# Pakistani Wedding Events in Order: Dholki to Walima (2026)

> Every Pakistani wedding event in order: dholki, mayun, mehndi, nikah, baraat, rukhsati and walima. Who hosts each, who is invited, and how to run the lists.
- **Author**: PlanMe team
- **Published**: 2026-10-30
- **Modified**: 2026-10-30
- **Category**: Events
- **URL**: https://www.planme.club/articles/pakistani-wedding-events-in-order

---

Your khala is asking which night the dholki is, your future in-laws want to know how many cards they get for the walima, and a colleague just asked whether the mehndi is "the actual wedding." A Pakistani wedding is a run of events with different hosts and different guest lists. Here is each one in order, who usually hosts it, who usually comes, and how to keep the lists straight.

*Audience: For couples and parents planning a Pakistani or other South Asian Muslim wedding, mostly in the US, Canada and the UK, and for guests who want to know what they're invited to*

### On this page

1. The short answer: Pakistani wedding events in order
2. 1. Dholki: the song nights
3. 2. Mayun: ubtan and yellow
4. 3. Mehndi: one night or one for each side
5. 4. Nikah: the marriage itself
6. 5. Baraat and rukhsati: the wedding day
7. 6. Walima: the groom's family's feast
8. How many days? Five common shapes
9. Who hosts and pays for each event
10. Who gets invited to which event: a 420-guest example
11. Running a different guest list for each event
12. Running the events in PlanMe
13. Sources
14. Common questions

Most guides to Pakistani wedding events are written for guests: what each night is, what to wear, when dinner arrives. That helps, and we link the good ones below. This guide is written for the people hosting, because the order of events is also the order of decisions: who hosts which night, whose list it follows, and which caterer needs which number.

Customs vary by family, region and sect. Punjabi, Urdu-speaking, Sindhi, Pashtun and other families name and order these events differently, and plenty of families skip or combine some. Treat the sequence below as the default most guests and vendors expect, then make it yours. For Hindu and Sikh sequences (haldi, sangeet, pheras, Anand Karaj), see our guide to Indian wedding events in order instead.

## The short answer: Pakistani wedding events in order

A typical Pakistani wedding runs in this order: **dholki** nights in the weeks before, the **mayun**, the **mehndi**, the **nikah**, the **baraat** with the **rukhsati** at the end of the night, and the **walima**. The three big events are the mehndi, the baraat and the walima. The nikah is often part of the baraat day, and sometimes held weeks or months earlier.

| Event | Usually when | Usually hosted by | Who usually comes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dholki | Evenings in the one to two weeks before (often several) | Bride's family at home; the groom's side may hold its own | Close family, cousins and friends, often mostly women |
| Mayun | A few days before the mehndi | Bride's family at home (the groom may have his own) | Close family, mostly women |
| Mehndi | One or two nights before the baraat | Bride's family, the groom's family, or both together | Each side's guests, or both sides if joint |
| Nikah | On the baraat day, or earlier as its own event | Usually the bride's family | Everyone at the baraat, or close family if held separately |
| Baraat and rukhsati | The wedding day | Bride's family | The bride's family's guests plus the groom's party |
| Walima | The day after the baraat, or within a few days | Groom's family | The groom's family's guests, often the biggest list |

That order is the same across the guides that cover it well, from Pakistan-based [Niru](https://niru.pk/guides/pakistani-wedding-functions) and [Wedding Wala](https://www.weddingwala.pk/pakistani-wedding-events-order) to UK-based [Nodus](https://thenodus.uk/journal/muslim-wedding-timeline-uk) and [RSVP Websites](https://rsvpwebsites.com/blog/pakistani-wedding-events-explained). Wedding Wala adds the engagement (mangni) before it all and an optional chauthi, when the bride visits her parents, a few days after.

The question most people actually ask is the one a reader posted on r/pakistan after a colleague mentioned his wedding: ["How many parts does a pakistani wedding have?"](https://www.reddit.com/r/pakistan/comments/18zb8xa/how_many_parts_does_a_pakistani_wedding_have/) The top reply is a good summary:

> "3 Days usually, could be 2 if two of the days are combined or could be 4 or more days if they pre wedding events"
> 
> 
> u/TalkingReckless on r/pakistan

The same reply then lists the three main days: mehndi, barat and walima.

