A letter of acceptance of invitation is brief in expectation of the personal meeting. But that of regret is a little longer since it includes the reasons for regretting.

Start your letter with thanks for the invitation:

1. Thank you for your invitation to the wedding of……………………………….. to be solemnized at Gurgaon on ……….. (date).

2. Thanks a lot for your invitation to the dinner/ dance party.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

3. Thanks for remembering and inviting me for the Mundan/ Tonsure ceremony of your son.

4. Thank you for your kind invitation.

5. It has been reality nice of you to invite me on your daughter’s marriage.

6. Many thanks for remembering me on this happy occasion.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

7. My wife joins me in thanking you for the invitation to your brother’s marriage.

8. It was an honour to receive your invitation.

9. It was a great surprise to hear from you after so long and that too in the form of an invitation to your sister’s marriage.

10. It has been extremely nice of you to invite me and my wife to the party.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

Subsequently, express regrets for declining the invitation:

11. I would have been delighted to be with you, but………………

12. I wish I could participate in the functions and see you all personally, but……………..

13. In fact I had been looking forward to this for quite some time, but…………………….

ADVERTISEMENTS:

14. Everyone at home is so excited about this, but……………..

15. I would have liked to participate, but………….

16. My wife was really keen to see the bride, but…………..

17. You don’t know how bad I am feeling for my inability to attend it.

ADVERTISEMENTS:

18. I regret to say that I am in no position to accept your invitation because……………….

19. Bunti was really keen to see his Asha Aunty’s wedding, but………….

20. It would have been our pleasure to participate in the functions, but…………………..

21. You know I would have loved to attend the party, but….

ADVERTISEMENTS:

Complete the above sentences by adding the ones given below:

22. Unfortunately I am down with fever.

23. As I have not recovered completely from my recent illness, doctor has advised complete rest for a week.

24. Our son is ill for the last few days, and there is nobody to look after him in our absence.

25. My wife’s parents are coming down from Kashmir, and we would not like to leave them unattended.

26. I have to go to Calcutta on an important official business.

27. I cannot leave the town for the next few days due to some pressing personal problems.

28. I have already accepted and consented to a similar invitation from another friend for the same day.

29. I am badly tied up with my business engagements for the next week.

30. I will not be able to make it as I will be in the US next week.

31. I will be out of India on this day and hence won’t be able to make it.

32. Due to prior engagements, I do not think I will be able to attend the functions.

33. Regret that I will not be able to make it due to pressing official commitments.

34. You know it is the closing for banks and I just cannot leave my work.

35. It is difficult for me/ us to make it.

Convey your greetings on the happy occasion:

36. All the same my best wishes are always with you.

37. I convey my best wishes on this happy occasion.

38. At the same time, let me heartily congratulate you on this happy event in your life.

39. My family joins me in wishing you the Best of Luck.

40. We wish you a very long and happy married life.

41. Best of Luck in life.

Sample Letter

Dear………………,

Thanks a lot for your invitation to the dinner party. I would have been delighted to be with you, but, our son is ill for the last few days and there is nobody to look after him in our absence. So, it is difficult for us to make it. I convey my best wishes on this happy occasion.

Best of luck,

Sincerely,

Your Name

(Another sample not taken from the above)

Dear ………………,

It was nice of you to invite me to the wedding of Reshma with Rahul on 2nd October, 201*. I wish I could attend the function and meet all of you personally, but, regret that I will be out of India on that day.

Please convey our best wishes to the newly weds for a long and happy married life.

Congratulations to you.

Sincerely,

Your Name