The Nikkah is the heart of the wedding, and the card for it is usually the most carefully worded thing a family sends. It also tends to be the one written in a hurry, copied from a cousin's card, the night before it goes to print.
Below is wording you can lift straight onto a Nikkah invitation: formal and simple versions in English, the traditional Urdu, the verse and the dua most families use, and a short list of what to leave off.
What every Nikkah card needs
Before the wording, the facts. A guest should be able to answer these from the card alone, without calling anyone:
- Whose Nikkah: both names, and usually the parents' names
- When: the day, the date, and the time — or "after Asr prayers" if that is how the family thinks about it, with the clock time beside it
- Where: the masjid or venue name and an address someone's driver can find
- Who is inviting: the family hosting, so guests know whose call to return
- Whether there is a meal after, and whether it is the Rukhsati too
If the Nikkah is at a masjid and a separate reception follows, say both places. The most common phone call on a wedding day is "we're at the masjid, where is everyone?"
Formal wording in English
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Mr. & Mrs. Khalid Mehmood
request the honour of your presence
at the Nikkah of their son
Hamza Mehmood
with
Areeba Iqbal
daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Naveed IqbalFriday, 4 December 2026, after Asr prayers (4:30 PM)
Jamia Masjid, Block C, Gulberg III, LahoreDinner to follow at the Mehmood residence
This is the version for the extended family, the elders and anyone you would address as "Uncle". It names both sets of parents, which matters more on a Nikkah card than on any other function's.
Simple, modern wording in English
With the blessings of Allah
and the duas of our families,
Hamza & Areeba
are getting married.Join us for our Nikkah
Friday, 4 December 2026 · 4:30 PM
Jamia Masjid, Gulberg III, Lahore
Shorter, warmer, and right for friends and colleagues. Many couples now send this version to their own friends and the formal one to the family — easy to do when each guest gets their own link rather than one printed card for everybody.
Traditional Urdu wording
بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم
بفضلِ تعالیٰ ہمارے صاحبزادے حمزہ محمود کا نکاح
عریبہ اقبال بنتِ نوید اقبال کے ساتھ
مورخہ ۴ دسمبر ۲۰۲۶ بروز جمعہ بعد نمازِ عصر
جامع مسجد، گلبرگ سوم، لاہور میں منعقد ہونا قرار پایا ہے۔آپ کی شرکت ہمارے لیے باعثِ مسرت ہوگی۔
منجانب: خالد محمود و اہلِ خانہ
A few notes for getting the Urdu right:
- صاحبزادے / صاحبزادی: son or daughter of the host. The bride's family writes ہماری صاحبزادی and names the groom with ابنِ and his father's name.
- بنتِ / ابنِ: "daughter of" and "son of". Use the father's name, as the Nikkah itself does.
- Write the date both ways if many guests read English more easily than Urdu numerals. An invitation that half the family has to ask about has not done its job.
The verse and the dua
Most Nikkah cards open with the Bismillah, and many add a verse about marriage. The one most often used:
وَخَلَقْنَاكُمْ أَزْوَاجًا
"And We created you in pairs." (Surah An-Naba, 78:8)
And the dua the Prophet ﷺ taught for a newly married man, which families often print at the foot of the card:
بَارَكَ اللَّهُ لَكَ وَبَارَكَ عَلَيْكَ وَجَمَعَ بَيْنَكُمَا فِي خَيْرٍ
"May Allah bless you, shower His blessings upon you, and join you both in goodness."
One practical point: a card with Quranic verses on it is often thrown away after the wedding, which many families are uncomfortable with. A digital Nikkah invitation avoids that question entirely — and the Madina Journey 2 and Dastaan e Wisaal designs are drawn around exactly this kind of wording.
What to leave off
- Gift instructions. Even "no boxed gifts" reads awkwardly on a Nikkah card. If it matters, add it to the questions section of a digital card.
- Every function on one card. If the Nikkah has its own guest list, send it its own invitation. Listing the Mehndi to people who are only invited to the Nikkah creates exactly the conversation you were trying to avoid. See how many events an invitation should list.
- A time with no prayer reference, if the timing depends on prayer. If the Nikkah is after Asr, say so and give the clock time — the second is what people put in their phones.
Sending it
Most Nikkah invitations in Pakistan now go out on WhatsApp first. Send a link rather than a photo of the card, so the time and the map survive the family group chat — here's why. And if you want to see your own wording on a real card before deciding anything, you can try any design with your names for free.