## 1. Dholki: the song nights

The dholki is named after the small two-headed drum (dholak or dholki) at its center. Family and friends sit around it and sing wedding songs, usually at the bride's home, with tea, mithai and snacks. [The Knot's guide to Pakistani wedding traditions](https://www.theknot.com/content/pakistani-wedding-traditions) places it about one to two weeks before the main celebrations. Many families hold several, and the groom's side often has its own. In the UK, [RSVP Websites](https://rsvpwebsites.com/blog/pakistani-wedding-events-explained) notes, the dholkis are also where the mehndi dances get rehearsed.

**Planning notes for hosts:** keep it informal. A message is usually enough as an invitation. What tends to slip is the count. Ten aunties become thirty once the cousins hear there's biryani, so decide roughly who is invited to each dholki and how many nights you're hosting before anyone books a dhol player.

## 2. Mayun: ubtan and yellow

At the mayun (also written mayoun or maiyun), close female relatives apply ubtan, a paste of turmeric and gram flour, to the bride, who traditionally wears yellow. In many families she then stays home and rests until the wedding. [Explore Pakistan](https://explorepakistan.live/destinations/guides/pakistani-wedding-traditions) notes that in many families the groom has his own version at home, and [Niru](https://niru.pk/guides/pakistani-wedding-functions) says many families fold the mayun into the mehndi. It's the Pakistani cousin of the haldi: see our [haldi guide](https://www.planme.club/wedding-events/haldi) for how the ritual differs across communities.

**Planning notes for hosts:** it's small, usually at home, and family only. If it runs straight into the mehndi on the same evening, treat it as its own short event with its own short guest list, so the mehndi caterer doesn't count mayun-only relatives twice or miss them entirely.

## 3. Mehndi: one night or one for each side

The mehndi is the loud one: henna for the bride, dholki songs on a bigger scale, choreographed dances from each side, the dhol, and dinner that often arrives late. It's usually one or two nights before the baraat. Traditionally the bride's and groom's families each held their own; now, as [Explore Pakistan](https://explorepakistan.live/destinations/guides/pakistani-wedding-traditions) puts it, it is often a joint event in a hall.

### Joint mehndi or separate sides?

| Item | One joint mehndi | Separate mehndis |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Who hosts | Both families together, often splitting costs | Each family hosts its own night |
| Guest list | Both sides' guests on one list | Two lists; some close family attend both |
| Dances | Friendly competition between the sides | Each side performs at its own night |
| Cost | One venue, one setup, one caterer | Two of each, though each can be smaller or at home |
| Good for | Families who want one big night and a shorter weekend | Families with large separate circles, or very different traditions |

If the bride is having detailed henna, it takes hours, so many brides have it done earlier in the day or the day before and arrive at the party with it already dry. Our [mehndi planning guide](https://www.planme.club/wedding-events/mehndi) covers henna artists, timing and the guest list, and [combined mehndi and sangeet](https://www.planme.club/articles/combined-mehndi-and-sangeet) has a sample run of show for a henna-plus-dancing night.

## 4. Nikah: the marriage itself

If a guest asks "which part is the actual wedding," this is it. The nikah is the Islamic marriage contract: the couple give their consent, the mehr (the groom's gift to the bride) is agreed, and the nikahnama is signed in front of witnesses. The Knot's [guide to planning a South Asian Muslim wedding](https://www.theknot.com/content/muslim-wedding-ceremony-checklist) says the ceremony normally takes about 30 minutes and is usually led by an imam, though it doesn't have to be.

Families hold it in one of three places in the sequence: at the venue just before the baraat dinner (the most common default), earlier the same day at a mosque or at home, or as a separate small event days, weeks or months before. My Wedding Site's [Pakistani invitation wording guide](https://myweddingsite.co.uk/blog/pakistani-wedding-invitation-wording) suggests saying so plainly on the cards when the nikah is private, so nobody is hurt to find out later.

### The legal step, if you're marrying outside Pakistan

- **US:** a nikah on its own isn't automatically a legal marriage. You need a state marriage license and an officiant your state authorizes. In California, for example, [San Mateo County's clerk](https://smcacre.gov/county-clerk-recorder/marriage-licenses-ceremonies) says couples must get a license and marry within 90 days of it, and can be married by "a priest, rabbi, minister or other authorized person." An imam can often be authorized, so the nikah can also be the legal ceremony; ask yours, and check your own state's rules.
- **England and Wales:** [Nodus](https://thenodus.uk/journal/muslim-wedding-timeline-uk), summarizing gov.uk guidance, says a nikah is legal only in a registered building with an authorized person who signs the marriage schedule. Otherwise couples need a separate civil ceremony, and notice must be given at least 29 days before.

