The mehndi is the night of dholak, songs, yellow and green outfits and henna on the bride's hands. The card can be warmer and more playful than the nikah or walima card, but guests still need the basics: whose mehndi, when, and where.
Quick answer: good mehndi card wording has Bismillah at the top, a heading such as "Rasm-e-Mehndi" or "بسلسلہ رسمِ مہندی", the bride's (or groom's) name with her parents, the day, date and time, the venue, and one note line for the dress code or RSVP. Add a playful line if your family likes it, and keep the whole card short enough to read on a phone.
What mehndi card wording should include
Rasm-e-mehndi is usually held a few days before the main wedding, and henna is applied to the bride's and groom's hands (see marriage in Pakistan). The card is normally sent by the family hosting it, which for the bride's mehndi means the bride's parents. Include:
- Bismillah at the top.
- The heading: "Mehndi", "Rasm-e-Mehndi", "Mehndi Night" or "بسلسلہ رسمِ مہندی".
- Hosts: e.g. "Mr & Mrs Tariq Mehmood".
- The couple: "Ayesha & Hamza", with fathers' names if you want them.
- Day, date and time: "Wednesday, 16 December 2026 at 8:00 pm".
- Venue: a hall, a lawn, or simply "at our home, DHA Lahore".
- One note: dress code, RSVP, or both if they fit on one line.
If this is your first time putting a card together, our step-by-step guide on how to make a nikah card online walks through the same process, and it works the same way for a mehndi card.
Formal mehndi card wording in English
Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Raheem
Mr & Mrs Tariq Mehmood
request the pleasure of your company
at the Mehndi of their daughter
Ayesha
with
Hamza
son of Mr Javed Iqbal
on Wednesday, 16 December 2026 at 8:00 pm
at our home, DHA Lahore
Muntazir: Tariq Mehmood & family · 0300 0000000
Short English version
Mehndi Night
Ayesha & Hamza
Wednesday, 16 December · 8:00 pm
Our home, DHA Lahore
Dress code: green and yellow
Playful mehndi lines
The mehndi is the one card where a light line feels natural. Pick one and put it under the names:
- "Bring your dancing shoes and your loudest tappay."
- "Dholak, mehndi and a lot of masti. Don't be late!"
- "Come in yellow, leave with mehndi on your hands."
- "The dholak is tuned. The only thing missing is you."
Keep the formal details as they are; the playful line is an extra, not a replacement for the date and venue.
Wording for the groom's mehndi
Many families hold a separate mehndi on the groom's side, hosted by his parents. Swap the hosts and put the groom's name first:
Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Raheem
Mr & Mrs Javed Iqbal
invite you to the Mehndi of their son
Hamza
Tuesday, 15 December 2026 · 8:00 pm
Lahore
Muntazir: Javed Iqbal & family
If both families hold one joint mehndi, write both fathers' names as hosts and keep one RSVP number so guests are not confused about whom to call.
Mehndi card in Urdu
Elders often prefer the Urdu card, and it is the one most likely to be shown around at home:
بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم
بسلسلہ رسمِ مہندی
عزیزہ عائشہ بنتِ طارق محمود
ہمراہ عزیزم حمزہ ابنِ جاوید اقبال
آپ کی شرکت ہمارے لیے باعثِ مسرت ہوگی
بروز بدھ، ۱۶ دسمبر ۲۰۲۶
وقت: رات ۸ بجے
بمقام: رہائش گاہ، ڈی ایچ اے لاہور
منتظرین: طارق محمود و اہلِ خانہ
Short Urdu version
رسمِ مہندی
عائشہ و حمزہ
بدھ، ۱۶ دسمبر · رات ۸ بجے
ڈی ایچ اے لاہور
لباس: سبز اور پیلا
Write Urdu dates and times in Urdu ("بدھ، ۱۶ دسمبر", "رات ۸ بجے") rather than mixing English numbers into an Urdu line. It reads more naturally and looks neater in Nastaliq.
