Guides
The things families wish someone had told them earlier.
Practical writing for families in the middle of the process. No sales pitch, no scripture we are not qualified to interpret, and nothing we cannot stand behind.
How arranged marriage actually works
8 min readNeither a defence nor an attack: the mechanism, the consent line that separates arranged from forced, and the famous divorce statistics this page refuses to repeat.
How to check a rishta matchmaker
7 min readNobody licenses this business and nobody audits it. Eleven questions to ask before you pay anyone — with our own answers at the bottom, including the two where we come off badly.
Is a nikah a legal marriage?
9 min readIn Pakistan yes, once registered. In Britain, America, Canada and Australia usually not on its own — and couples find out at separation or at a funeral. Country by country.
How much does a nikah cost in the UK?
7 min readPublished mosque fees from £70, the civil fees that make it legal, and the mahr, which is not a fee at all. Every figure named, sourced and dated — no blog ranges.
Cousin marriage: the conversation families actually have
8 min readWhat to raise, who to ask, and how to disagree without falling out. We take no position — the medical and religious questions go to the people qualified to answer them.
How to write a marriage biodata
6 min readThe eleven fields that belong on it, the six that should never be on a document you cannot recall, and a one-page template you can copy.
Questions to ask before you say yes
7 min readGrouped by when to ask them — before the families meet, at the first meeting, and once it is serious. Including the ones families skip because they feel rude.
What to check on a nikah nama before you sign
8 min readIt is a contract, not a formality. Which sections decide something, why blank boxes are the real danger, and a checklist for the day itself.
These guides describe how families and this desk actually work. They are not legal or religious advice — where something turns on law or on a ruling, each guide says so and points you at who to ask instead.