This is general information, not legal advice. Your county clerk, register office or local authority can tell you exactly what applies, including in Canada, where rules are set by each province.

One practical tip from the same Knot guide: plan a prayer room. Planner Sarah Khan says many couples forget it, and suggests a room with the qibla marked, white sheets on the floor and chairs along the wall for elders. Timing matters too: she notes families often schedule the nikah around the Asr or Maghrib prayer. Our [wedding ceremony guide](https://www.planme.club/wedding-events/wedding-ceremony) covers the nikah alongside Hindu and Sikh ceremonies.

## 5. Baraat and rukhsati: the wedding day

The baraat is, strictly, the groom's procession: he arrives with his family and friends, often behind a dhol, and the bride's family receives them, sometimes with rose petals at the door. In everyday use, "baraat" means the whole wedding day, which the bride's family hosts. A typical evening includes the nikah if it hasn't happened yet, the bride's entrance, the couple on stage for photos with every family group, games such as the joota chupai (the bride's sisters hide the groom's shoes and ask for money to return them), and dinner.

The night ends with the rukhsati, when the bride leaves with her husband's family. The Qur'an is often held over her head as she goes, and it's the emotional center of the day for her family. [The Knot](https://www.theknot.com/content/pakistani-wedding-traditions) describes a related custom in which the bride throws rice over her head at the threshold as she leaves.

**Planning notes for hosts:** this is usually the most formal event and one of the two biggest. The bride's family sets its own list, then adds the baraat party: ask the groom's family early how many people are coming with him, because that number lands on the bride's family's catering bill. If you're in a hall with a hard finish time, plan backward from the rukhsati, not forward from the doors. See our [baraat guide](https://www.planme.club/wedding-events/baraat) for the procession itself, including permits and the groom's arrival.

## 6. Walima: the groom's family's feast

The walima is the feast the groom's family hosts after the marriage, usually the day after the baraat or within a few days. It announces the marriage to the wider community, and it's a sunnah. As The Knot's planning guide describes it, the couple usually sit on a decorated stage while guests come up to give salaam, congratulate them and often give a cash gift in an envelope. Some families separate men and women at the walima, by table or by room, which changes the floor plan.

It's often the biggest list of the whole wedding, because the groom's family invites its own circle and usually the bride's family too. Our [walima guide](https://www.planme.club/wedding-events/walima) covers the timeline, guest count and a planning checklist in detail.

## How many days? Five common shapes

The Knot says weddings in Pakistan can last up to ten days. Outside Pakistan, few families have that many free evenings, guests who can take a week off, or a budget for seven caterers. When someone asked r/TeenPakistani about the [order of wedding events](https://www.reddit.com/r/TeenPakistani/comments/1s47sf4/order_of_wedding_events/), the replies ranged from a full list of seven functions to "Nikkah + walima only, same day." Here are the shapes we see most often:

| Shape | What it looks like | Good for |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full week | Several dholkis, mayun, mehndi(s), baraat with nikah, walima | Families with time, space and big circles on both sides |
| Three-day core | Mehndi, baraat with nikah and rukhsati, walima, often on back-to-back evenings | Most diaspora weddings with guests flying in |
| Early nikah | A small nikah months ahead, then mehndi, baraat (rukhsati) and walima later | Couples who marry legally first, or want the religious part private |
| Two nights | Mayun and mehndi combined, then baraat; or baraat and walima combined | Tight budgets or a single weekend |
| Nikah and walima | A small nikah, then one walima, sometimes on the same day | Couples who want it simple; often hosted jointly |

There's one more shape worth knowing if your guest list is huge and your venue isn't. A couple who married in Minnesota posted a [recap on r/weddingplanning](https://www.reddit.com/r/weddingplanning/comments/13la45c/recap_minnesota_muslim_pakistaniwestern_fusion/): they invited 345 guests to the wedding day and held the walima a month later. In their words:

> "We relieved pressure on our guest list by hosting a mehendi (300 guests) and walima (500 guests) that included local friends not invited to our wedding ceremony and reception."
> 
> 
> The original poster, Minnesota wedding recap on r/weddingplanning

That is the key idea for hosting: each event can carry a different part of the list. Which brings us to who decides each list.

