Hello, ladies! Get ready to enjoy Anna & Riyaz's charming wedding in today's Platinum Guide Blog.
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
I met Riyaz at work back in 2014 when he joined. At first, we began talking casually at work and randomly on social media. Rumors at work began to escalate that Riyaz was interested in my co-worker and wanted to ask her out. I left work shortly after to get back to school full time and we lost contact. After 3 years, Riyaz messaged me randomly to see how things were at my end. We started talking again and he cleared the misunderstanding about asking my co-worker out. He was interested me instead but was hesitant to let me know. After talking for months, we started dating and that's when I knew he was the "one." He was so generous to my mom and instantly connected with my family. I was introduced to his family and his and I became really good friends. Everything was so smooth and seemed perfect.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
We met often at "I love you a latte" for college work or just to hangout. One day he calls me randomly when I was in class to meet him for coffee. He never calls me or texts me when I am in class. I went to see him after my class and we had coffee together. Shortly after, we went out for lunch at Bob Steak House and that’s where he proposed. We had our lunch and spend rest of the day together.
Tell us how you went about planning your wedding, and your overall experience with the Venues, Hair & Makeup, Outfits, Decor Theme, and all of the other important details.
Riyaz and I wanted to get married in summer but were not sure about the dates. After switching between end of July to beginning of August, we decided to go for mid-July. Since summer usually are busy with weddings, we knew that we had to start early and reach out to all the vendors that we ever wanted for our wedding. Thanks to amazing family for helping us out in planning and organizing. We divided tasks to everyone in our families but ended up deciding what we liked and imagined.
Riyaz is a fan of PhotoKumar and I heard great things about Wedding Decor by Faiza for our wedding decorations so we decided to reach them and finalize it. Next, we focused on FOOD. Yes, believe it or not it’s very important. lol Afterwards, we focused on the details. I absolutely loved Ghalia's makeup and I have been following her for a while. So, I reached out to her and luckily the dates were available. I also loved Fiyona's mehndi and by luck she was also available.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I had no idea what color I wanted for my wedding outfit but I definitely didn't wanted red. When I went to Pakistan with my family to shop for wedding outfits, I tried out many outfits with different color options but nothing came satisfactory. And then my designer, Salma Dawood said why don't have something pink and peachesh. It's not too common and also colors like this are preferred these days. When she showed me the color, I felt in love and decided to go for that. I picked my wedding dress embroidery from three different outfits. The final piece came out amazing and just as I imagined. My Nikkah sari from Panache by Sharmeen was amazing. I didn't imagine my Nikkah Sari to be White. Everyone wears white and I wanted to wear something unique with unique color combination. As soon as I saw this sari, I couldn't stop myself from purchasing it. Riyaz also ended up buying his Sherwani from Sharmeen.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
I absolutely loved planning the little details of the wedding. My niece and nephews were so excited to dress up and dance for their Ani's wedding. I enjoyed planning little things for pithi and Sangeet with my mom and bhabi. I also enjoyed rehearsing on all the performances Riyaz and I planned. We selected songs, rehearsed on it and performed at our Sangeet and Reception.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Our guest really enjoyed the ambiance of the reception day. Since we had Tabla and Sitar players at our wedding, it made it very special for guests to enjoy something different. The cake by Sally Bakes me Pretty, made amazing Tres Leche and Nutella cake. Very satisfactory to our taste buds.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
The special moment that replays in my mind is the video Riyaz and I made for our families to express our feelings. Riyaz and My father passed away years ago and we wanted to remember them and appreciate them on our special day. The videos we made not only remembered our fathers but also express our love and appreciation for our families. My mom and my brothers cried after watching the video and it also put me to tears also
For events other than your ceremony, please tell us as much as you would like about the decor, style, dances, and all the special details.
We decorated our house full of lights and flowers. Some days after the planning and decorating we would drop everything, put the music on, and just dance.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Just be relax. I know weddings can be really stressful but just relax. Plan a head of time, whether it’s a wedding season or not but just plan a head of time. Planning ahead will give you peace of mind that your vendors have the dates locked.
Another advice to enjoy your day. Sometimes, we get so carried away with the timings and details that we don't even enjoy our own day. It’s your day and you planned it for a while, so Just enjoy it and let everything happen on its own.
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
I am mehandi lover and very picky when it comes to my Bridal Mehandi. I loved Fiyona's work and she designed it the way I imaged it. I was not too picky about my jewelry but Tilak Jewelers had the perfect piece to compliment my Nikkah Sari.
Riyaz and I wanted a reception venue that is closer to our place. We loved the venue at Hilton Dallas/Plano Granite Park, so we decided to go with that.
I loved the way our wedding turned out. Everything happened the way we planned out and it would've never been possible without the help and support from our families.
