Milka invitations, sent on WhatsApp

What is a milka, and when should the invitation go out?

In Saudi tradition, the milka (ملكة) is the night of the marriage contract: the marriage contract is concluded before the ma'zoun (the officiant) and witnesses, the couple become husband and wife, and both families celebrate. Some families hold it at home with relatives only, others in a rest house or small hall, and many host a separate women's party for the bride and her friends.

Because a milka is usually smaller than the wedding and planned on a shorter timeline, sending the invitation a week to ten days ahead is enough. Guests have time to plan, and it's not so far off that they forget. A short reminder from the ready-made message library the day before locks it in.

Soft, ready-made milka invitation designs

Milka designs tend toward gentle colors: dusty rose, lavender, pearl and silky textures. Dawati's template library has designs in exactly that mood, and each one is easy to edit: add the couple's names or just the bride's, the date and the venue, and change colors and fonts to taste.

Write the invitation in Arabic, English or both, and add the Hijri date (Umm al-Qura) next to the Gregorian one. If you have a specific idea in mind, ask for our “Tafseel” custom-design service: two designs made for your milka within three business days, with two rounds of revisions.

Milka invitation wording

Here are three wordings in different tones; copy them as they are or edit the bracketed parts. The formal one suits relatives invited in the family's name, the warm one is for friends, and the short one is for those who like to keep it brief. On Pro and Max you can also write your own accompanying message.

Tips before you send your milka invitation

A milka is a personal occasion, and small details shape how guests feel and how relaxed you are on the night:

• Agree on one guest list with the groom's family before sending, so nobody gets the invitation twice.
• State the arrival time clearly; if the contract and the party are at different times, give the one that matters to guests.
• Make the location clear, with the neighborhood or a nearby landmark, especially for a home or rest house that's hard to find.
• Double-check names and the date before sending, since the invitation goes to everyone at once.
• If someone is helping you plan, add her as a co-host to manage the guest list with you.

RSVPs and companions for your guests

Each guest receives the invitation in a WhatsApp chat with Accept and Decline buttons. No app or account is needed, and her reply appears in your list right away with the invitation's status: delivered, read, replied. Any congratulations she sends land in your in-app inbox.

At a milka, a guest often comes with her mother or sister, and companions can change the headcount quickly. You decide whether companions are allowed and set the maximum per guest, so numbers stay within what the majlis or hall can hold.

If the men gather in a majlis while the women celebrate at a different place or time, write both clearly in the invitation text, since every guest reads the same details.

Which package suits a milka?

A milka guest list is usually limited to family and close friends, and designing is free either way. You pay once when you send, with no subscription, and you can get a full refund any time before the first invitation goes out.

Buying inside the iPhone app costs about 15% more because payment goes through Apple. The pricing page lists every tier in full.

• Standard covers most milkas: WhatsApp invitations and live RSVP, starting at 69 SAR.
• Pro if it's in a hall and you want an organized entrance: a personal QR pass for every guest who accepts, door check-in from any phone, and a message in your own words.
• Max, or the 150 SAR flat photo-album add-on, if you'd like the night's photos from your guests' phones gathered in one album that stays up for 14 days.

After the milka: a thank-you and the road to the wedding

After the night, send your guests a thank-you using one of the library's ready wordings; it leaves a lovely impression and closes the occasion gracefully. If the wedding is coming up soon, our wedding invitations guide covers everything for the next step, from designs to QR entry.