Mehndi invitation message for WhatsApp
Under the card picture, type a short message so the details show in the chat even before the picture opens:
Assalam o Alaikum! Ayesha's mehndi is on Wednesday, 16 December at 8:00 pm, at our home in DHA Lahore. Dress code is green and yellow. Please come and make the evening special. Card attached. — Tariq Mehmood & family
And in Urdu:
السلام علیکم! عائشہ کی مہندی بروز بدھ، ۱۶ دسمبر، رات ۸ بجے ڈی ایچ اے لاہور میں ہماری رہائش گاہ پر ہے۔ آپ ضرور تشریف لائیں۔
Dress-code and note lines
One line at the bottom of the card saves a lot of "what should we wear?" messages:
| Note | English | Urdu |
|---|---|---|
| Colours | Dress code: green and yellow | لباس: سبز اور پیلا |
| Traditional | Dress code: desi, bright colours | لباس: روایتی، شوخ رنگ |
| RSVP | Muntazir: Tariq Mehmood & family · 0300 0000000 | منتظرین: طارق محمود و اہلِ خانہ |
| Ladies only | This is a ladies' gathering | یہ تقریب صرف خواتین کے لیے ہے |
Dholki invitation wording
A dholki is the informal singing evening at home before the wedding, sometimes several nights of it. The invitation is usually just a message or a small card:
Dholki for Ayesha!
Join us for an evening of dholak, songs and chai
Saturday, 12 December · 8:00 pm
Our home, DHA Lahore
عائشہ کی ڈھولکی
بروز ہفتہ، ۱۲ دسمبر · رات ۸ بجے
رہائش گاہ، ڈی ایچ اے لاہور
آپ کی شرکت ضروری ہے
A matching dholki card in the same design as the mehndi card makes the whole wedding feel like one set. Punjabi families who also hold a mayun (the mayian or ubtan ceremony) can use the same short format for that evening.
Common mehndi card mistakes
- Only a playful line, no details. "Let's dance!" is fun, but guests still need the day, time and venue.
- Full home address on a forwarded card. Write the area, such as "DHA Lahore", and send the exact location privately.
- Different dates in English and Urdu. Check both versions side by side before sending.
- No dress code when you want one. If you hope everyone wears yellow, say so on the card.
Mehndi and barat on one card
If the same guests are coming to both nights, list them together, each on its own line:
Mehndi: Wednesday, 16 December 2026 · 8:00 pm · Our home, DHA Lahore
Barat: Thursday, 17 December 2026 · Faletti's Hotel, Lahore
A mehndi and barat card shows both events with their own dates and venues. When the walima comes, our guide to walima card wording uses the same names, so the cards follow on naturally.
Choosing a mehndi card design
Green belongs to the mehndi. Emerald, jade and bottle green designs with gold arches suit it best, while wine and ruby work well for a dholki or a combined card. Frames include a Mughal jharokha arch, a dome, a scalloped mehrab arch, a classic border and a medallion. Add an illustrated couple (there are 11, including faceless and back-view couples) or no picture at all.
When to send mehndi invitations
Mehndi cards usually go out with the other wedding cards, two to three weeks before. Dholki invitations can be sent closer to the day, often a week or so before, because they are more casual and mostly for family and close friends. Send a short reminder on WhatsApp the day before the mehndi with the time and location, especially if the venue is a home that guests have not visited before.
Making the mehndi card and website
On the wedding card and invitation website maker you choose "mehndi" as the event, type the names once, pick English or Urdu, and download a 1080×1920 picture for WhatsApp and a PDF, free and with no sign-up. Each card page shows ready-to-copy wording in both languages. After the mehndi card, one tap makes the dholki, barat or walima card with the same names and design.
With a free account you can also make an invitation website with its own address, an opening scene of diyas lighting up (which suits mehndi and dholki), a countdown, the programme with directions, and RSVP with guest count.
Keep the wording short, put the date and venue where nobody can miss them, and let the dholak do the rest.