## Who hosts and pays for each event

The default split is simple. The bride's family hosts the dholki, mayun, mehndi and the baraat day (with the nikah); the groom's family hosts the walima and any events of its own. In The Knot's [South Asian Muslim planning guide](https://www.theknot.com/content/muslim-wedding-ceremony-checklist), planner John Campbell puts it like this, with a caveat:

> "The bride's family tends to pay for the Nikah and Shaadi while the groom's family pays for the Walima in South Asian weddings. It's important to note that this is an extreme simplification, and traditions and expectations vary by region and individual families."
> 
> 
> John Campbell, wedding planner, quoted in The Knot

Plenty of families in the diaspora split it differently. When someone on r/DesiWeddings asked [which side traditionally arranges the nikah and walima](https://www.reddit.com/r/DesiWeddings/comments/1lsk1kk/traditional_perspective_wedding/), a UK commenter replied:

> "Nikah/barat is organised by the bride. Walima by the groom. Nowadays a lot of couples are having a smaller Nikah and then a joint walima. Both sides halve the cost"
> 
> 
> u/CraftyTadpole2488 on r/DesiWeddings

The rule that saves the most arguments: whoever hosts an event decides its guest list. Write down, for every event, who hosts, who pays (or how it's split), and who has the final say on the list, before anyone pays a deposit. Our guide to [who pays for a Desi wedding](https://www.planme.club/articles/who-pays-for-an-indian-wedding) covers the four common ways families split costs, and the [wedding cost split calculator](https://www.planme.club/tools/indian-wedding-cost-split-calculator) adds up what each family pays from who covers each event.

## Who gets invited to which event: a 420-guest example

Here's how that plays out on paper. Take our fictional showcase couple, Anaya and Rohan, and give them a Pakistani-style weekend in Houston with five events and 420 people on the master list: 190 on the bride's side, 180 on the groom's side and 50 shared friends of the couple. The numbers below are our own example to show the shape, not survey data.

| Event | Host | Bride's side | Groom's side | Couple's friends | Invited |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Dholki (Wednesday, at home) | Bride's family | 45 | 0 | 15 | 60 |
| Mayun (Thursday afternoon, at home) | Bride's family | 30 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| Joint mehndi (Thursday night, hall) | Both families | 110 | 90 | 40 | 240 |
| Baraat with nikah (Friday) | Bride's family | 190 | 90 (the baraat party) | 50 | 330 |
| Walima (Saturday) | Groom's family | 80 | 180 | 50 | 310 |

Three things jump out of a table like this, and they're the reason to build it early:

- **No event has the whole list.** The biggest, the baraat, has 330 of 420. A single "wedding" guest list would have over-invited every event.
- **Some people get one invitation, some get five.** Close family are invited to everything; a groom-side colleague may be invited to the walima only. Each household needs to see exactly which events are theirs.
- **Each host gets a different bill.** The bride's family is catering for 330 on Friday, including 90 from the groom's side. The groom's family is catering for 310 on Saturday. Neither number is the 420 on the master list.

Invited also isn't the same as coming, especially when relatives are flying in. Run each event's invite count through the [guest attendance calculator](https://www.planme.club/tools/indian-wedding-guest-attendance-calculator), then turn the yes count into plates with the [catering headcount calculator](https://www.planme.club/tools/indian-wedding-catering-headcount-calculator).

Turn each invite list into a realistic headcount

Invited isn't the same as coming. Enter how many local and out-of-town guests you're inviting to the mehndi, the baraat or the walima, and the guest attendance calculator estimates how many will actually turn up, right on the page. No sign-up.

[Open the attendance calculator](https://www.planme.club/tools/indian-wedding-guest-attendance-calculator)

## Running a different guest list for each event

You don't need five spreadsheets. You need one master list and a clear answer, for every household, to "which events are you invited to?" Cordially Wed's [Pakistani wedding planning guide](https://cordiallywed.com/guide/how-to-plan-a-pakistani-wedding/) makes the same point: cousins may skip the mehndi and still come to the walima, so track a yes or no per function, not one answer for the weekend. A setup that works:

