The Wedding begins with a Dholki (Urdu: ڈھولکی ) Celebration! This is a pre-celebration which usually takes place a month before the main celebrations and is attended by close female relatives of the Bride.

During the Dholki, the Bride's aunts will gather to sing and play a percussion instrument called the Dholki. While the aunts take turns beating the Dholak Drum, everyone joins in and the Bride's entire home becomes a celebration of singing and dancing to kickoff the wedding festivities!

The Rasm-e-Henna (Urdu: رسمی حنا) is "the Tradition of Henna"  aka The Mayun (Urdu: مايوں), which is a celebration that takes place with the Bride's family's before the wedding ceremony.

The Bride wears a traditional yellow outfit and her family invites a Henna Artist to come to their home to adorn the Bride's hands and feet with beautiful designs. Henna (also called Mehndi) is associated with positivity and good luck. Henna is a natural plant-based dye that is applied to both the hands and the feet to cool the body, prevent nerves from tensing up, and help relieve stress. After applying the Mehndi, the Bride must wait for the Henna to stain her hands and feet to create lasting designs. It is said that the deep and rich color of Henna brings many blessings to a marriage.

While her Henna is drying, the Bride's family and friends apply Haldi (Urdu: ہلدی) to her skin. Haldi, also called Ubtan, is made from turmeric, sandalwood powder, and aromatic oils; it is applied to encourage a fresh and glowing complexion for the wedding day.

The rest of the night is filled with vibrant music and dance, wishing the Bride good health and prosperity as she makes her journey on to marriage, iA. 

Nikkah (Arabic: نِكَاح‎) means Marriage. It is the religious ceremony where the Bride & Groom formally become husband and wife.

Marriage in Islam requires just the presence of an officiator (the Imam), the Bride & Groom, and two witnesses. Typically the close family of the Bride and Groom also attend but overall it is a simple and straightforward affair, per the tradition of the Prophet (PBUH). 

The Bride's friends and extended family enter the room first, carrying lighted candles and trays of flowers which they will use to create a beautiful walkway. Next there is a short procession of the Groom's family, the Baraat (Urdu: برات‎), who arrive with trays full of of gifts for the Bride. Then as the Bride's cousins toss rose petals, the Groom along with his parents, enters is greeted warmly, with garlands, by the Bride's Elders. After the Groom's family is seated, the Bride's immediate family enters next. And now, it is time for the Bride. Escorted by her parents, the Bride arrives in a long and elegant dress paired with traditional gold jewelry. She walks down the aisle to the stage, and is greeted by her Groom, then seated. Now the Nikkah officially begins! 

The Nikah-Nama, the marriage contract, is read aloud by the Imam. Next the Groom gifts his Bride the Mehr, and then the Bride is asked first if she agrees to the marriage. Only after she says "Qubool Hai", or "I do", is the Groom asked. Once both parties have agreed, they sign the contract, and then their two witnesses, their fathers, will sign the contract as well. Now the Imam will give a short sermon on the beauty and blessing of marriage, recite the verses from the Quran, and then - officially- the couple is pronounced as Husband & Wife, mA! 

With an abundance of joy family members rush to greet the New Couple with lots of hugs and kisses. Next, there is a beautifully lit dinner, and a celebration can never be complete without sweets. The New Couple cuts their wedding cake and afterwards their closest family and friends feed them way too many sweets to bring health, good luck,  and longevity to the New Couple's married life, iA.

The night then ends on a more somber note with the sending off of the Bride, the Rukhsati (Urdu: رُخصتی). This is the Bride's farewell to her family as she is now to establish a new home for herself. The Qur'an is held over the Bride's head as she leaves, blessing and protecting the New Couple as they now begin their lives, together, sA.

The  Wedding Reception is held publicly celebrate the union of the newly wed Bride and Groom! This reception is held in a grand ballroom and is full of family, food, and fun! As echos of laughter fill the room, this blessed occasion serves as a symbol of happiness for the many more joyous occasions to come, iA!

The Bride wears a beautiful and heavily decorated dress with gold jewelry, and the Groom arrives just as handsome to match. Dinner begins with a magnificent feast consisting of several dishes of slow-cooked rice, roasted and marinated meats, and an assortment of curries and traditional desserts. After dinner, there is Doodh Pilai (Urdu: دودھ پلائی ) and Jhoota Chupai where the Bride's sisters and sahelis bring sweetened milk to the Groom, only to steal his shoes! They will return the shoes only when the Groom has gifted them with enough money to some what make up for taking their beloved sister! Once everyone has their shoes back on, it's time to enjoy choreographed, musical dances, and skits galore!

With all their family and friends around, the New Couple celebrates their marriage with the most festive tones ahead, aA!