Dawat-e-Walima: the complete guide to the Walima invitation

Dawat-e-Walima (دعوتِ ولیمہ) is the invitation to the Walima: the wedding feast the groom's family gives after the Nikkah to announce the marriage and share the happiness. It is the one function of a Pakistani wedding that is a Sunnah, the one the groom's side hosts from start to finish, and usually the last card a family sends. This guide puts the whole topic in one place: what the words mean, where the custom comes from, who hosts it and when, what the card should say in Urdu and English, and how most families now send it on WhatsApp.

If you only need the two-minute answer to 'what does it mean', read Dawat-e-Walima meaning. If you already know and just want the words for the card, jump to the Urdu and English texts below.

What is Dawat-e-Walima?

'Dawat' (دعوت) is an invitation or a feast, the small 'e' is the Persian link meaning 'of', and 'Walima' (ولیمہ) is the meal given after a marriage. Put together, Dawat-e-Walima is 'the invitation to the Walima feast'. On a card it is the heading; in conversation it is simply the Walima dinner. Dawate Walima and Dawat Walima are the same phrase spelt by ear, and in Urdu it is always written دعوتِ ولیمہ with a zer under the ت.

Why the Walima is held: the Sunnah behind the dawat

The Walima is a Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ, who held one for his own marriages and told Abdur Rahman bin Auf (RA) to give a Walima 'even if only with one sheep' (Sahih Bukhari). Its purpose is simple: announce the marriage openly, thank Allah, and feed people, relatives, neighbours, friends and the poor alike. A Walima does not have to be a hall with five hundred chairs. A meal at home for a few families fulfils it just as well, and the hadith specifically dislikes a feast where only the rich are invited.

Who hosts Dawat-e-Walima, and who is invited

• The host is the groom, or his parents on his behalf. The card is written in their name and they bear the cost.
• The bride's parents, siblings and close relatives are the guests of honour; many families seat them first and serve them first.
• Beyond family: neighbours, the groom's friends and colleagues, the father's business circle, and the family's teachers, elders and domestic staff.
• A Walima is also the right occasion to feed people who cannot invite you back. Many families send food to an orphanage or madrasa the same day.

When is Dawat-e-Walima held?

Islamically the Walima is held after the Nikkah, once the marriage is complete; most scholars place it after the Rukhsati, and there is no fixed number of days. In Pakistan the common pattern is the day after the Baraat, or within the same week so guests from other cities can attend both. Friday and Sunday evenings are the most booked, and a dinner Walima normally starts at 7 or 8 pm with food by 9 or 10. A lunch Walima after Jumma prayers is a quieter, cheaper and increasingly popular choice.

Nikkah, Baraat, Walima: who does what

• Nikkah: the marriage contract, read by the Imam before witnesses. It can be held months before the wedding week or on the Baraat day itself.
• Baraat: the groom's procession to the bride's home or hall. Hosted and paid for by the bride's family, ending with the Rukhsati.
• Walima: the feast after the marriage. Hosted and paid for by the groom's family. The couple sits together and receives guests.
• Mehndi and Dholki come before all three and are not part of the Sunnah; they are cultural, and their cards are written in a lighter tone.

Planning the dawat: a short checklist

• Fix the date with both families first, then book the hall, marquee or restaurant. Dates near Eid, Muharram and the exam season fill up early.
• Count guests by household, not by name; most families send one card per home and let the card say how many seats are held.
• Check your province's rules on the number of dishes and the closing hour before you settle the menu; halls cannot serve past the set time.
• Send the invitation two to three weeks ahead, and a two-line reminder two days before. Out-of-city guests need the date a month early.
• Decide who takes replies. One or two phone numbers on the card, or an RSVP button on an online card, saves the family a hundred calls.

What the Dawat-e-Walima card says

Every Walima card, printed or online, carries the same eight parts in the same order. Keep them and you cannot go far wrong:

• An opening: Bismillah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim, or the heading Dawat-e-Walima itself.
• The hosts: the groom's father and family (و اہلِ خانہ, 'and family').
• The request line: 'request the honour of your presence', or اس پُرمسرت موقع پر آپ کی شرکت باعثِ عزت ہوگی.
• The couple: the groom with his father's name (ولد, s/o) and the bride with hers (بنت, d/o).
• Day, date and time. Write the day of the week; it prevents more mix-ups than anything else.
• The venue with a landmark, and on an online card a map button.
• The closing: المنتظر (awaiting you) with two or three family names, or 'With best compliments from'.
• RSVP: one or two numbers, or a reply button.

