Family details in a marriage biodata are the father's and mother's names with their occupations, the brothers and sisters with who is married, and the native place. Family type and the maternal uncle are optional. Write each line as a short fact, like "Retired, Indian Bank". A two or three line "About our family" is optional and helps when the family story is not obvious from the fields.
What the Other Family Wants to Know
In an arranged marriage, the families are marrying each other too. So the family section is read as closely as the boy's or girl's own details, sometimes more.
The other side is looking for answers to a few plain questions. What kind of home is this? Who lives there? Are the elder children settled? Where are they from, and do we know anyone there?
Every line in the family section should answer one of these. Anything that does not can usually go.
The Family Fields, in Order
These are the lines on our form, in the order they print.
| Field | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Father's Name | Name with initial or surname | R. Venkatesan |
| Father's Occupation | Job, employer, and retired if so | Retired, Southern Railway |
| Mother's Name | Name | V. Kamala |
| Mother's Occupation | Job, or Homemaker | Homemaker |
| Brothers | How many, and how many are married | 1 (married) |
| Sisters | Same | 1 (unmarried) |
| Native Place | The ancestral town | Kumbakonam |
| Family Type (optional) | Nuclear Family or Joint Family | Joint Family |
| Family Status (optional) | Middle Class, Upper Middle Class or Affluent | Middle Class |
| Maternal Uncle (optional) | Name and town | S. Raghavan, Thanjavur |
| Property (optional) | Leave it for later |
Writing Parents' Occupation
The occupation line says more when it names the place. Compare these:
| Vague | Clear |
|---|---|
| Service | Section Officer, State Secretariat, Mumbai |
| Business | Runs a textile shop in Erode |
| Retired | Retired Headmaster, Government School, Salem |
| Private job | Accountant, a pharma company, Ahmedabad |
| Agriculture | Farmer, 8 acres of paddy, near Thanjavur |
| Housewife | Homemaker |
"Homemaker" is the word most families use now. If the mother runs a tuition class or a tailoring unit from home, write that. It is work, and it tells the other family something.
For a father who has passed away, write "Late" before the name and leave occupation as it was, or skip it: "Late Shri R. Venkatesan, Retired, Southern Railway".
Brothers and Sisters
Say elder or younger, and married or not. Add where they live if it helps.
- 1 elder brother (married, software engineer, Bengaluru)
- 2 younger sisters (both studying)
- No siblings
Our form has two steppers for each, Total and Married, and prints a line like "2 brothers (1 married)". If elder or younger matters to you, add it at the end of About Me, or in your own "About Our Family" field (see below).
A married elder sister in the same city as the other family can be a quiet advantage. Mention the city.
Native Place and the Maternal Side
Native place is the family's ancestral town, even if nobody has lived there since your grandfather. Families use it to find common relatives, so write the town, not only the district.
In Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra, the mother's brother (thai mama, mama) has a role at the wedding, and families often ask about him. Our form has a Maternal Uncle line. Gujarati families sometimes add the mosal, the mother's side village, and Punjabi families the nanke. Use Add Your Own Field for those.
Short Samples for About Our Family
A few lines in your own words, if the fields do not tell the whole story. Add them at the end of About Me, or as your own field called "About Our Family".
| Kind of family | Sample |
|---|---|
| Nuclear, simple | We are a simple, middle-class family in Coimbatore. My father retired from TNEB and my mother is a homemaker. We visit our native village for every festival. |
| Joint | We live as a joint family of nine in Jodhpur, with my grandparents, parents, uncle and aunt. Elders are part of every decision. |
| Business | Our family has run a hardware business in Rajkot for three generations. My father and uncle manage it together. |
| Both parents working | My father is a bank manager and my mother teaches at a government school. We are an educated, open-minded family. |
| Religious | We are a religious family and visit our kuladeivam temple every year. Festivals are a big event in our home. |
| NRI | My parents live in Chennai. My elder brother's family is settled in Dallas, and we visit each other every year. |
| Agricultural | We have farmland near Mandya and my father looks after it. My mother runs a small dairy at home. |
| Government family | My father is a retired Army officer and we have lived in many cantonments. We are disciplined, but relaxed at home. |
| Small family | It is just my mother and me. She is a retired teacher and very active. |
| Large family | I have three elder sisters, all married and settled in Hyderabad. Family gatherings are big and noisy. |
Special Situations
These need a little more care. The rule is the same for all: say it simply, without long explanations.
| Situation | How to write it |
|---|---|
| Father passed away | Father's Name: Late Shri R. Kumar (Retired, BSNL). Mother is our guardian |
| Mother passed away | Mother's Name: Late Smt. S. Meena |
| Parents divorced | Write both names. In About Our Family: "My parents live separately. I live with my mother." |
| Single parent | "I was raised by my mother, who works as a nurse in Pune." |
| Step-parent or step-siblings | List them as family. Explain once if needed: "My father remarried in 2010. I have a younger half-brother." |
| Brought up by grandparents or an uncle | Name them as guardians in About Our Family, and give their contact if they handle the proposals |
| Financial difficulty | No need to mention it. Write the occupations plainly and let the conversations happen |
None of these situations needs an apology. A plain sentence now is better than the other family hearing it from a relative later.
What Not to Over-Share
- Property values, land records or the house's worth
- Loans, court cases or family disputes
- Every cousin and their job
- Anything about what your family will "give" at the wedding
The last point is a legal one. Giving or taking dowry is an offence under section 3 of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, and section 4 makes demanding it an offence too. A biodata is no place to hint at either.
Also keep phone numbers of relatives out unless they have agreed. A biodata travels far. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 is built on the same idea, that personal data is shared with the person's consent. Its main duties start only around May 2027, as the Press Information Bureau explains.
How Long Should the Family Section Be?
Seven to ten lines in the fields, and up to three sentences in About Our Family. That fits comfortably on one A4 page with the rest of the biodata.
When you are ready, fill the family section here along with the rest of the format. The field-by-field biodata guide covers the other sections. Both families in our marriage biodata sample are written this way, with each parent's work named.
Common questions
How Do I Write Family Background in a Marriage Biodata?
Give the parents' names and occupations, brothers and sisters with marital status, and the native place. Add two or three lines in your own words if the fields do not tell the whole story.
Is It Necessary to Mention My Father's Exact Profession?
It helps. "Retired Deputy Manager, Canara Bank" tells the other family more than "Retired". If he prefers privacy, give the field and the city.
Should I Mention That My Parents Are Divorced?
Yes, briefly. Write both names and one plain line. The other family will find out anyway, and it is better from you.
Should I Mention Family Property or Business?
Mention a family business, since it is part of what the family does. Leave property details for later, once the families are talking.
How Do I Write About a Single-Parent Household?
Name the parent who raised you and say what they do. "I was raised by my mother, a government school teacher" is enough.
Sources
Related Guides
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