisation of the marriage: the church, the date and the time.
- The reception, at the parish hall or a hotel.
- The betrothal, or manasammatham, on a card of its own if it is held separately.
Formal wording, Hindu and Christian
The Hindu sample is in Malayalam written in Latin letters, from the bride's father; the Christian sample is in English, from the bride's parents.
Ente makal
Aathira
yum
Thrissur, Kalarikkal veettil Shri Suresh Menonte makan
Vishnu
vum thammilulla vivaham
Thursday, 21 January 2027, raavile 10.30-num 11-num idaykkulla muhurthathil
[temple or hall], Thrissur-il vechu nadakkunnu.
Ee mangala karmathil sakudumbam pankedukkanamennu saadaram kshanikkunnu.
Ravindran Nair, Puthiyedathu veedu, Thrissur
What it says: The wedding between my daughter Aathira and Vishnu, son of Mr Suresh Menon of Kalarikkal house, Thrissur, takes place on Thursday, 21 January 2027, in the muhurtham between 10.30 and 11 in the morning, at the temple or hall in Thrissur. We respectfully invite you to take part in this auspicious ceremony with your family. Ravindran Nair, Puthiyedathu house, Thrissur.
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. (Genesis 2:24)
Mr Thomas Mathew and Mrs Annamma Thomas
Puthenpurackal House, Kottayam
request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter
Anna
with
Joel
son of Mr George Varghese and Mrs Susan George, Kalathil House, Pala
Holy Qurbana and solemnisation of marriage
Saturday, 23 January 2027, at 11 am
St. Mary's Church, [town]
Reception and lunch at the parish hall
Kerala couple-hosted, WhatsApp and reception wording
Many Kerala couples hold the wedding in their home town and a reception in the city where they work, sometimes on a different day. Give the reception its own message, so colleagues know which event they are invited to.
With our parents' blessings,
Aathira and Vishnu
are getting married at [temple], Thrissur,
on Thursday, 21 January 2027, at 10.30 am
Sadya at [hall] from 11.30 am
Reception on Sunday, 24 January, in Kochi
Anna and Joel's wedding: Saturday, 23 January 2027, 11 am, St. Mary's Church, [town].
Reception and lunch at the parish hall.
Invitation and map: [link]
Do remember us in your prayers.
Wedding Reception
Aathira and Vishnu
Sunday, 24 January 2027, 6.30 pm
[hotel], Kochi
Dinner from 7.30 pm
Etiquette for a Kerala invitation
The card goes out in the parents' names, but visits matter as much as the card: elders expect a parent or a senior relative at the door with the invitation. Christian families make the same rounds, and the parish office needs the couple's details early for the banns read before the wedding.
House names tell relatives which branch of a family is speaking, so keep them exactly as the family writes them, in English as well as Malayalam.
- For a temple wedding, tell guests about the temple's dress code and where they can stand to watch.
- Give the sadya time separately; many guests come for the blessing and the meal.
- Send the link early to relatives in the Gulf and further away, so they can apply for leave and book flights.
Questions families ask
- What is a kshanakkathu?
- It is the Malayalam word for a letter of invitation; a kalyana kshanakkathu is a wedding invitation. In conversation many people simply call it the kalyana card.
- Can a Kerala Christian invitation be only in English?
- Yes, and many are. Add a Malayalam line for elders if your family likes, and print the verse exactly as it appears in the Bible your family reads, with its reference.
- How early should Kerala invitations go out?
- About three to four weeks ahead for guests in Kerala, and as soon as the date is fixed for relatives abroad, who need time to arrange leave.
