Short definitions for the function names, rituals, and paperwork terms used throughout this site, useful for guests as much as for the couple planning everything.
B
Baraat also spelled Barat
The groom's wedding procession to the venue, and often used as the name for the main wedding-day function itself. Covered in depth in the baraat guide.
D
Dholki
An informal pre-wedding gathering centered on drumming (the dholki, a small hand drum), singing, and traditional songs, often held in the weeks leading up to the wedding. Sometimes combined with a qawwali night, see the qawwali night guide.
J
Jahez
The dowry or trousseau a bride brings to her new household, traditionally including clothing, jewelry, and household items. Practices around this vary widely by family and region today.
Jutti Chupai also spelled Joota Chori
A playful ritual, usually at the nikah or baraat, where the bride's sisters or cousins hide the groom's shoes and negotiate a token payment (salami) for their return.
M
Mehndi
The pre-wedding function centered on applying henna to the bride's (and often guests') hands and feet, typically held one to two days before the baraat. See the mehndi guide.
Mehr
A mandatory payment or gift from the groom to the bride, agreed upon and recorded as part of the nikah contract. Discussed further in the nikah guide.
Milni
A formal, often playful, introduction and garlanding ceremony between matching relatives from each family (for example, the two fathers, then the two mothers), usually held when the baraat arrives at the venue.
N
Nikah
The Islamic marriage contract and ceremony, involving an offer, acceptance, witnesses, and the mehr agreement. See the nikah guide for the paperwork involved.
Nikah Nama
The official written marriage contract document signed during the nikah, which is also the document later registered with NADRA for legal marriage records.
Q
Qawwali
A devotional or celebratory style of Sufi-rooted music, sometimes performed as its own wedding-adjacent function or folded into a dholki or mehndi night. See the qawwali night guide.
R
Rukhsati
The bride's formal, often emotional, departure from her family's home to begin her new household, usually taking place at the end of the baraat function. See the rukhsati guide.
S
Salami
A monetary gift traditionally given to the bride and groom by elders and relatives, and also the small payment negotiated during playful rituals like jutti chupai.
Sehra
A veil or curtain of flowers worn over the groom's face during the baraat procession and nikah, traditionally lifted at a specific point in the ceremony.
Shadi
A general term for wedding or marriage, often used loosely to refer to the overall multi-function wedding event rather than any single function.
V
Valima also spelled Walima
An alternate transliteration of walima; see Walima below.
W
Walima also spelled Valima
The reception hosted by the groom's family, typically held one to two days after the baraat, with its own guest list and menu. See the walima guide.