Re: What do you think about this wedding invitation ?
well said Faisal.
Re: What do you think about this wedding invitation ?
The dinner voucher is a cute idea, but it also makes it seem like you’re throwing money at people so as to avoid having to deal with them on your special day. But I think it could still work.
I really dislike the “No boxed gifts” phrase. It’s just so presumptuous (it’s been discussed here before, I believe). In cases where the couple is moving far away or something, I think a nicer way of putting it would be acceptable: “We look forward to your company on this special day. Because the bride and groom will be moving soon after the wedding, we ask that the only gift you bring is your presence” …or something like that.
Refer to this thread for further discussion on this topic: http://www.paklinks.com/gs/wedding/277836-no-boxed-gifts-please.html
"No Boxed Gifts" makes a lot of sense if the wedding (or the reception) is being held in a different city/country from where the bride and the groom will ultimately settle down. So they don't have to transport a bunch of big boxes (likely full of lame and recycled gifts).
But I am not sure if giving gift vouchers to people to have a meal is a good idea. I won't do it. The purpose of wedding reception is to celebrate a milestone WITH your friends and family. Its the occasion, the ambiance, an opportunity to meet old friends and family, and best of all, be part of a group dua for the newly wedded couple.
Most people can eat out any time they want. The guests are not likely to be so poor that they'd be ecstatic on receiving a free lunch voucher. This kinda defeats the whole point.
If the bride/groom (their family) wants to save money, then don't invite a ton of acquintences you don't really want to invite. Cut down on lavish food. Don't waste money on huge dowries and gifts. But the least you can do is to have your loved ones WITH you when you celebrate a joyous occasion (and not send them to eat a lunch on their own).
My $0.02.
2 thumbs up, agree 100%
Re: What do you think about this wedding invitation ?
Looks like people are hung up here on " No boxed gifts please. " .
People do not follow this direction anyway and they do what they want to do at this occasion.
The catch phrase in this thread is not it.
It is the lunch/dinner voucher/gift cards. After the wedding is over and even before the wedding if you talk to the people who are in charge of arranging the whole affair, for example, parents of the bride, it takes them months and months to organize this special day for their loved one. They get so tired , stressed out and edgy. On the wedding day it looks like that all hell is about to break. The people will come eat, chit chat and when they go back they will start to criticize at least one aspect of the whole circus, for example food was not so good, the biryani was too salty, sheer malls were too hard etc. I have even seen people criticizing the color of the carpet on the stage where bride and groom are seated. Even there are bickering matches held , during the celebration where someone will start to raise hell about how they are not being taken care of and are not being treated as VIP.
Give me a break . The problem is that you have to invite everybody you know , they expect it , you have to treat them with nice food, in nice manner. So the way they can all be involved at this auspicious occasion is to come to the masjid at the time of Nikah and make dua after the nikah , give their blessing to the bride and groom , congratulate the parents and then go home, The end.
Now treating them with nice food part , if they are so adamant to have shadi key biryani and qorma they can have it at a restaurant which the parents of the bride or groom can afford them to send. Eat there and later call to let parents know how great the food was at that restaurant how they were happy to be there with their family.
Re: What do you think about this wedding invitation ?
^ exactly!!! To avoid this sort of bickering, get the nikkah done in a mosque and send mithai ka dabba to all these good for nothing relatives.
And we followed the arab culture and asked that kids not be brought. We had a big hungama at our nikah due to a couple and their kid.... it was horrible and so only kids of the family (both sides) were there in our function, that is how we avoided kids running everywhere and making mess.
Oh good god how did u manage to do that! I know that's a norm in gora weddings... but i don't think it'd ever go over well in a desi wedding (to ask not to bring kids). I'm not criticizing you but..dang share ur tips.. lol
Re: What do you think about this wedding invitation ?
When my uncle got married, now im talking like...11years ago, the 'no boxed gifts' theory wasnt really popular back then and they ended up with like 7 kettles and hundreds of picture frames. isnt it easier and a better idea just to give the bride and groom money so they can use it to settle down, or pay for the lavish wedding theyve had?
anyway back to the point, sending a voucher is just so un-personal, kinda tacky actually. the whole point of a shaadi is that you invite all those whoa re close to you so they can share and add on to your happiness...although i do think shaadis nowadays are like competitions, who can spend the most money, who can have the biggest wedding set, most expensive lengha etc etc.
we usually write on invitations like Please avoid gifts, not like no boxed gifts
It is the lunch/dinner voucher/gift cards. After the wedding is over and even before the wedding if you talk to the people who are in charge of arranging the whole affair, for example, parents of the bride, it takes them months and months to organize this special day for their loved one. They get so tired , stressed out and edgy. On the wedding day it looks like that all hell is about to break. The people will come eat, chit chat and when they go back they will start to criticize at least one aspect of the whole circus, for example food was not so good, the biryani was too salty, sheer malls were too hard etc. I have even seen people criticizing the color of the carpet on the stage where bride and groom are seated. Even there are bickering matches held , during the celebration where someone will start to raise hell about how they are not being taken care of and are not being treated as VIP.
Give me a break . The problem is that you have to invite everybody you know , they expect it , you have to treat them with nice food, in nice manner. So the way they can all be involved at this auspicious occasion is to come to the masjid at the time of Nikah and make dua after the nikah , give their blessing to the bride and groom , congratulate the parents and then go home, The end.
Now treating them with nice food part , if they are so adamant to have shadi key biryani and qorma they can have it at a restaurant which the parents of the bride or groom can afford them to send. Eat there and later call to let parents know how great the food was at that restaurant how they were happy to be there with their family.
Wowwowow!!! hold on.....
Arranging an elaborate wedding is expensive and extremely time-consuming, I agree with you, but its not really this huge big ordeal that you made it out to be. Countless people do it every day. Sheesh!
I have personally arranged or was very closely involved in arranging several weddings of siblings, my own, close cousins etc. You need a good team, assign responsibilities, plan and execute, and most importantly, keep a cool head. Family politics aside, most people are there to have a good time. Food, gupshup and rituals are just part of the whole experience. Keep a cool head, solve problems as they arise and enjoy the day. Its not like the guests (or even majority of guests) are there to get you. If they are, then you need a serious revision of guest list, and/or folks you associate with. Plus if all your relatives and friends are merely trouble-makers who are there just to eat qorma and pulao, then yes, please send them dinner vouchers. ... :D
Re: What do you think about this wedding invitation ?
Plus, I have no idea why some of you are so allergic to giving/receiving gifts. Is this a new ABCD thing or what?? I am all for not recycling lame gifts or regifting (made famous by Seinfeld). But giving sensible/useful/tasteful gifts to friends and relatives is a very nice gesture. May be I am old school, but the hadith I heard is (paraphrasing) “give gifts as it increases love between you”.
Not everything your parents did is bad. Pls get over the unnecessary snootiness 
If boxed gifts are an issue then mention that to your guests so they don’t bring boxed gifts. But otherwise why even mention it (whether they can or can not bring gifts). People do whatever they want to do. Whats the point in dictating them that they shouldn’t bring anything for you, Are you trying to appear ultra-nobel or ultra-caring (or whatever)?