Shadi card matter in Urdu and English: wording you can copy

Every family writes the card twice. Once in the first week, full of enthusiasm, and once again after an uncle points out that his name is missing. This guide gives you wording that already works, so the second draft is a small edit and not a rewrite.

Everything below can be pasted straight into a Dawatnama card. Every design has English and Urdu labels built in, and you can change a line at midnight and every link you have already sent shows the new version.

The parts every shadi card has

• An opening: Bismillah, a verse, or a short dua.
• Who is inviting: usually the parents, sometimes the grandparents as well.
• Whose wedding it is: the groom's or the bride's name with the parent's name.
• The request: the line asking guests to come and bless the couple.
• The functions: date, time and venue for each one.
• The closing: 'Muntazir' or 'with best compliments from' and the family names, plus a contact number.

Opening lines

• بسم اللہ الرحمٰن الرحیم
• وَخَلَقْنٰكُمْ اَزْوَاجًا (And We created you in pairs, Surah An-Naba 78:8)
• Roman Urdu: Allah ke fazl-o-karam se
• English: With the blessings of Allah, and the prayers of our elders

Full Urdu wording (groom's side)

محترم و مکرم! السلام علیکم۔ اللہ تعالیٰ کے فضل و کرم سے ہمارے صاحبزادے [دولہا کا نام] کی شادی خانہ آبادی [دلہن کا نام] بنت [والد کا نام] کے ساتھ طے پائی ہے۔ اس پُرمسرت موقع پر آپ اہلِ خانہ کے ہمراہ تشریف لا کر ہماری خوشیوں میں شریک ہوں اور نوبیاہتا جوڑے کو اپنی دعاؤں سے نوازیں۔

Closing: المنتظر: [والد کا نام] و اہلِ خانہ

Full Urdu wording (bride's side)

محترم و مکرم! السلام علیکم۔ اللہ تعالیٰ کے فضل و کرم سے ہماری صاحبزادی [دلہن کا نام] کی رخصتی [دولہا کا نام] ابن [والد کا نام] کے ساتھ ان شاء اللہ [تاریخ] کو ہوگی۔ آپ کی شرکت ہمارے لیے باعثِ مسرت ہوگی۔

Roman Urdu wording

Assalam-o-Alaikum. Allah ke fazl-o-karam se hamare betay [naam] ki shadi [naam] binte [walid ka naam] ke saath tay payi hai. Aap se guzarish hai ke is khushi ke mauqe par tashreef la kar hamari khushiyon mein shareek hon aur dulha dulhan ko apni duaon se nawazein.

English wording

Mr. and Mrs. [Name] request the pleasure of your company at the wedding of their son [Name] with [Name], daughter of Mr. and Mrs. [Name]. Your presence and prayers will make the day complete.

A softer version for younger families: 'Together with their families, [Name] and [Name] would love you to celebrate their wedding with them.'

Listing the functions

Keep one line per function and say the same three things every time: the day, the time, the place. 'Baraat, Saturday 10 March, 7:30 PM onwards, Grand Hall, Pearl Continental' is easier to read on a phone than a paragraph. If you are holding four or five functions, read how many functions should your invitation list before you decide who sees which.

On a Dawatnama card each function gets its own block with a map button and an add-to-calendar button, so you do not need to write out directions. And with private guest links, a guest who is only invited to the Walima simply never sees the Mehndi. There are designs picked for each function too: Mehndi, Nikkah and Walima.

The closing line

• المنتظر (Al-Muntazir): the most common, 'awaiting your arrival'.
• منجانب (Minjanib): 'from', followed by the family names.
• With best compliments from: the English equivalent, usually followed by the grandparents' names.
• RSVP with a phone number: useful if you need a headcount for the caterer.

Lines families usually argue about

• Whose names go on it. The safe rule: the hosts of that function. The groom's parents host the Baraat and Walima cards; the bride's parents host the Mehndi and Rukhsati.
• Titles. Use Mr./Mrs. or Janab/Mohtarma, but do not mix them on the same card.
• 'Children are requested to stay home.' Some families need it for the hall's capacity. If you do, put it in a small note at the end, not in the main invitation.
• Nicknames. Leave them for the family WhatsApp group; the card uses full names.

Once the wording is settled, pick a design and paste it in. Elegant Wedding and Royal Maroon suit the traditional Urdu text best; Chandni works well for an English card. You can try any of them with your own names before you pay anything.