While all of our wedding card(lagna-patrika)s are handed out with good intentions, there are some humourous slips that find their way in. Read on and see if you recognise any of them
The marriage season has arrived! And with it have the myriad wedding card(lagna-patrika)s, usually found in huge numbers in various houses. While the card(lagna-patrika)s are visually attractive, with a matt finish and golden words embellished on them, it is what is inside that interests us — and at times, even gives us the much needed dose of laughter. See if you’ve read any of these before.
Sow. And Chi.
Yes, we know these stand for Sowbhagyavati and Chiranjeevi. But imagine a person who doesn’t know what this stands for. ‘Sow. Vineeta’ might just be read as pig Vineeta, since sow means a hog! And Chi Harsha could be misconstrued as ‘disgusting’ Harsha because, well, Chi is chi! While we understand the traditions attached to them, it would probably make more sense to spell them out completely — or just do away with them.
BTech, MSc, MBA….
‘We request your gracious presence on the auspicious occasion our daughter Sow. Kirthi (B.Tech, MBA) marriage with Chi. Naveen (B.Tech, MBA, M Phil, director of blahblah company)’ — most of the wedding invites usually have the qualifications of the bride and the groom! Now, we understand the parent’s pride at the achievements of their children, but does it really have to be mentioned on a wedding card(lagna-patrika)? It’s almost like proving to outsiders that the couple has got the best deal!
With best compliments from
After all the flowery language used for requesting your ‘gracious presence’ at the marriage, there is usually an area dedicated to best compliments. While some of them end with the simple (and preferable) ‘Family’, or ‘Near and Dear’, there are some whose ‘best compliments from’ list runs on and on and on! Everyone, right from bua, chahcha, kaki, kaka, maasi, dadi, dada to even relatives they aren’t very close to, finds their name printed! While we appreciate the need for family to share their elation, this really kind of kills the purpose, doesn’t it?
Dripping cheesy sentences
‘Love fills a moment, a moments fills a lifetime, a lifetime begins eternity. Our eternity begins at the wedding..’ ‘When friendship turns to love, two people decide to share their life together’… As if requesting our ‘gracious presence’ at the ‘auspicious occasion’ wasn’t bad enough, these cheesy love lines are found in a number of wedding card(lagna-patrika)s now.
Well, while these are some of the many humorous writings found on our card(lagna-patrika)s, it is these quirks that make our weddings more memorable and more… Indian. Like they say, it happens only in India!