Wedding Menu Card Ideas (incl. Bengali Menu Card)

A wedding menu card tells guests what is coming, course by course, and becomes a small keepsake of the day. This page gives a full Bengali wedding menu card (dish names in English, transliterated Bengali and Bengali script, in serving order, with sample card wording), followed by North Indian, Gujarati and South Indian wedding menu lists and party menus for birthdays and kitty parties.

Use the lists to plan with your caterer, then lay out the card with the free menu card maker.

Bengali wedding menu: the traditional course order

A Bengali wedding feast (biyebarir bhoj, বিয়েবাড়ির ভোজ) follows a set order that moves from bitter and light to rich, then to tangy, and finally to sweet. Even at modern buffets, many families still print the menu card in this order.

Welcome drink and starters (shurur khabar, শুরুর খাবার): served as guests arrive.
Bitter or light opener: shukto or a shaak (leafy greens) dish with rice or luchi.
Bhaja (fritters) and dal: fried vegetables with a dal.
Vegetable dishes (tarkari, তরকারি): dalna, ghonto, posto.
Pulao or fried rice.
Fish (maach, মাছ): usually two preparations, often one river fish and one prawn.
Meat (mangsho, মাংস): mutton or chicken.
Chutney and papad (chatni o paapor, চাটনি ও পাঁপড়): to clear the palate.
Sweets (mishti, মিষ্টি): mishti doi, rosogolla, sandesh and more.
Paan and mouth freshener (paan, পান).

The same order is used for the bou bhaat (বৌভাত, the reception hosted by the groom's family) and, in a smaller form, for the aiburo bhaat (আইবুড়োভাত, the pre-wedding meal).

Bengali wedding starters and welcome drinks

English / dish	Transliteration	Bengali	Note
Tender coconut water	Daaber jol	ডাবের জল	Classic welcome drink
Roasted raw mango drink	Aam pora shorbot	আম পোড়া শরবত	Summer weddings
Gondhoraj lime buttermilk	Gondhoraj ghol	গন্ধরাজ ঘোল	Fragrant Bengal lime
Fish fry	Fish fry	ফিশ ফ্রাই	Bhetki fillet, crumb fried
Fish kabiraji	Kabiraji cutlet	কবিরাজি কাটলেট	Egg-lace coated cutlet
Banana flower croquette	Mochar chop	মোচার চপ	Veg
Vegetable chop	Vegetable chop	ভেজিটেবল চপ	Beetroot and carrot filling
Prawn cutlet	Chingri cutlet	চিংড়ি কাটলেট
Chicken pakora	Chicken pakora	চিকেন পকোড়া
Paneer tikka	Paneer tikka	পনির টিক্কা	Modern veg option

Bengali wedding main course list

Rice, breads and dal

English / dish	Transliteration	Bengali	Note
Puffed fried bread	Luchi	লুচি	Served with shukto or dal
Stuffed lentil puri	Radhaballabhi	রাধাবল্লভী	Often with aloor dom
Ghee rice	Ghee bhaat	ঘি ভাত
Sweet saffron pulao	Basanti pulao	বাসন্তী পোলাও	Yellow, mildly sweet
Fried rice (Bengali style)	Fried rice	ফ্রায়েড রাইস	Cashew and raisin
Bengal gram dal with coconut	Cholar dal	ছোলার ডাল	Pairs with luchi
Roasted moong dal	Bhaja muger dal	ভাজা মুগের ডাল	Often with fish head in non-veg version

Vegetables

English / dish	Transliteration	Bengali	Note
Mixed bitter vegetable stew	Shukto	শুক্তো	Served first
Fried brinjal	Begun bhaja	বেগুন ভাজা
Potato with poppy seed	Aloo posto	আলু পোস্ত
Lentil cake curry	Dhokar dalna	ধোকার ডালনা	Veg favourite
Cottage cheese curry	Chhanar dalna	ছানার ডালনা
Raw jackfruit curry	Echorer dalna	এঁচোড়ের ডালনা	Also called gaach patha
Banana flower dry curry	Mochar ghonto	মোচার ঘণ্ট
Spiced potato dum	Aloor dom	আলুর দম
Paneer butter masala	Paneer butter masala	পনির বাটার মশলা	Common modern addition

Fish and seafood

English / dish	Transliteration	Bengali	Note
Rohu in rich gravy	Rui kalia	রুই কালিয়া	Classic wedding fish
Bhetki steamed in banana leaf	Bhetki paturi	ভেটকি পাতুরি
Hilsa in mustard	Shorshe ilish	সর্ষে ইলিশ	Season dependent
Steamed hilsa	Ilish bhapa	ইলিশ ভাপা
Prawn in coconut cream	Chingri malaikari	চিংড়ি মালাইকারি	Usually golda (giant river) prawn
Fish in light curry	Macher jhol	মাছের ঝোল	Home style
Fish head with dal	Muri ghonto	মুড়িঘণ্ট	Old-style wedding dish

