When to Send a Video Invitation

When should it go out?

The earlier the invitation goes out, the easier it is for guests to plan. A general timeline:

Wedding: 4–6 weeks before. For guests coming from out of town or abroad, a short "save the date" message 2–3 months before.
Engagement and henna night: 2–3 weeks before.
Circumcision celebration: 3–4 weeks before; earlier if it falls in the school holidays.
Birthday and baby shower: 1–2 weeks before.
Reminder: 2–3 days before, a short version showing only the date, time and location.

What should the text say?

Even a beautiful film turns into a stream of phone calls if details are missing. What an invitation must include:

Names and occasion ("Deniz and Tolga are getting married")
Date, day and time ("Monday 14 June 2027, 19.00")
The venue's name and district
RSVP: to whom and by what date
Any notes: dress code, children or no children, parking

Do not put the location link in the video; no one can copy a link from a video. Share the location as a separate message straight after sending the video.

How many seconds should it be?

30–45 seconds is enough for most invitations. Names should appear in the first few seconds, so the guest knows at once whose invitation they have opened. The date, time and venue should stay on screen for at least 4–5 seconds at the end, so a screenshot can be taken. That is why we design the final frame as a simple invitation card.

It must make sense with the sound off

Invitations are often opened in a meeting, on public transport or on silent at night. All the details must be written on screen; sound and music make the film lovely but do not carry the information.

Do not forget the older generation

Keep text large and high-contrast; thin decorative fonts cannot be read on a small screen.
Let the information card stay on screen without rushing.
If you wish, the narrator can read the invitation aloud; a great help for older guests with poor sight.
For older guests who do not share by phone, ask for a print-ready version of the card too.

How to share it on WhatsApp

A vertical (9:16) MP4 opens full screen on a phone.
WhatsApp compresses videos. To keep the quality, you can also send the file as a "document", but sending it as a normal video opens more easily for most guests.
Sending to people individually is warmer than one message to a big group; add a short note with their name under the video.
If you send it to a group, repeat in the message who to RSVP to.

Would you like to add a story?

How did you meet, how did the proposal go, what does your child love most? Even one small scene sets an invitation apart from a template. The story need not be long: a 10–15 second moment is enough, and the rest is invitation details.

Play it again on the day

The invitation film can play again on the big screen at the wedding hall, or as an opening video at a circumcision celebration or birthday. Ask for a landscape version for this.