Invitation cards in Nepal: cost, timing and etiquette
When to send the card, what a printed run actually costs, who is named as host, and how families now split the job between a digital card and a short print run. Weddings, bratabandha, pasni, birthdays and openings.
When should you send an invitation in Nepal?
Send the main invitation three to five weeks before the event. Tell close family and any guests flying in as soon as the date is fixed, usually two to three months ahead for a wedding, so they can arrange leave and flights. Smaller occasions such as a pasni or a birthday need two to three weeks.
In practice most families now send the digital card the day the date is confirmed, then hand a small printed run to elders, the priest and close relatives closer to the day.
Which occasions get a card in Nepal
A wedding is the biggest, but it is far from the only event a Nepali family prints and sends a card for.
- Wedding (biheko card). The largest guest list and the longest lead time, usually with several ceremonies on separate days. See what goes on a Nepali wedding card.
- Bratabandha. The sacred thread ceremony, dated by the saait just as a wedding is, with a feast that needs a head count.
- Pasni and annaprashan. The rice feeding ceremony, usually a smaller family gathering arranged at shorter notice.
- Engagement and Tilak. Often a separate guest list from the wedding itself.
- Gruha Pravesh and housewarming. Dated by the priest, with an open house across a day.
- Birthdays, anniversaries and retirements. Short lead time, casual wording, but the head count still matters for catering.
- Shop, showroom and office openings. Business invitations follow the same pattern, with a logo in place of a couple photo.
A realistic invitation timeline
Work backwards from the event date. For a wedding the saait usually lands before the venue is booked, so the card is often the last thing anyone thinks about and the first thing guests need.
8 to 12 weeks before
- What to do:
- Tell close family and overseas guests the date
- Why then:
- Flights and leave need booking
5 to 6 weeks before
- What to do:
- Finalise the guest list and wording
- Why then:
- The list decides the print run size
4 to 5 weeks before
- What to do:
- Send the digital card link
- Why then:
- Reaches everyone the same day, free
3 to 4 weeks before
- What to do:
- Deliver printed cards to elders
- Why then:
- Respect, and a keepsake for the family
2 weeks before
- What to do:
- Chase missing RSVPs
- Why then:
- The venue needs a head count
1 week before
- What to do:
- Send the venue and time reminder
- Why then:
- Most no-shows are forgotten details
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| 8 to 12 weeks before | Tell close family and overseas guests the date | Flights and leave need booking |
| 5 to 6 weeks before | Finalise the guest list and wording | The list decides the print run size |
| 4 to 5 weeks before | Send the digital card link | Reaches everyone the same day, free |
| 3 to 4 weeks before | Deliver printed cards to elders | Respect, and a keepsake for the family |
| 2 weeks before | Chase missing RSVPs | The venue needs a head count |
| 1 week before | Send the venue and time reminder | Most no-shows are forgotten details |
For a pasni, a birthday or an opening, compress the whole table into about three weeks. The order of the steps does not change, only the spacing.
What an invitation card costs in Nepal
Printing is priced per card, so the guest list drives the bill. These are typical Kathmandu ranges; work outside the valley is often cheaper and slower.
Simple printed card
- Cost per card:
- NPR 40 to 80
- Cost for 300 guests:
- NPR 12,000 to 24,000
Foil or embossed card
- Cost per card:
- NPR 100 to 180
- Cost for 300 guests:
- NPR 30,000 to 54,000
Booklet with inserts
- Cost per card:
- NPR 150 to 250
- Cost for 300 guests:
- NPR 45,000 to 75,000
Designer charges
- Cost per card:
- NPR 2,000 to 15,000 one off
- Cost for 300 guests:
- Same, plus revisions
Digital card on Bihekocard
- Cost per card:
- Free
- Cost for 300 guests:
- Free
| Option | Cost per card | Cost for 300 guests |
|---|---|---|
| Simple printed card | NPR 40 to 80 | NPR 12,000 to 24,000 |
| Foil or embossed card | NPR 100 to 180 | NPR 30,000 to 54,000 |
| Booklet with inserts | NPR 150 to 250 | NPR 45,000 to 75,000 |
| Designer charges | NPR 2,000 to 15,000 one off | Same, plus revisions |
| Digital card on Bihekocard | Free | Free |
Delivery is the hidden cost. Getting 300 cards to households across the valley, and couriering them to relatives in Pokhara, Biratnagar or overseas, routinely adds days of running around and several thousand rupees. A link costs nothing to deliver and arrives instantly.
Why families send the digital card first
Nothing about a digital card replaces the printed one for the people who matter most. It replaces the scramble to reach everyone else.
- It reaches relatives abroad on the same day, in the same form, with no courier.
- A mistake in a name or a venue is fixed by editing and saving; the link updates itself.
- RSVPs arrive as a list you can count, instead of phone calls you have to remember.
- Guests get a Google Maps link, which removes most of the calls on the morning of the event.
- The card can be exported as a print-ready PDF, so the printed run matches the link exactly.
FAQ
Invitations in Nepal: common questions
The questions families ask when they start the card.
- When should invitations be sent in Nepal?
- Send the main invitation three to five weeks before the wedding. Tell close family and guests travelling from abroad as soon as the saait is fixed, often two to three months ahead, so they can book flights and leave. Most families now send the digital card the day the date is confirmed.
- How much does an invitation card cost in Nepal?
- Printed cards in Kathmandu generally run from about NPR 40 to NPR 250 each depending on paper, foil work and inserts, so an order for 300 guests costs roughly NPR 12,000 to NPR 75,000 before delivery. Designer fees add NPR 2,000 to NPR 15,000. A digital card costs nothing to design or deliver.
- Who is named as the host on a Nepali invitation?
- Nepali wedding invitations are traditionally issued by the parents, so the card names the bride’s parents and the groom’s parents as hosts, sometimes with the grandfather’s name to place the family line. Couples hosting themselves may lead with their own names, which is now common for court marriages and receptions.
- What does saait mean on a wedding card?
- Saait (साइत), also called lagan, is the auspicious hour fixed by the family priest from the couple’s horoscopes. It sits next to the wedding date and tells guests when the main ceremony begins, which is often later than the time guests are asked to arrive. Print both times so nobody waits three hours.
- Should the card be written in Nepali or English?
- Most families use both, and the split matters less than being consistent: put the blessing and the couple’s names in Devanagari to carry the tradition, and the dates, venues and RSVP details in English so younger guests and relatives abroad read them at a glance. Mixing the two within one line is what makes cards hard to read.
- Is a digital wedding invitation acceptable in Nepal?
- Yes, and it is now the norm. Families send the digital card to everyone through WhatsApp and Viber, then hand or courier a small printed run to elders, the priest and very close relatives. That is read as respectful while keeping the cost and the timeline manageable.
- How many guests should I expect to actually attend?
- Nepali weddings routinely see whole households arrive against a single invitation, so a guest list counted in names understates the head count. Ask for a per-household number on the RSVP rather than a yes or no, and add a margin on top before confirming plates with the party palace.
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