Meat

English / dish	Transliteration	Bengali	Note
Slow-cooked spicy mutton	Kosha mangsho	কষা মাংস	Often with luchi
Mutton curry	Mangsher jhol	মাংসের ঝোল
Kolkata mutton biryani	Mutton biriyani	মাটন বিরিয়ানি	With potato and egg
Chicken rezala	Chicken rezala	চিকেন রেজালা	White, yogurt-based
Chicken kosha	Chicken kosha	চিকেন কষা

Chutney, sweets and paan

English / dish	Transliteration	Bengali	Note
Tomato and date chutney	Tomato khejur chatni	টমেটো খেজুরের চাটনি
Raw mango chutney	Aamer chatni	আমের চাটনি
Papaya chutney	Pepe chatni (plastic chatni)	পেঁপের চাটনি	Translucent, popular at weddings
Mango leather and date chutney	Aamshotto khejur chatni	আমসত্ত্ব খেজুরের চাটনি
Papad	Paapor	পাঁপড়
Sweet yogurt	Mishti doi	মিষ্টি দই	Served in clay pots
Rosogolla	Rosogolla	রসগোল্লা
Sandesh	Sondesh	সন্দেশ
Date palm jaggery sandesh	Nolen gurer sondesh	নলেন গুড়ের সন্দেশ	Winter weddings
Large stuffed rosogolla	Rajbhog	রাজভোগ
Fried sweet in syrup	Pantua	পান্তুয়া
Rice kheer	Payesh	পায়েস
Ice cream	Ice cream	আইসক্রিম	Modern addition
Betel leaf	Paan	পান	To end the meal

Sample Bengali wedding menu card wording

Here is a full sample card you can adapt. Replace the names and date, and remove dishes you are not serving. Many families print Bengali and English side by side.

Bengali version

শুভ বিবাহ
[কনের নাম] ও [বরের নাম]
[তারিখ]

প্রীতিভোজ

ডাবের জল
ফিশ ফ্রাই · মোচার চপ
লুচি · শুক্তো · ছোলার ডাল · বেগুন ভাজা
ছানার ডালনা · আলু পোস্ত
বাসন্তী পোলাও
রুই কালিয়া · ভেটকি পাতুরি · চিংড়ি মালাইকারি
কষা মাংস
টমেটো খেজুরের চাটনি · পাঁপড়
মিষ্টি দই · রসগোল্লা · নলেন গুড়ের সন্দেশ
পান

আপনাদের উপস্থিতিতে আমরা আনন্দিত।

English version

Shubho Bibaho
[Bride's name] and [Groom's name]
[Date]

Pritibhoj (Wedding Feast)

Daaber Jol (tender coconut water)
Fish Fry · Mochar Chop
Luchi · Shukto · Cholar Dal · Begun Bhaja
Chhanar Dalna · Aloo Posto
Basanti Pulao
Rui Kalia · Bhetki Paturi · Chingri Malaikari
Kosha Mangsho
Tomato Khejur Chatni · Paapor
Mishti Doi · Rosogolla · Nolen Gurer Sondesh
Paan

Your presence makes our celebration complete.

For a bou bhaat card, change the heading to বৌভাত (Bou Bhaat) and the line under it to the couple's names. For an all-veg card, swap the fish and meat lines for dhokar dalna, echorer dalna and paneer.

Old Bengali wedding menu and card theme ideas

Older Bengali wedding feasts were served on banana leaves with clay cups (bhaar), and many families now recreate this "old style" or "sabeki" menu. Typical old-style touches: salt and a slice of lime on the leaf, shaak bhaja (fried greens), neem begun (neem leaves with brinjal) as the bitter starter, muri ghonto, macher matha diye dal, a single meat dish, and doi-mishti in clay pots.

Bengali marriage menu card theme ideas

Lal paar sada: white card with a red border like a traditional sari, black or red Bengali type.
Alpana: white rice-paste style motifs around the edge on a red or terracotta background.
Shola and topor: line drawings of the groom's topor and bride's mukut.
Fish and conch motifs: auspicious symbols, especially a pair of fish at the top.
Kantha stitch border: running-stitch style lines framing each course.
Old letter style: cream paper, sepia ink, a calligraphic Bengali heading.

Keep dish names large enough to read and list them in serving order. See menu card design ideas for layout rules.

North Indian wedding menu list (vegetarian)

Course	Dishes
Welcome drinks	Thandai, jaljeera, fresh lime soda, kesar badam milk, mocktails
Chaat counters	Golgappe, aloo tikki, papdi chaat, dahi bhalla, raj kachori, matar kulcha
Starters	Paneer tikka, hara bhara kabab, dahi ke kabab, mushroom tikka, veg spring roll, malai soya chaap
Soup	Tomato shorba, sweet corn, veg manchow
Main course	Shahi paneer, kadai paneer, dal makhani, dum aloo, malai kofta, mix veg, chole, palak paneer
Breads	Tandoori roti, butter naan, lachha paratha, missi roti, kulcha
Rice	Veg biryani, jeera rice, peas pulao
Accompaniments	Boondi raita, green salad, onion lachha, pickle, papad
Desserts	Gulab jamun, moong dal halwa, rabri with jalebi, gajar halwa (winter), kulfi, ice cream
After the meal	Paan, mukhwas, coffee counter

For more party starters, see the veg starters menu.

