Sending on WhatsApp
WhatsApp wedding invitation: the video, the message, and who gets it first
Updated
A WhatsApp wedding invitation works best as a vertical 1080×1920 MP4 video (H.264 video, AAC audio) that plays inside the chat, sent with a short personal message and an e-card image as backup. Nimantran makes both in your browser in about ten minutes for ₹499. The ₹999 plan adds an invite website link for RSVPs.
What video format plays properly on WhatsApp?
WhatsApp is fussy about video. Get the format wrong and guests see a grey box, a "this video can't be played" message, or a landscape video shrunk to a strip in the middle of the screen. This is what works:
| What to use | Why | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Vertical, 9:16 | Fills the phone screen in the chat and on Status |
| Resolution | 1080×1920 (full HD) | Sharp on any phone, even after WhatsApp compresses it |
| Format | MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio | Plays on Android and iPhone without a separate app |
| Length | 25 to 50 seconds | Long enough for every function, short enough that people watch to the end |
| File size | Usually about 30 MB or less | Sends quickly on mobile data, even to the cousin on a 2 GB plan |
WhatsApp compresses videos you send the normal way. On a phone screen it still looks fine. Recent versions show an HD option when you attach a video; use it for the important sends. You can also send the file as a Document to keep every pixel, but then it arrives as a file to download rather than a video that plays in the chat, which confuses many elders.
On most Android phones you can share the finished video straight to WhatsApp from the download screen. Older iPhones record the video in real time, so keep the screen open for the 30 to 50 seconds it takes.
Should you send it to groups or one by one?
Both, in the right order. A forward in the 400-member family group is not an invitation to Tauji, and he will mention it at the wedding. A simple rule: if they would have got a printed card in their hand, they get a personal message.
- Elders and close family first, one by one, with their name in the message. Follow up with a phone call for the people who expect one. You know who they are.
- Friends and colleagues individually or in small groups. Change the greeting for each group: "Hi all" for the college group, "Namaste" for the office.
- The big family group last, once. Pin the message so it does not get buried under good-morning flowers.
WhatsApp broadcast lists can help with the middle step. You make a list of contacts, send once, and each person receives it as a personal chat from you; their replies come only to you, not to the whole list. Two catches: a broadcast only reaches people who have saved your number in their phone, and WhatsApp limits how many contacts a list can hold, so a long guest list means several lists. Do not mass-message people who do not know you; WhatsApp may flag it as spam. Nimantran does not send messages for you; you send from your own phone.
What message should go with the video?
Type it as the caption of the video, so the two stay together when someone forwards it. Keep it short; the video has the details. Change the name at the top for each person.
Formal, for elders and family friends (English)
Namaste Sharma ji, With the blessings of our elders, we are happy to invite you and your family to the wedding of our daughter Riya with Kabir on 20 December 2026 in New Delhi. The video has the dates and venues for all the functions. Your presence and blessings would mean a lot to us. Warm regards, Meena & Ajay Malhotra
Casual, for friends (English)
Hi all, it's finally happening. Riya and Kabir are getting married on 20 December in Delhi, with the sangeet on the 18th and cocktails on the 19th. All the details are in the video. Please block the dates and come ready to dance.
Hinglish, for the family group
Namaste sabko, Riya ki shaadi 20 December ko Delhi mein hai, sangeet 18 ko aur cocktail night 19 ko. Video invite bhej rahe hain, saari dates aur venue usi mein hain. Aap sab zaroor aaiye, bina aapke shaadi adhuri hai.
Hindi, for elders
सादर प्रणाम, प्रभु की कृपा से हमारी बिटिया रिया का शुभ विवाह 20 दिसंबर 2026 को नई दिल्ली में होना तय हुआ है। निमंत्रण का वीडियो साथ भेज रहे हैं, सभी कार्यक्रमों की तारीख और स्थान उसी में हैं। आप सपरिवार पधारकर वर-वधू को आशीर्वाद दें। विनीत: मीना एवं अजय मल्होत्रा
With the RSVP link (₹999 website)
Here is our wedding invite: invites.abstergo.fyi/i/riya-kabir You can watch the video, open each venue in Google Maps, add the functions to your calendar and tell us which ones you are coming to. Please reply by 1 December so we can give the caterer numbers.
Reminder messages, thank-you notes and more are in our WhatsApp wedding invitation message guide. For a message entirely in Hindi, see the Hindi wedding invitation video page.
Why send the e-card image as well?
Every ₹499 invite comes with an e-card: a PNG image with every function on one page. Send it right after the video. It earns its place:
- Some phones auto-download images but not videos, so Mamaji sees the card even if the video sits there as a grey box.
- On the wedding day, a guest at the wrong gate can open one image and check the venue, without replaying a 40-second video.
- It is easy to set as a WhatsApp Status, or to forward to the driver.
How do you collect RSVPs over WhatsApp?
With only the video, RSVPs come back as "haan beta aayenge" scattered across fifty chats. The video ends with up to three RSVP contact names and numbers, which helps, but somebody still has to count.
The ₹999 Video + invite website plan gives you a link like invites.abstergo.fyi/i/riya-kabir. Guests watch the video, open each venue in Google Maps, add each function to Google Calendar or their phone calendar, and RSVP per function. You see headcounts for each function and can download the replies as a CSV spreadsheet. The page is private to the people you send it to and is not listed on Google. Already bought the video? The upgrade costs the ₹500 difference. Details on the pricing page.
When should you send a WhatsApp wedding invitation?
- 4 to 8 weeks before for guests in India. Earlier for anyone who has to book trains or flights.
- 4 to 6 months before for guests abroad. See our NRI wedding invitation video page.
- A week before: a short reminder with the e-card.
- The day before each function: the venue location, especially for the mehendi at home that nobody can find.
And not at 11 PM. More on timing in when to send wedding invitations.
Questions people ask
Why does my wedding invitation video look blurry on WhatsApp?
WhatsApp compresses videos sent the normal way. Start from a full HD 1080×1920 file, and in recent versions tap the HD option before sending. If you need the original quality, send it as a Document, though guests then have to download the file before it plays.
Can Nimantran send the invite to all my contacts on WhatsApp?
No. Nimantran makes the video, the e-card and the optional invite website; you send them yourself from your own WhatsApp. That is also better for your guests: an invite from your number, with their name in the message, feels personal in a way a bulk message never does.
Will the video play on iPhones as well as Android phones?
Yes. The HD download is an MP4 with H.264 video and AAC audio, the format WhatsApp, Instagram and both phone systems play natively. Guests do not need any app other than WhatsApp to watch it.
Is it rude to invite people only on WhatsApp?
For most guests today, no. A personal WhatsApp message with a video invite is normal. For grandparents, senior relatives and family elders, add a phone call; some still expect a printed card in hand. The rule of thumb: personal message for everyone, a call for the people who would have got a card.
How big is the video file?
A full HD Nimantran invite of 25 to 50 seconds is usually about 30 MB or less, depending on its length. That sends comfortably over mobile data. WhatsApp may compress it further when you send it as a normal video.
Make a wedding invite that plays properly on WhatsApp
Vertical full HD MP4 plus an e-card image, ready to send. Preview free; ₹499 for the video, ₹999 with the RSVP website.
Make your WhatsApp inviteFree to make and preview. ₹499 for the HD video when you love it.