Many South Asian Muslim weddings in the UK follow this order: dholki evenings, mayun, mehndi, the nikkah, the baraat with rukhsati, then the walima. The nikkah on its own is usually not a legal marriage in England and Wales, so most couples also need a civil ceremony. Book venues and caterers about 12 months ahead, and give notice at the register office at least 29 days before.
The events, in order
Muslim weddings are not one tradition. Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Indian and Gujarati Muslim families, among others, each have their own customs, names and order, and these vary by family and region too. This is a common shape for many South Asian Muslim families in the UK. Use it as a starting point and let your family fill in the rest.
Dholki
Evenings of singing with the dholki drum at home, often in the weeks before the wedding. Small, informal and mostly family. See dholki.
Mayun
The bride, and sometimes the groom, is anointed with a turmeric paste (ubtan) by family, usually shortly before the wedding. Timing varies by family. See mayun.
Mehndi
Henna, music, dancing and food. Some families hold one mehndi for each side. Our mehndi night planning guide covers vendors and timings.
Baraat and rukhsati
The groom's party arrives at the bride's venue, the main day's meal is served, and the day ends with the rukhsati, when the bride leaves with her husband's family.
Walima
The wedding feast announcing the marriage, often hosted by the groom's family. See walima and valima vs reception.
The walima has a clear religious basis. Sahih al-Bukhari records the Prophet telling Abdur-Rahman ibn Awf, "Make the wedding feast, even if it is with just a sheep," and many scholars treat it as recommended rather than required. The size of it is a family choice.
The legal step many couples miss
Under gov.uk guidance, a religious wedding in England and Wales is legal when it takes place at a registered religious building and "an authorised person, such as a religious minister, must attend the ceremony and sign the 'marriage schedule'." Not every mosque is registered, and a nikkah at home or in a banqueting hall is not a legal marriage on its own.
The Office for National Statistics notes that some religious ceremonies take place at unregistered premises and that these couples need a separate civil ceremony to be legally married. The London Central Mosque recommends that couples "conduct a civil marriage ceremony separately at their local council register office."
Why it matters: as one family law firm puts it, a couple in an unregistered marriage is treated "akin to that of unmarried/cohabiting partners as far as the law is concerned." That affects property, pensions and inheritance if the worst happens. Sort this out early, alongside the nikkah.
| Option | What happens | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Nikkah at a registered mosque with an authorised person | One ceremony, legally recognised | Couples whose mosque is registered |
| Civil ceremony at the register office, nikkah separately | Two ceremonies, often days apart | Couples whose mosque is not registered |
| Civil ceremony at an approved venue, nikkah the same day | Registrars attend the venue | Couples marrying at a licensed hotel or hall |
Two rules to plan around:
- Give notice at least 29 days before your ceremony, at the register office for the district where you've lived for the past 7 days. You must hold the ceremony within 12 months of giving notice. In Leeds, notice costs £46.50 per person.
- Civil ceremonies cannot include religious content, such as readings from a religious text. Keep the nikkah and the civil ceremony as separate parts of the day.
This is general information, not legal advice. Your register office can tell you exactly what applies to you.
What the mosque will ask for
Requirements vary between mosques and schools of thought, so ask yours early. As one example, the London Central Mosque asks for:
- valid passports and proof of address for the couple;
- the presence of the wali, or the registrar told in advance if the wali cannot attend;
- two Muslim male witnesses with valid ID;
- a written declaration of the agreed mehr, signed by both of you.
If your nikkah will be at the venue, check that the venue is happy to host it and has a quiet room for it.
