Pakistani wedding glossary
Dholki
ڈھولکیDholki An informal pre-wedding gathering of women — usually the bride's family and friends — for traditional drum-led songs and dance, held in the weeks before the wedding.
A dholki is an at-home gathering, named after the small two-headed drum (dholki) that's traditionally played throughout the night. Female relatives and close friends of the bride gather for songs (traditional wedding folk songs known as "ladiyaan"), light dance, and food. There's no formal program — it's more of a sustained party that builds anticipation through the wedding lead-up.
Modern dholkis
Urban Pakistani dholkis are sometimes catered, sometimes potluck. Some families host multiple dholkis across the weeks before the wedding. They're casual — guests arrive in dressy-casual attire, not formal wedding wear.