December is bridal season in Pakistan, and the country goes both out with a few days of festivities that culminate in Nikkah – the drafting pakistani girls for dating of the marriage contract. During this time, millions of Pakistanis who live worldwide come house to observe with family and friends.

One or two months before the main occurrences, the marriage festivities kick off with a Dholki, a pre-party where visitors dance to conventional drum beats from the disc dholak. The bride’s hands and feet are decorated with complicated wax designs, followed by the Mehndi, which is performed while singing and dancing.

In the Mehndi, the man and his household spend for the event. Later, the bride’s home hosts her Valima festival where they serve a variety of food and drinks to visitors. This includes meat, mutton, biryani and pulao along with different pastries. Jahez, the money gifts, are often also served. Depending on the family, they may either be used as part of the bride’s saadi ( wedding ) or kept as an asset for the future.

The princess’s relatives asks for her hand in marriage and presents her with a necklace at the Magni, or relationship bash, the following evening. After the couple’s family accepts the proposal, the pair is legally wed! The Rukhsati, where the bride leaves her parents ‘ home to join her husband’s family, is the bride’s final ceremony in Pakistan. It frequently brings both joy and sadness.