1. **One row per household.** Name, contact, number of people, children, dietary notes (halal is usually a given; note vegetarian guests and allergies).
2. **Tag each household by side:** bride's side, groom's side or both. It tells each host whose guest is whose, and it's how you settle "who invited them?"
3. **Mark the events each household is invited to.** The host of each event signs off on its list.
4. **Collect an RSVP for every event, not one for the weekend.** Set each deadline from the caterer's final-count date; the [RSVP deadline calculator](https://www.planme.club/tools/wedding-rsvp-deadline-calculator) works it out.
5. **Word each invitation for its host.** My Wedding Site's [invitation wording guide](https://myweddingsite.co.uk/blog/pakistani-wedding-invitation-wording) points out that the bride's family usually invites guests to the mehndi and baraat, and the groom's family to the walima, so the cards (or the wedding website) should name the host and the event clearly. [Zola's Muslim invitation guide](https://www.zola.com/expert-advice/the-traditional-muslim-wedding-invitation) adds a useful detail: if a timed ritual such as the baraat procession matters, put its time on the card.
6. **Give each vendor its own number.** The mehndi caterer, the baraat hall and the walima hall each get the yes count for their event, and nothing else.

For more on the RSVP side, our guide to [RSVPs for a multi-event wedding](https://www.planme.club/articles/wedding-rsvp-multiple-events) walks through per-event replies, partial yeses and reminders, and [RSVP for multiple events](https://www.planme.club/rsvp-for-multiple-events) shows how it looks for guests. The full set of per-event planning guides lives in our [wedding events hub](https://www.planme.club/wedding-events).

## Running the events in PlanMe

You can run all of this in a spreadsheet and a family group chat, and many families do. It usually breaks at the counts: the bride's family has one baraat number, the groom's family has another, and the walima hall was told a third. If you'd rather keep it in one place, PlanMe.Club is our product, built for weddings with several events and two families. In PlanMe, each event (mehndi, baraat, walima and so on) is called a festivity.

- **A festivity for every event.** Add the dholki, mayun, mehndi, baraat and walima (or just the ones you're having), each with its own date, venue, menu and schedule. See [festivities](https://www.planme.club/features/festivities).
- **One guest list for both families.** Add every household once, tag it bride's side, groom's side or both, and invite it to just its events. Each guest RSVPs to each event they're invited to, so every event keeps its own yes, no and pending count.
- **Messages by tag or RSVP status.** Send email or SMS broadcasts to guests you pick by tag or by RSVP status, for example everyone on the groom's side who hasn't replied. Tag your walima guests if you want to message only them. See [guest email and SMS](https://www.planme.club/features/guest-messaging).
- **Seating per event.** Build a [seating chart](https://www.planme.club/features/seating-chart) for the baraat or walima from the guests who accepted. You place tables and guests yourself (nothing is seated automatically), so you can lay out separate men's and women's sections if your family wants them.
- **Budget and vendor quotes by event.** Track the halls, caterers, decorators and dhol player as quotes inside the same wedding, see what's paid and what's due, and keep each family's costs visible.
- **Both families in the same plan.** Invite parents, siblings or a planner as collaborators, so the groom's family can manage the walima list without emailing a spreadsheet back and forth.

*One list for both families, tagged by side, then invited to each event. Fictional Anaya & Rohan showcase.*

*Each event keeps its own accepted, declined and pending count. The showcase uses mehndi, sangeet, wedding and reception; a Pakistani wedding would use its own events. Fictional Anaya & Rohan showcase.*

What PlanMe doesn't do, so you can plan around it: it doesn't book halls or hotel rooms, and it sends by email and SMS, not WhatsApp. If you're choosing between tools, [compare PlanMe with Zola, Joy and The Knot](https://www.planme.club/compare), or read our roundup of the [best South Asian wedding planning tools](https://www.planme.club/articles/best-south-asian-wedding-planning-tools), which says where other tools beat us.

Run every event, and both families' lists, in one plan

Add the dholki, mehndi, baraat and walima with their own dates, venues and schedules, tag every household by side, invite each one to just its events and collect an RSVP for each. Both families can work in the same plan. Free during beta.

[Start planning in PlanMe](https://app.planme.club/sign-up)

## Sources

Checked October 30, 2026. Reddit quotes are as posted by the commenters and are not verified. The 420-guest invitation example and the Anaya & Rohan showcase are our own and use fictional data.

