What to write on a Nikah card: English and Urdu wording

Of all the cards in a Pakistani wedding, the Nikah card is the quietest. There is no dress code to announce and no dholak to promise. It simply has to say, with dignity, who is getting married, whose children they are, and when and where the Nikah will be read. Get those few lines right and the card does its job beautifully.

Below you will find the parts every Nikah card needs, sample wording in English and Urdu that you can copy and adapt, and a few things that should never be printed at all.

What a Nikah card needs to say

• An opening line: usually Bismillah, sometimes a short dua or a reference to a verse.
• The hosts: normally the bride's parents, since the Nikah is traditionally held on the bride's side. If the groom's family is hosting (for example at their local mosque), the card comes from them.
• Both names with family lines: the bride and groom, each with their father's name (D/O and S/O).
• Day, date and time: often tied to a prayer, with an approximate clock time as well.
• The venue: mosque, home or hall, with the area and city.
• Who is inviting, and a contact: the family name at the bottom and a phone number for questions.

Opening lines: Bismillah and duas

Most families open with بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم, either in Arabic script or as “In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.” Some add a line referring to Surah Ar-Rum (30:21), the verse about tranquillity, love and mercy between spouses, or a short dua for the couple.

Many families prefer not to print full Quranic verses on paper cards, because cards end up in drawers or bins. A digital card removes much of that worry, but keeping the opening short is still a respectful choice either way.

Family lines: S/O and D/O

Pakistani cards name each partner with their father: D/O (daughter of) for the bride and S/O (son of) for the groom. In Urdu these become بنتِ (or دخترِ) and ولد (or ابنِ). If a father has passed away, write “D/O (Late) Muhammad Aslam” in English and add (مرحوم) after his name in Urdu. Elders notice these details, so check spellings with both families before anything is sent.

Timing after a prayer

Nikahs are very often timed around a prayer: after Jumma, after Asr, after Maghrib. It is a lovely tradition, but prayer times shift through the year and differ between cities, and relatives flying in from Dubai or Birmingham may not know them. Write the prayer and an approximate clock time, so nobody arrives an hour early or walks in after the khutbah.

What to leave off the card

The mehr is never mentioned on a Nikah card. It is agreed between the families and recorded in the nikahnama; it is a private matter between the couple and their elders, not information for guests. The same goes for anything about jahez, gifts or the names of witnesses and vakeel, all of which belong in the nikahnama rather than on an invitation.

• No mehr amount or description.
• No mention of jahez, salami or gift preferences.
• No witness or vakeel names.
• No long biographies: degrees and job titles feel out of place on a Nikah card.

Variations families ask for

Two situations come up often: a Nikah and Rukhsati held together on the same evening, and a card sent by a widowed mother and her sons. Both are easy to word gracefully.

Putting it on a digital invitation

If you are sending your Nikah invitation on WhatsApp, the same wording works, with one advantage: you are not limited to one side of a card. On InviteGala you can type English and Urdu side by side (Nastaliq fonts are built in), and guests switch language with one tap. Family lines and prayer-time references are supported, and the Nikah gets its own card, its own short video and its own link, separate from the Baraat or Walima.

Because edits after sending update every link, a time that shifts by half an hour is a two-minute fix rather than a round of phone calls. See how it works or read the FAQ for the details.