Dawat-e-Walima in Urdu: a ready text

بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم — دعوتِ ولیمہ — اللہ تعالیٰ کے فضل و کرم سے ہمارے عزیز [دولہا کا نام] ولد [والد کا نام] کا نکاح [دلہن کا نام] بنت [والد کا نام] سے انجام پا چکا ہے۔ اس خوشی کے موقع پر آپ کی تشریف آوری ہمارے لیے باعثِ مسرت و افتخار ہوگی۔ بروز [دن]، بتاریخ [تاریخ]، بوقت [وقت] — بمقام: [ہال کا نام اور پتہ] — المنتظر: [نام] و اہلِ خانہ — رابطہ: [نمبر]

Six more Urdu texts, including a short one, an Islamic opening and a version from the groom himself, are in Dawat-e-Walima card in Urdu. For colours, borders and what a ولیمہ کارڈ should look like, see Walima card design in Urdu.

Dawat-e-Walima in English: a ready text

Dawat-e-Walima. With the grace of Almighty Allah, Mr. and Mrs. [Father's name] request the honour of your presence at the Walima reception of their son [Groom] with [Bride], daughter of Mr. [Bride's father], on [Day], [Date] at [Time], at [Venue, City]. Awaiting your gracious presence: [Names]. RSVP: [Numbers].

Eight English wordings for different situations are in Dawat-e-Walima in English, and ten complete cards written line by line are in Dawat-e-Walima card matter in English.

Dawat-e-Walima message for WhatsApp

Most guests read the message before they open the card, so keep it to two lines and let the card carry the details: 'Assalam-o-Alaikum! Alhamdulillah, [Groom]'s Nikkah has taken place. We would be honoured to have you at the Dawat-e-Walima on [Day, Date]. The card with the time, venue and map is here: [link]'. Fifteen more messages, including ones for elders and reminders, are in wedding invitation messages for WhatsApp.

Printed card or an online Dawat-e-Walima card?

A printed Walima card has to be designed, printed, boxed and delivered house to house, often in the same week as the Baraat. An online Walima card is a link: it carries the Urdu and English text, the date with a calendar button, the hall with a map button, and an RSVP, and each family can get a private link that shows their own seats. If the hall or the time changes, every link already sent shows the new detail. You can try one with your own names before paying anything, and the price for 50 or 500 guests is the same, as explained in what a digital invitation costs. Urdu readers: walima meaning in Urdu explains the word and the Sunnah in Urdu, and دعوت نامہ کیسے لکھیں has nine Urdu invitation texts for every function. Short WhatsApp texts for the day are in Walima invitation message.

Etiquette for guests at a Walima

• Accepting a Walima invitation is itself encouraged in the hadith; if you cannot come, reply so the hosts can plan.
• Arrive close to the time on the card. Walima dinners run late precisely because everyone assumes they will.
• Bring only the people the card invites. If it names your family, that means your household, not cousins visiting from out of town.
• A gift or salami is a custom, not a duty; a dua for the couple is the Sunnah part.
• Greet the bride's family too. The Walima is the groom's side's dinner, but the day belongs to both.

Questions people ask about Dawat-e-Walima

• What is Dawat e Walima in English? The invitation to the Walima, the wedding feast hosted by the groom's family after the marriage.
• Dawat e Walima, Dawate Walima or Dawat Walima? All three are the same phrase; 'Dawat-e-Walima' is the standard spelling on cards.
• Is the Walima farz? No. It is a Sunnah Mu'akkadah, strongly recommended, and a simple meal fulfils it.
• Can the bride's family host the Walima? By custom and by the Sunnah it is the groom's side's feast. The bride's family hosts the Baraat.
• How many days after the Nikkah? Any time after the marriage is complete; in Pakistan usually the day after the Baraat or within the week.
• Can a Walima be a lunch? Yes. A lunch after Jumma is common and entirely valid.

Step-by-step instructions for making and sending the card are in Dawat-e-Walima card online.