- [The Knot: What You Need to Know About Pakistani Wedding Traditions](https://www.theknot.com/content/pakistani-wedding-traditions)
- [The Knot: How to Plan Your South Asian Muslim Wedding Celebration](https://www.theknot.com/content/muslim-wedding-ceremony-checklist)
- [Zola: The Traditional Muslim Wedding Invitation](https://www.zola.com/expert-advice/the-traditional-muslim-wedding-invitation)
- [Nodus: A Muslim wedding timeline for the UK](https://thenodus.uk/journal/muslim-wedding-timeline-uk)
- [Niru: Pakistani Wedding Functions Explained, in Order](https://niru.pk/guides/pakistani-wedding-functions)
- [Wedding Wala: Pakistani Wedding Events in Order](https://www.weddingwala.pk/pakistani-wedding-events-order)
- [Explore Pakistan: Pakistani Wedding Traditions Explained for Visitors](https://explorepakistan.live/destinations/guides/pakistani-wedding-traditions)
- [RSVP Websites: Pakistani wedding events explained, dholki to walima](https://rsvpwebsites.com/blog/pakistani-wedding-events-explained)
- [My Wedding Site: Pakistani Wedding Invitation Wording](https://myweddingsite.co.uk/blog/pakistani-wedding-invitation-wording)
- [Cordially Wed: How to Plan a Pakistani Wedding](https://cordiallywed.com/guide/how-to-plan-a-pakistani-wedding/)
- [San Mateo County Clerk: Marriage Licenses & Ceremonies](https://smcacre.gov/county-clerk-recorder/marriage-licenses-ceremonies)
- [r/pakistan: How many parts does a pakistani wedding have?](https://www.reddit.com/r/pakistan/comments/18zb8xa/how_many_parts_does_a_pakistani_wedding_have/)
- [r/TeenPakistani: Order of Wedding Events](https://www.reddit.com/r/TeenPakistani/comments/1s47sf4/order_of_wedding_events/)
- [r/DesiWeddings: Traditional Perspective - Wedding](https://www.reddit.com/r/DesiWeddings/comments/1lsk1kk/traditional_perspective_wedding/)
- [r/weddingplanning: Minnesota Muslim Pakistani/Western fusion wedding recap](https://www.reddit.com/r/weddingplanning/comments/13la45c/recap_minnesota_muslim_pakistaniwestern_fusion/)

## Common questions

### What is the order of events at a Pakistani wedding?

A common order is dholki nights in the weeks before, then the mayun, the mehndi, the nikah, the baraat with the rukhsati at the end of the night, and finally the walima hosted by the groom's family. The nikah is often held on the baraat day, but many families hold it earlier, sometimes weeks or months before. Customs vary by family and region, so treat this as the default sequence, not a rule.

### How many events are in a Pakistani wedding?

Usually three main events (mehndi, baraat and walima), with the nikah held on the baraat day or separately. Add the dholki and mayun and a full wedding has five to seven events. Many families trim it: replies on r/pakistan describe anything from a one-day nikah to a week of functions, and on r/TeenPakistani plenty of people say they'd keep it to a nikah and walima.

### How many days is a Pakistani wedding?

The three main events usually run over about three days, often on back-to-back evenings, with dholki nights in the weeks before. The Knot notes weddings in Pakistan can last up to ten days. Diaspora families in the US, Canada and the UK often fit the main events into a long weekend, and some hold the walima days or weeks later.

### What is the difference between the baraat and the walima?

The baraat is the wedding day, traditionally hosted by the bride's family: the groom arrives with his family and friends, the nikah may take place, dinner is served and the night ends with the rukhsati, when the bride leaves with her husband's family. The walima is the feast the groom's family hosts afterward, usually the next day or within a few days, to announce the marriage.

### Is the nikah on the same day as the baraat?

Often, but not always. Many families hold the nikah at the venue before the baraat dinner. Others hold it earlier in the day at a mosque or at home, or days, weeks or even months before the baraat, as a small family gathering. In the US, a nikah is a legal marriage only with a state marriage license and an authorized officiant; in England and Wales it needs a registered building and an authorized person, or a separate civil ceremony.

### Who pays for the walima?

Traditionally the groom's family hosts and pays for the walima, and the bride's family hosts the mehndi and baraat. A planner quoted by The Knot calls this an extreme simplification, and many families now split costs differently. One UK commenter on r/DesiWeddings says many couples hold a smaller nikah and a joint walima, with both sides halving the cost.

### Can mehndi guests be different from walima guests?

Yes, and they usually are. The dholki and mayun are close family, the mehndi may be one side or both, the baraat follows the bride's family's list and the walima follows the groom's family's list, which is often the biggest. Keep one master list, record each household's side, invite each household to its events and collect an RSVP for every event, so each caterer gets its own count.

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