A 12-month planning timeline
This timeline assumes a wedding week with a mehndi, nikkah, baraat and walima. Move it earlier for summer Saturdays, which go first.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 12 months | Agree events, dates and which family hosts each one. Set the budget and guest numbers per event. Shortlist venues. |
| 10 to 12 months | Book the baraat and walima venues. Book the caterer, or confirm the venue's in-house kitchen. Book the photographer and videographer. |
| 8 to 10 months | Book the mehndi venue, decorator and stage. Ask your mosque about the nikkah and whether it is registered. |
| 6 to 8 months | Book hair and makeup, the mehndi artist and the dhol or DJ. Start outfits, which can take months to make. |
| 4 to 6 months | Order invitations. Plan transport for the baraat. Arrange the menu tasting. |
| 3 months | Send invitations. Confirm the imam and the nikkah details, including the mehr. |
| 1 to 2 months | Give notice at the register office if you haven't yet (no later than 29 days before, no earlier than 12 months). Final dress fittings. Collect RSVPs by event. |
| 2 to 4 weeks | Confirm final numbers with caterers. Send each vendor a timing sheet. Pay balances when due. |
| Wedding week | Dholki, mayun, mehndi, nikkah, baraat, walima. Hand a family member the vendor contact list. |
For a full task list, use our Asian wedding checklist or the free wedding checklist tool.
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12 months or more
9 to 12 months
6 to 9 months
3 to 6 months
1 to 3 months
The final month
The week itself
These are the first tasks in each stage. Ticks last for this visit only. The full list, to tick off and share with family, is coming to the app.
Save it in the appJoin the waitlistWho hosts what
Who hosts and pays for each event varies from family to family. In many families the groom's side hosts the walima, and many UK families split costs in their own way, or combine events to save money. Whatever you agree, write down who hosts each event and who sets its guest list before anyone pays a deposit. It saves hard conversations later.
Once you know who hosts what, count guests per event with our guest count planner. Our guide to how many guests at an Asian wedding explains how.
Planning around the calendar
Ramadan and Eid shape many families' dates. They often avoid holding weddings during Ramadan, when people are fasting, and plan around Eid, when relatives are busy. The Islamic calendar is lunar, so these dates move against the usual calendar from year to year. Check the dates for your year before you look at venues, and ask your imam if your family follows particular customs about other months.
Saturdays go first: the Office for National Statistics counted 43.6% of all marriages in England and Wales in 2022 on a Saturday. If your family is flexible, a Friday nikkah or a Sunday walima may open up more venue dates.
If you're planning in the north of England, our city guides for Bradford, Manchester, Blackburn and Bolton cover local vendors and venues as they join.
Booking vendors across the week
Booking one photographer across five events is different from booking one for a single day. When you ask for quotes, list every event, its date, the venue postcode and the guest number. It stops vendors guessing, and it makes quotes comparable.
Before paying any deposit, read our deposit and booking checklist and what to know about wedding deposits and cancellations.
On Nodus, you can browse vendors, message them and keep quotes and bookings in one place. When you book, you pay a deposit to confirm, then the balance before your event, each paid directly to your vendor through Stripe.
Questions
Not on its own, in most cases. A religious wedding is legal in England and Wales only if it takes place in a registered building with an authorised person present who signs the marriage schedule. Otherwise you need a separate civil ceremony. Ask your mosque whether it is registered.
A common order is dholki evenings, mayun, mehndi, nikkah, baraat with rukhsati, then walima. Many families hold the nikkah on the same day as the baraat. Families from other backgrounds, including Bangladeshi and Gujarati Muslim families, have their own sequences and names.
In many families the groom's side hosts the walima, as the feast that announces the marriage, but practice varies and many UK families share costs across events. Agree who hosts and pays for each event early, before deposits go down.
It varies. Some families hold it the day after the baraat, others a few days or a week later. Check with your family and your imam, then book the venue around the date you agree.
At least 29 days before the ceremony, and within 12 months of it, at the register office where you live. In Leeds, notice costs £46.50 per person. Book the appointment early, because slots fill up.
Each mosque sets its own list. The London Central Mosque asks for passports, proof of address, two Muslim male witnesses with ID, the wali's presence and a signed written mehr declaration. Ask your own mosque well before the date.
Plan your week in one place
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