Gujarati wedding menu list

Course	Dishes
Welcome drinks	Kesar sherbet, aam ras (season), variyali sherbet, chaas
Farsan	Khaman, dhokla, khandvi, patra, sev khamani, dal vada, kachori
Sweets (served with the meal)	Shrikhand with puri, basundi, mohanthal, jalebi, doodh pak, aam ras puri
Shaak (vegetables)	Undhiyu (winter), sev tameta, bhinda bateta, ringan no olo, val, mix kathol
Dal and kadhi	Gujarati khatti meethi dal, Gujarati kadhi
Rice	Plain rice, jeera rice, vagharelo bhaat, pulao
Breads	Phulka rotli, puri, bajra rotla (in Kathiyawadi menus), thepla
Khichdi	Khichdi with kadhi, often at the end of the meal
Accompaniments	Kachumber salad, papad, athanu (pickle), chutney
After the meal	Mukhwas, paan, ice cream counter

Many Gujarati and Marwari weddings need a separate Jain counter with no onion, garlic or root vegetables. Mark Jain dishes clearly on the menu card.

South Indian wedding menu list

Item	Note
Banana leaf with salt and pickle (mango, lime)	Served first
Banana chips and sharkara varatti	Kerala sadya
Payasam (paal payasam, ada pradhaman, semiya)	Often two payasams
Sweet pongal or kesari	Tamil weddings
Medu vada	Tamil weddings
Avial	Mixed vegetables in coconut and curd
Thoran or poriyal	Dry vegetable with coconut
Olan, kalan, erissery	Kerala sadya
Kootu	Vegetable with lentils
Pachadi and kichadi	Curd-based sides
Parippu with ghee	Kerala sadya opener
Sambar	With rice
Vathal kuzhambu or more kuzhambu	Tamil weddings
Rasam	Digestive course
Curd or moru (buttermilk)	To finish the rice
Appalam or pappadam	Crisp
Banana, beeda (paan)	To end the meal

A South Indian marriage food menu is usually all vegetarian and served in a fixed order on the leaf; ask your caterer for the exact local sequence (Tamil, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra menus differ).

Reception, birthday and kitty party menus

Reception menu list (mixed)

Welcome drinks, 2 to 3 chaat counters, 4 veg and 2 non-veg starters, soup, 4 veg mains, 2 non-veg mains, dal, breads, biryani, raita and salad, 2 to 3 desserts, ice cream, paan.

Indian birthday party menu (vegetarian)

Fresh lime soda or mocktail, pav bhaji or chole bhature, paneer tikka, veg cutlet, mini samosa, pasta in white sauce, veg pulao, raita, gulab jamun, birthday cake, ice cream.

Kids birthday party menu

Mini burgers, cheese sandwiches, French fries, pizza slices, pasta, popcorn, juice boxes or milkshakes, cupcakes, cake and ice cream. Avoid very spicy food and whole nuts for small children.

Kitty party menu

Welcome drink, two chaats (dahi puri, sev puri), one starter (paneer tikka or corn cheese balls), one main (pav bhaji, chole kulche or pasta), a dessert (fruit custard, rasmalai or brownie) and tea or coffee.

Questions and answers

What is served in a Bengali wedding menu?

A typical Bengali wedding menu includes fish fry, luchi, shukto, cholar dal, begun bhaja, a veg dalna, basanti pulao, two fish dishes such as rui kalia and chingri malaikari, kosha mangsho, chutney, papad, mishti doi, rosogolla, sandesh and paan.

How do you write menu in Bengali?

A menu or food list is often called khadyo talika (খাদ্য তালিকা). On wedding cards the feast is usually headed pritibhoj (প্রীতিভোজ) or simply shubho bibaho (শুভ বিবাহ) at the top.

What is the order of dishes on a Bengali wedding menu card?

Starters, then bitter or light dishes like shukto, then dal and bhaja, vegetables, pulao, fish, meat, chutney and papad, sweets, and finally paan.

What is a good vegetarian Indian wedding menu?

Welcome drinks, chaat counters, 4 to 6 veg starters, soup, paneer and vegetable mains, dal makhani, breads, biryani or pulao, raita, salad, two or three desserts and paan.

What size should a wedding menu card be?

A5 (148 x 210 mm) or DL (99 x 210 mm) are popular for per-guest cards; A4 or A3 works for a menu displayed at the buffet.

Should a wedding menu card list Jain options?

Yes, if your caterer offers them. Mark Jain dishes clearly or list them under a separate heading so guests can find them quickly.

Last checked: 14 October 2026