Mehndi invitation video, and mehendi messages that tell guests what they need

Mehendi or mehndi: which spelling should the invite use?

Both are right. The Hindi word is मेहंदी, and families write it in English as mehendi, mehndi or even mehandi. Nobody on the guest list will mind which one you pick, but pick one and use it everywhere: the video, the WhatsApp message and the RSVP reminder.

Nimantran spells the built-in function "Mehendi" in English and "मेहंदी" in Hindi. If your family writes "Mehndi", tap "Call it something else" under that function and type it your way. The same trick works for "Mehendi & Dholki" or "Ladies Sangeet & Mehendi".

What should a mehendi invitation say?

Mehendi is long and relaxed. The bride sits for three or four hours while the artists work on her hands and feet, and everyone else eats, sings and waits for their turn. That shapes what guests need to know.

• A start time and a rough end time. "From 3 PM" is fine, but aunties who want their own hands done will ask when the artists leave. If you have two artists till 7 PM, say so.
• Whether guests will get mehendi. Most families arrange a small design for every woman who comes, and these days for interested men too. One line, "Mehendi artists for everyone", gets people there early.
• Dress code. Green is the classic mehendi colour; pastels, yellow and floral prints are just as common now. Add "short or loose sleeves", because nobody wants to fold back a heavy anarkali sleeve with wet henna on both hands.
• Is it ladies only? Many mehendis still are, with the men turning up in time for dinner. If yours is, say so kindly in the message rather than leaving Chachaji to find out at the gate.
• Food and music. "Lunch and dholki" or "chaat counters and a DJ" sets the mood better than any adjective.

There is no separate dress code field in the video. Put it in the closing line at the end (up to 90 characters), for example "Wear green or pastels. Short sleeves, henna is coming for you."

Mehendi invitation messages to copy

Paste one of these as the text above the video on WhatsApp. For haldi and sangeet in the same tone, see the haldi, mehendi and sangeet wording guide.

Which design suits a mehendi invite, and why Pastel Floral?

We start mehendi invites on Pastel Floral. Blush peonies and sage leaves sit well next to the green of henna and the pastel lehengas most mehendi dress codes ask for, and it feels like an afternoon function rather than a big night out. It opens without a blessing by default; add Shri Ganesh, Bismillah, Ik Onkar or the Christian verse if your family prefers.

You can switch designs at any point in the editor and your names, dates and venues stay put, so it costs nothing to try two or three.

How do you make the mehendi video on Nimantran?

1. Open Nimantran in your phone or laptop browser and pick a design. No app to install.
2. Choose English, Hindi or bilingual. The built-in mehendi line is "Henna, music and some masti" in English and "मेहंदी की रस्म" in Hindi.
3. Add the mehendi with date, time, venue and address. Add the sangeet or wedding if this is your main invite.
4. Put the dress code in the closing line and add up to 3 RSVP contacts, ideally the person who knows how many artists are booked.
5. Add up to 3 photos. A photo of the couple is enough; the henna photos can wait for after.
6. Pick music: built-in veena or strings, nothing, or a song from your phone that you have the right to use.
7. Preview free with a watermark, then pay ₹499 for the HD video and an e-card image when you are happy.

If you are inviting people to haldi too, the haldi invitation video page has the haldi side of the same morning-to-evening day.

When should the mehendi invite be sent?

Mehendi usually falls one or two days before the wedding, so it travels with the main invite, 4 to 6 weeks ahead. The guest list is bigger than haldi and smaller than the reception: family, the bride's friends, neighbours and the ladies from Mummy's kitty group. Send a reminder the morning of the function with the location pin and the time the artists leave. The full timeline is in when to send wedding invitations.

Questions people ask