Designing Ecards For Indian Wedding Invitations: A Guide

Indian weddings are a celebration of love and rich cultural traditions. The invitation is an important part of the occasion, with traditional Indian wedding cards known for their artistic designs, vibrant colours, and symbolic elements of cultural significance. Creating an e-card for an Indian wedding invitation is a great way to showcase the beauty and essence of the celebration. With online tools and templates, it's easy to design a digital invitation that captures the spirit of your wedding.

Choosing a template

When it comes to choosing a template for your e-card Indian wedding invitation, there are several options to consider. Firstly, you should decide on the overall aesthetic and style you wish to convey. Traditional Indian wedding cards often feature artistic and opulent designs with vibrant colour palettes, including shades of red, gold, teal, and silver. These colours hold symbolic significance and are known to represent love, cultural traditions, and celebration.

If you want to incorporate these traditional colours into your e-card, consider templates that showcase a glorious mixture of reds, greens, yellows, pinks, and purples. Such colours will undoubtedly convey the joyous and spirited nature of your upcoming wedding. Additionally, you can enhance the visual appeal by including intricate patterns and motifs inspired by henna, paisley, and mandalas, which hold cultural and religious importance.

Another aspect to consider when choosing a template is the inclusion of cultural and religious symbols. Illustrative elements such as elephants, peacocks, and floral touches in bold colours are not only visually appealing but also carry deeper meanings. For instance, in Hindu culture, the elephant symbolizes Ganesh, the "remover of all obstacles," while peacocks represent beauty, richness, joy, and good luck.

When selecting a template, you should also think about customisation options. Choose a template that allows you to personalise details such as colours, fonts, backdrops, envelopes, and stickers to match your wedding theme. This will ensure that your invitation is as unique as your love story. Additionally, look for templates that offer flexibility in terms of text placement and alignment, enabling you to effortlessly change the font size, style, and colour to suit your needs.

Lastly, consider the convenience and functionality of the template. Opt for a template that provides a seamless creation and sharing experience, allowing you to download and share your e-card via various platforms, such as WhatsApp, email, or social media. Some websites even offer a Group Sending feature, making it easier to manage guest lists and RSVPs.

Adding photos and text

When creating an Indian wedding e-card, you can add photos and text to make it more personalised. Here is a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Choose a Template

Select a template that reflects the style and theme of your wedding. There are many Indian wedding invitation templates available online, ranging from traditional designs to more modern and playful options. These templates can be customised with your choice of colours, fonts, backgrounds, envelopes, stickers, and stamps. You can also choose from a variety of cultural and religious symbols, such as mandalas, paisley patterns, Ganesh (the elephant god), peacock feathers, and floral elements.

Step 2: Add Your Photos

When adding photos to your e-card, consider using images that reflect the joy and beauty of your wedding. This could include pictures of the happy couple, perhaps dressed in traditional Indian attire or surrounded by vibrant flowers. You might also include photos from pre-wedding ceremonies, such as the Mehendi (henna) ceremony or the Sangeet celebration. If you prefer not to include personal photos, you can opt for illustrations or cultural symbols instead.

Step 3: Craft Your Message

The text you include in your e-card will depend on the tone and level of formality you wish to convey. For digital invitations, it is common to keep the message short and sweet. Consider including the following information:

• Names of the bride and groom
• Wedding date and time
• Wedding venue
• A personal message expressing your joy and inviting their presence
• A request for their gracious presence or gracious company
• A mention of any pre-wedding or post-wedding ceremonies
• Dress code or theme
• Accommodation or travel information for guests, especially if the wedding is a destination event
• RSVP details, including the deadline for responses
• Registry information, if desired

Step 4: Customise with Additional Details

To make your e-card even more special, consider adding:

• A prayer or religious quote from your religion
• A photo gallery or video message welcoming guests to the festivities
• Cultural motifs and patterns, such as henna designs, paisleys, or mandalas
• Bold colours, foil-stamped metallics, or luxurious embellishments
• Symbols of good luck and prosperity, such as peacock feathers, elephants, or mango leaves

Step 5: Finalise and Share

Once you are happy with your e-card design, proofread your text for any errors and make sure all the necessary information is included. Then, save your e-card and share it via email, text, or a shareable link. You can also download it to send via WhatsApp or other messaging platforms.

