Private guest links, explained

Most digital invitations are one link that everyone receives. It works, but it means everyone sees everything: every function, every venue, and no indication of how many people you have planned for. A private guest link solves that by giving each family its own version of the invitation.

What a private link is

A private link is a web address made for one guest or one family, for example invitegala.com/i/ayesha-hamza/khan-family. It opens the same invitation as everyone else's (the same design, music and story) but tailored to that family:

• It greets them by name: “Dear Khan Family”.
• It shows only the functions they're invited to. If they're coming to the Baraat and Walima, the Mayun simply isn't there.
• It shows their seats: “4 seats”, so there is no awkward question about how many people to bring.
• It lets them reply per function, within their seats, in one tap. No app and no account.

Why it helps, in practice

Seats are the hardest conversation in Pakistani wedding planning. Nobody wants to tell a family, “please only bring four.” A private link says it for you, politely, on the invitation itself. Families see their number and plan around it, and you do not have to raise it at all.

Functions work the same way. Without private links, families either print separate cards for each function or send one card and hope guests understand. With private links, the guest only ever sees what is theirs.

And replies become usable. Because each reply is tied to a family and a function, you get a real headcount per function: confirmed seats against invited seats for the Mehndi, the Baraat and the Walima separately.

A worked example

Say the Siddiqui family is hosting a Mayun, a Mehndi, a Nikah and a Baraat. Phuppo's family gets a private link showing all four, with five seats. The Malik family, old neighbours, get a link showing only the Baraat, with four seats. Ayesha's university friends share a group link for the Mehndi and the Baraat, and each friend types their name when they reply.

Each of them opens a beautiful invitation that feels complete. None of them sees a function they were not invited to, and nobody has to ask how many people to bring.

Private links, group links, function links, main link

Most families use a mix: private links for relatives and family friends, a group link for the couple's friends, and a Walima-only link for the office.

Sending private links on WhatsApp

Sending two hundred individual links sounds like a weekend's work. In practice, on InviteGala each guest row has a WhatsApp button with the guest's name, their functions and their link already typed. You write the message once and it applies to everyone; then it is tap, send, next. Each row shows whether that guest is not sent, sent, opened or replied, so you always know who still needs a nudge.

Changes after you've sent them

Because every link is a view of the same invitation, edits apply everywhere at once. Move the Mehndi indoors, change the Walima time, fix a spelling, and every private, group, function and main link shows the update straight away. You can also change a family's functions or seats later.

How to get private links

Private and group links come with the optional Guest List package. Every design includes the main link and a link per function; the Guest List package adds per-family and group links and the guest list behind them. If you start without it, you can upgrade later and pay only the difference. Details are on the pricing page, and the FAQ covers the common questions.

If you are setting up your list now, our guest list guide covers seats, sides and the columns you'll want.