The Mehndi is the function everybody wants to be invited to and nobody quite knows the start time of. Its invitation is also the one where the tone can be playful — the Nikkah card is formal by necessity, the Mehndi card doesn't have to be.
Here is wording for the Mehndi, the Mayun and the Dholki, plus the three details these invitations most often forget.
Mehndi, Mayun, Dholki — which is which?
Families use the words differently, so it is worth being precise on the card:
- Mayun — the bride's quiet start to the wedding: close women of the family, yellow clothes, ubtan. Usually small and at home.
- Dholki — evenings of singing and dhol, often several nights running before the wedding.
- Mehndi — the big one: henna, dances, both families, often the most crowded function of the week.
If you are combining two — a "Mayun & Mehndi" on one night is common now — say so in the title. Guests plan their clothes around it.
Fun wording in English
Dhol, henna and a lot of dancing —
Join us for
Areeba's Mehndi
Saturday, 5 December 2026 · 7:00 PM onwards
Mehmood Residence, House 25, Block C, Gulberg III, Lahore
Dress code: greens and yellows
The dholki is out, the henna is ready,
and the dance practice has been going on for weeks.
Come and celebrate Hamza & Areeba's Mehndi!
Saturday, 5 December · 7:00 PM
Traditional wording in English
Mr. & Mrs. Naveed Iqbal
request the pleasure of your company
at the Mehndi of their daughter
Areeba
Saturday, 5 December 2026, 7:00 PM
Iqbal House, DHA Phase 5, Lahore
Roman Urdu wording
Dholak bhi bajegi, mehndi bhi lagegi!
Areeba ki Mehndi par aap sab ko dil se dawat hai.
Hafta, 5 December · Shaam 7 baje
Mehmood Residence, Gulberg III, Lahore
Mayun ki rasm mein aap ki shirkat hamare liye khushi ka baais hogi.
Jumma, 4 December · Dopehar 3 baje
Sirf khawateen ke liye
That last line matters. If the Mayun is for women only, say it on the card. Otherwise somebody's husband drives them there and then stands outside for two hours.
The three things Mehndi invitations forget
1. A real start time. "7 PM onwards" is honest, but say when the rasm itself happens if guests should be there for it. "Rasm at 9 PM" saves the aunties who arrive at 11 from missing the one thing they came for.
2. The dress code, plainly. "Desi festive" means nothing to half your friends. Say the colours: greens and yellows, anything bright, mustard and pink. If the theme is strict, say "please wear yellow" — people are glad to be told.
3. Who is invited. The Mehndi guest list grows by word of mouth faster than any other function's. If each family gets their own link that shows only the functions they're invited to, nobody forwards a Mehndi they were never asked to. That's what private guest links are for.
Do you need a separate Mehndi card?
If the Mehndi has a different guest list from the Baraat — and it usually does — yes. A single printed card that lists every function invites everyone to everything. A digital invitation with a link per function lets you send the Mehndi only to the Mehndi crowd and the Walima only to colleagues, from the same card.
Two designs built around exactly this kind of evening: Mehru Returns, which gives the Mehndi, the Qawwali and the Mayun their own night-time film, and Bazm e Shahi, all marigolds and palace arches. You can try either with your own names before you decide — it takes about a minute.
One more tip
Send the Mehndi invitation earlier than you think. It usually comes first in the week, and it's the function people most often need to plan clothes, leave from work and travel around. Our timeline for every function has the details.