Kerala Catholic Wedding Invitation Wording: Samples and What to Include

What to put on a Kerala Catholic wedding invitation, with sample wordings for a formal card, a card from the couple and a WhatsApp message, Bible verses often used, and the details families most often get wrong.

A Kerala Catholic wedding invitation has a few things to do: tell people who is marrying, from which families and parishes, where and when the wedding Mass or Holy Qurbana will be, and where the reception is. Most families also want it to say something of the faith in which the marriage is made. Below are the parts every invitation needs, a few sample wordings you can adapt, and some notes on the details families most often get wrong.

What an invitation should include

• The couple's names, usually with the house name, as Kerala families are known by it.
• The parents' names and the family's parish, for both bride and groom.
• The ceremony — "Holy Qurbana" for a Syro-Malabar, Knanaya or Syro-Malankara wedding, "Nuptial Mass" or "Holy Mass" for a Latin Catholic one — with the church, the date and the time.
• The reception: venue and time.
• A contact number for replies and directions.

Many families also print a short verse of Scripture at the top. Some that are often used:

• "What therefore God has joined together, let no one separate." — Mark 10:9
• "Love is patient, love is kind." — 1 Corinthians 13:4
• "Two are better than one." — Ecclesiastes 4:9
• "I found him whom my soul loves." — Song of Songs 3:4

Translations differ slightly in wording, so use the one your family's Bible uses.

Sample 1: formal, from the parents

With the blessing of God Almighty,
Mr Thomas Joseph & Mrs Mary Thomas
Kalapurackal House, St Mary's Parish, Pala
request the pleasure of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter

Ann Maria
with
Jobin Mathew
son of Mr Mathew George & Mrs Elsy Mathew,
Puthenpurackal House, St Joseph's Parish, Thodupuzha

at the Holy Qurbana
on Saturday, 14 November, at 11.00 am
at St Mary's Forane Church, Pala

Reception to follow at Grand Hall, Pala.

Names, parishes and venues above are examples only.

Sample 2: from the couple

Together with our families,
Ann Maria and Jobin Mathew
invite you to celebrate our marriage
at the Nuptial Mass
on Saturday, 14 November, at 11.00 am
at St Michael's Church, Kochi.

Lunch and reception follow at the parish hall.

Sample 3: a short message for WhatsApp

By God's grace, Ann Maria (daughter of Thomas & Mary, Kalapurackal, Pala) and Jobin Mathew (son of Mathew & Elsy, Puthenpurackal, Thodupuzha) will be married at the Holy Qurbana on Saturday 14 November, 11 am, St Mary's Forane Church, Pala. We would be glad to have you with us. Reception at Grand Hall, Pala.

A printed card still matters to many older relatives, but a short, clear WhatsApp version is what most guests will actually read on the day. Send both, and keep the WhatsApp message to the facts.

Details families often get wrong

• The ceremony name. A Syro-Malabar wedding is celebrated within the Holy Qurbana; calling it a "Nuptial Mass" on the card is a small thing that older relatives notice.
• The time. Print the time the ceremony begins, and confirm it with the parish before the cards go to print.
• Malayalam text. Many families print a bilingual card. If you do, have the Malayalam read by someone careful before printing — errors in a printed card cannot be corrected.
• Titles and names. Check how each elder prefers to be named, including priests and religious in the family, before the proof is approved.

For how the day itself runs, see the Kerala Catholic wedding ceremony, step by step, and for the paperwork before it, documents, banns and the pre-marriage course.