Bilingual wedding invitation wording

The Dawaitna Team · 2026-09-22

The English version of a live demo invite titled Kareem and Salma's Wedding, showing the platform renders real English content rather than a machine translation

An English version of an Egyptian invitation is not there to look international. It is there so the colleague from Manchester, the cousin raised in Toronto and the groom's relatives in Germany can read the time and the place without asking someone to translate. Literal translation spoils that. These examples show how to write each language in its own voice.

The opening

In Arabic the invitation often starts with "Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim" and then the host line: "Haj So-and-so and Ustaz So-and-so are honoured to invite you to the wedding of their children." In English there is no need to translate the bismillah word for word. Start with the sentence itself: "Mr. Ahmed Hassan and Mr. Mahmoud Ali request the pleasure of your company at the wedding of their children." If the names make it heavy, "Salma and Kareem are getting married" is fine too. Pick whichever sounds natural.

The names

The usual mistake is a rushed English spelling that a foreign guest then pronounces wrongly. Write it as in the passport, or as you want it read: Mostafa, Yasmine, Abdelrahman. English names have their own fields, separate from the Arabic, so the letters do not have to match. Some designs (the ticket, the poster, blush and champagne) print the names in Latin letters on the card, so fill those in before you publish.

The verse or dua

The verse from Surat ar-Rum, "And among His signs...", is very common, and it has a well-known English rendering:

"And among His signs is that He created for you mates from among yourselves, that you may dwell in tranquility with them, and He has put love and mercy between your hearts." (Quran 30:21)

You do not need the same text in both languages. Many couples put a dua in Arabic and a short line in English, such as "May God bless their union." A non-Muslim friend from work will find that warmer than a stiff translation of a verse.

Date, time and place

This is what the foreign guest looks for first. Write the date as "Friday 14 November, 8 pm" and spell the month, because 11/14 and 14/11 confuse Americans and Europeans alike. Use the hall's name as it appears on the sign. The Google Maps link does the work of an address, so you do not need to spell out directions.

A full pair side by side

Arabic, glossed: "Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim. With love and joy, Salma and Kareem invite you to their wedding on Friday 14 November at 8 pm. Light up the night with your presence."

English: "With all our love, Salma and Kareem invite you to celebrate their wedding on Friday 14 November at 8 pm. We would love to see you there."

The English is not a line-by-line copy. It has no bismillah and no "light up the night", but it carries the same warmth.

The RSVP line

In Arabic, "نورونا بحضوركم" or "هنفرح بيكم". In English: "We would love to celebrate with you. Please let us know if you can come." If there is a dress code, say so in one clear line, such as "Dress code: smart casual". Foreign guests ask. Egyptian guests usually do not.

Mistakes that repeat

Pasting the Arabic into a machine translator and publishing the result unread. Duas and verses come out strange. A long English version that explains every detail, on a small phone screen. Cut it: the foreign guest needs the time, the place and how to reply, not the family history. And assuming every design has English. Several are Arabic only, and each card in the themes gallery lists its languages.

How it works on Dawaitna

Pick a design that supports both languages, fill the English names in their fields, and a language switch appears inside the same invitation. One link for everyone. You can keep editing the words from the editor until the event starts, and the link does not change.

Open the English demo on your phone and read it as a foreign guest would. Do you know when and where from the first screen?

Do I have to include a Quran verse?
No, it is a custom, not a rule. Many couples use a short dua or nothing. A few designs, such as the mashrabiya and the arabesque frame, are built around the verse, so if you pick one of those, choose the verse first.
Can the English spelling of a name differ from the Arabic letters?
Yes, and it should follow the passport. English names go in their own fields, so محمد can be Mohamed, Mohammed or Muhammad, whichever the person actually uses.
Does every design have an English version?
No. Some designs are Arabic only (the storybook, paper and ink, the arabesque frame and khayamiya, for example). Each card in the themes gallery lists the languages it supports, so check before you fall for a design.
Which designs need English names?
The ticket, the poster and blush and champagne print both names in Latin letters on the card itself, so those fields must be filled before you publish. Other designs treat them as optional.
Do guests switch languages inside the same link?
Yes. It is one link with a switch inside the invitation, so you do not split your guest list across two links.