Pakistani Wedding Planning Checklist: Mehndi to Walima

A Pakistani wedding isn't one event, it's a series of them, often across a week or more, each with its own venue, guest list, outfits and menu. That's why wedding planning feels overwhelming: the work multiplies by the number of functions. This checklist gives you a month-by-month timeline from six months out to the wedding week, plus the rules for weddings in Punjab that every family in Lahore should know before booking a hall.

First, list your functions

Families do things differently, so start by agreeing which functions you're holding, who hosts each one and roughly how many guests each will have. A typical sequence looks like this:

Write down a guest count for each function separately. Mehndi and walima lists are often very different, and every later booking depends on these numbers.

Six months or more before: budget, dates and venues

• Set the budget per function, not one total. It shows early where the money is going and which function to scale down if needed.

• Choose the dates. The main wedding season in Lahore runs through the cooler months, roughly October to March, and the best venues and dates go first. Late autumn and winter also bring smog, which matters for outdoor functions and guests travelling from other cities.

• Book venues. Marquees, banquet halls, hotel ballrooms and farmhouses all book up in season. Visit in the evening, at the time your function will run, to see the lighting, parking and traffic as they'll be.

• Decide on help. If you want a wedding planner or event company, bring them in now, while venues and vendors are still available.

Four to five months before: the big vendors

• Photographer and videographer: book the team, not just the brand, and agree how many functions they cover.

• Décor and stage design for each function, including the mehndi stage and the baraat entrance.

• Caterer and menu tasting, if catering isn't included with the venue.

• Order the bridal outfits. Allow three to four months before the wedding for bridal wear, including fittings, and longer for designer orders.

• Mehndi artist, makeup artist and hair stylist, booked for each day they're needed.

Three months before: invitations and outfits

• Finalise the guest lists and order the cards, with the date, time and venue of each function.

• Order outfits for close family, and coordinate colours if you want a theme for the mehndi.

• Plan mehndi performances and book the dhol, DJ or live music.

• Book accommodation for guests coming from other cities or abroad.

Two months before: confirm everything in writing

• Send the cards, and set a date by which you need replies.

• Confirm every vendor in writing: what they provide, arrival time, contact person and the payment schedule.

• Arrange transport: the baraat cars, the decorated car for the couple, and shuttles for elderly guests if parking is far from the entrance.

• Start the jewellery and accessories shopping if it isn't done.

One month before: numbers and running order

• Give final headcounts to each venue and caterer.

• Make a seating plan for the functions that need one, especially the family and elders' tables.

• Write a simple running order for each function: arrival, entrances, nikah, dinner, rukhsati. Share it with the photographer, décor team and venue manager.

• Collect the outfits and do the final fittings.

• Put the payments due in the wedding week into envelopes or transfers, so nobody is chasing cash on the day.

Wedding week

• Reconfirm times with every vendor two or three days before each function.

• Pack an emergency kit: safety pins, a sewing kit, tissues, phone chargers, painkillers and snacks for the bride and groom.

• Give one trusted person, not the couple's parents, the job of answering vendors' calls on each day.

Wedding rules in Punjab

Weddings in Lahore and the rest of Punjab are covered by the Punjab Marriage Functions Act 2016. Two of its rules shape how most functions are planned:

• One dish. At a public place, a wedding meal may only be "one dish": a salan, a rice dish, salad, hot and cold drinks, roti or naan, and one sweet dish. The Act's definition of a public place includes clubs, hotels, restaurants, marriage halls, community centres, parks and private property hired for a wedding, so a rented farmhouse counts too.

• Finish by 10 pm. Whoever runs a public venue must make sure wedding functions there end by 10 pm.

The provincial government also issues notifications about venue timings from time to time, so ask your venue which timings apply on your dates when you book, and plan the evening backwards from the end time: guests rarely arrive on time, and the rukhsati shouldn't be rushed.

Quick checklist

• Functions, hosts and guest count for each one agreed

• Budget set per function

• Dates chosen and venues booked

• Photographer, décor, caterer and makeup booked

• Bridal outfits ordered, with time for fittings

• Cards sent and replies collected

• Vendors confirmed in writing, transport arranged

• Final numbers, seating and running order shared

• Emergency kit packed and a vendor contact person named

Frequently asked questions

How far in advance should we book a wedding venue in Lahore?

For dates in the October to March season, start looking six months or more ahead. Popular halls and hotel ballrooms fill their weekend dates first, and booking early also gives you a better choice of photographers and décor teams.

Can we serve more than one dish at a farmhouse wedding?

Not at a hired one. The Punjab Marriage Functions Act 2016 counts private property hired for a wedding as a public place, so the one-dish rule applies there just as it does in a marriage hall.

Do we need a wedding planner?

Not for every wedding, but a planner helps most when there are several functions, guests travelling from abroad, or a family that wants to enjoy the week rather than manage vendors. See how we plan weddings and social events.

Planning a wedding in Lahore? Tell us about your functions and we'll help you put the whole week together.