What to write on a henna invitation
The most colorful night of the wedding deserves wording to match: six ways to announce it, from the most traditional to the most modern.
On this page
The henna is a party in its own right, separate from the wedding: a Sephardic and Mizrahi celebration (Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Yemen, Iran, Iraq…) with no equivalent in Ashkenazi tradition. Henna is applied to the hands of the bride and groom (and often the guests) as a symbol of luck, fertility and protection from the evil eye. It is a joyful, musical, very colorful party where traditional dress (caftan, jebba, embroidered outfits depending on the family’s origins) often comes out. The wording should reflect that festive energy: freer and more visual than a wedding invitation, while still giving the essential practical details.
A different tone from the wedding invitation
- The henna clearly stands apart as a separate event, often a few days before the wedding, sometimes the night before
- The vocabulary can be more vivid: colors, music, traditional dress, family heritage
- Say whether traditional dress or a dominant color is requested from guests
- The venue often differs from the wedding’s (family home, reception hall, riad…)
- The names of the couple and the link to the upcoming wedding should stay clear for guests who may not know the custom
The henna does not exist in this form in Ashkenazi tradition. If your family blends the two traditions, a short line of explanation on the invitation (“a traditional Sephardic evening before our wedding”) helps guests who are discovering the custom.
Example wordings
בס״ד The [Name] and [Name] families are delighted to invite you to the henna party of their children [First name] & [First name] [Weekday], [date] at 7:00 p.m. [venue / address] Traditional dress welcome: let the celebration be full of color! RSVP: [contact]
Henna Night [First name] & [First name] invite you to dance, laugh and get your hands painted with them before the big day! [Date] · 7:30 p.m. [Venue] Bright colors welcome, traditional dress if you have one We hope to see you there. Please confirm by [date]
With joy, the [Name] and [Name] families invite you to the henna ceremony (henna bandan) of [First name] and [First name] [Date] at 7:00 p.m. [Venue] An evening of music, color and blessings before their wedding on [wedding date]. Traditional Persian dress welcome.
מסיבת חינה The [Name] and [Name] families have the honor of inviting you to the henna party, in the Yemenite tradition, of their children [First name] and [First name]. [Date], 7:00 p.m. · [venue] Traditional costumes, songs and blessings on the program. Come celebrate this moment with us before their wedding.
The [Name] and [Name] families have the honor of inviting you to the henna party, in the Iraqi tradition, of their children [First name] and [First name]. [Weekday] [date], 7:00 p.m. · [venue, address] Wedding on [wedding date]. The henna is a separate evening, open to [close family / all guests]. RSVP: [link]
Before our wedding, we are celebrating the henna: a Sephardic tradition where we paint our hands as a symbol of luck and protection, with joy, music and color. Come and share it with us on [date] at 7:00 p.m., [venue]. Colorful attire welcome, no evening wear needed! Please reply by [date]
Honorifics
As for the wedding, if one of the parents named has passed away, add z"l after the name rather than leaving it out: zichrono livracha for a man, zichrona livracha for a woman (“of blessed memory”). Because the henna is a family and community celebration, grandparents are often named as hosts too: check your own family’s custom before finalizing the wording.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Presenting the henna as just a “party before the wedding,” with no name or context: for guests who do not know the custom, one sentence of explanation prevents confusion.
- Copying the formal tone of the wedding invitation: the henna is freer and more festive, and the wording should show it.
- Forgetting to give the venue when it differs from the wedding’s, which is often the case (family home, a different hall).
- Not saying whether traditional dress or a particular color is wanted, when many guests like to prepare for it.
- Combining the henna and the wedding on a single invitation without clearly separating the two dates and venues.
Checklist: don’t forget
- First names of the couple
- Date and time of the henna party (separate from the wedding)
- Exact venue (often different from the wedding hall)
- Mention of traditional dress or requested colors
- A reminder of the upcoming wedding date, if useful
- RSVP contact
What’s next?
An invitation true to your traditions.
In 4 languages, with Hebrew set the way it should be and replies tracked household by household.
Related pages
- Wedding
What to write on a Jewish wedding invitation
Seven ways to announce it, and everything a Jewish wedding invitation really has to say.
- Engagement
What to write on an engagement invitation
The announcement before the wedding: joyful and often spontaneous. Eight ways to phrase it, from a simple message to a real invitation.