Selecting a colour palette

Traditional Indian Colours

If you want to incorporate traditional Indian colours into your e-card invitation, consider using shades of red, gold, teal, and silver. These colours are commonly used in Indian wedding card designs and can create a rich and opulent look. You can also include symbolic cultural elements, such as mandalas, paisley patterns, peacocks, and floral designs, which are often featured in traditional Indian wedding invitations.

Complementary Colours

When selecting your colour palette, consider choosing complementary colours that work well together. For example, you could pair shades of orange and green with creamy tones of rose and ivory for a refreshing and delicate look, as suggested by designer Ana Andreeva. Alternatively, deep red can be paired with analogous tones and deep green accents, as seen in a contemporary invitation design by Spanish designer María Hdez.

Seasonal Inspiration

Take inspiration from the season of your wedding when choosing your colour palette. For instance, if you're having a spring wedding, opt for colours like peach, green, and pink, with varying tones and textures. If you're having a summer wedding, consider vibrant colours like magenta, berry, or coral. For a fall wedding, deep berry tones, rust, and maroon are perfect. A winter wedding could feature cool purple hues, such as heather purple with grey accents.

Personal Preference and Venue

Ultimately, your wedding colour palette should reflect your personal preferences and the seasonality and location of your event. You can draw inspiration from your natural surroundings or the colours of your venue. Remember, your wedding colours will anchor your décor and help create a cohesive visual theme for your special day.

Indian Traditional Wedding Colour Scheme

For a ready-made Indian traditional wedding colour scheme, consider the following palette: Deep Lemon (#EEC219), Jazzberry Jam (#BA0F6B), Carmine Pink (#DE4E4E), and Royal Orange (#FE9345). This combination was created by user Keshav Naidu and offers a vibrant and festive option for your e-card invitation.

Incorporating cultural symbols

Indian weddings are a celebration of rich cultural traditions, and the invitation is a great opportunity to showcase this. There are many symbols that can be incorporated into the design of an e-card wedding invitation to add depth and authenticity.

One of the most popular symbols is the lotus, which is a common motif in Hindu weddings, symbolising purity and enlightenment. Another popular choice is the peacock, or peacock feathers, which represent beauty, richness, joy, and good luck. Elephants are also a common symbol, representing strength and bringing good luck. These can be illustrated in bold colours to add a vibrant and majestic touch.

Mandalas, part of Hindu and Buddhist cultures, are a beautiful symbol of the universe, peace, harmony, and union. Paisley is another common motif, representing fertility and warding off evil.

Other symbols include mango leaves and the Kalash, which symbolise fertility and prosperity, bringing blessings to the couple. The Swastika symbol (not to be confused with the Nazi symbol) symbolises strength and individual prosperity, with its four corners representing the four directions, the sun, change, and movement.

The God Lord Ganesha, or the elephant God, is also often included in Hindu wedding invitations. He is believed to remove any hurdles or obstacles and bring joy and prosperity.

These symbols can be incorporated into the design of the e-card, along with bold colours, intricate patterns, and other cultural and religious motifs.

Sharing your ecard

Once you've created your ecard, it's time to share it with your guests! There are several ways to do this, depending on the platform you've used to create your ecard and your preferred method of sharing. Here are some common methods and platforms for sharing your Indian wedding invitation ecard:

Social Media

You can share your ecard directly on various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Instagram, and more. Look for a “Share” button or option, which will allow you to select the platform you want to share to. You may need to log in to your social media account if you aren't already.

Email

Email is a great way to send your ecard, especially if you have a long guest list. You can either download your ecard and attach it to an email or use the "Email" option provided by some platforms to send your ecard directly to your guests' inboxes. With this method, you can also schedule your ecard to be sent at a later date.

Text/Messaging Apps

If you want to send your ecard via text message or a messaging app like WhatsApp, you'll first need to download it to your device. Then, you can simply text or message the ecard to your guests individually or in a group chat.

Shareable Link

Another option is to generate a shareable link for your ecard. You can then share this link via various methods, such as email, text, or social media. This allows your guests to view the ecard by clicking the link. You can also use this link to track RSVPs and manage guest information.

Group Sending

If you're sending invitations to families or couples, you can use the Group Sending feature offered by some platforms. This allows you to link related guests together so that one person can RSVP for their whole group, making it easier to manage guest lists and RSVPs.

Remember to choose the sharing method that works best for you and your guests, and always ensure that you have the correct contact information for your guests before sending out your beautiful Indian wedding invitation ecards!

Frequently asked questions