Happy Wednesday, Maharanis! We hope you are ready to enjoy a new wedding film, because today's celebration of love is not just elegant but truly faithful to traditional Pakistani weddings, and we are sure that you won't want to miss it. So let's not wait any longer and enjoy all the mesmerizing details of Hajira & Shayan's wedding. Being this a life-changing event, it is no surprise that our young couple wanted to immortalize all the moments surrounding this day. That is why they decided to bring Maria Fasih Studios to capture ever scene of the Nikkah ceremony hosted at the Diyanet Center. For this long-awaited day, our gorgeous Maharani looked breathtaking thanks to the exquisite makeup and hairstyle designed by Mahwish Ali Beauty. The nude colors and the classy hairstyle enhanced our lovely bride's innate beauty and complemented the gorgeous outfit from Embellished By Sadaf Amir's collection! But that is not all. To crown this marvelous look, Hajira got a fabulous Mehndi outlined by Naseem. COVID could not stop Hajira & Shayan to start their everlasting love story in such a charming and romantic way, and we have no words to express how happy we are for them. If you want to unveil all the beauty of this wedding, click play and get ready to be amazed!
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Very early in our relationship he would always say "I'm going to marry you". When he told me his parents are going to come over for my hand I laughed because I loved his persistent pursuit of me despite me playing hard to get (even though I was head over heels myself). It is so nice to be with someone who knows exactly what he wants from day one and is not afraid of the next step. So after him and his parents asked for my hand things moved quickly and we started ring shopping. Let me tell you! My husband is the most trendy fashion forward man I know! He learned everything there is to know about diamonds and had such a strong opinion on the design. He wanted a solitaire and I was all about the details like a halo. We came up with a ring design we both loved and met in the middle with a solitaire look with a micropavé band. He was so involved in the process and cared so much about the design it was so sweet. I knew he had the ring but I wasn’t sure of when he would do it. I have always been the type of girl to want an intimate proposal with no one but my significant other. When COVID hit I expected there to be no detailed proposal. Little did I know that when he spontaneously visited me for my birthday weekend he would do it then! Since options were limited due to lockdown he decided to do it at home and make it super sentimental. The proposal made me cry because it was so well thought out and detailed! He set up a HUGE rose petal heart in my basement with a rose petal/candle walkway leading up to it. He bought a helium tank and filled heart balloons to line up the walkway. By the floral heart there was a board that said "Will you marry me?" with a book titled "Dream Come True" in which he laminated/pasted little details he saved from our relationship over time. I could not believe this guy saved some of the things that he did! He had his first boarding pass from his first visit to me, my first boarding pass to visit him, a rose petal from the first flowers he gave me, a piece of the gift bag from our first valentines day, first theme park entrance tickets, etc. He had worked on this book for 5 months before proposing to me with it. I could not stop myself from tears! He always jokes that I didn't even care about the ring, I was all over the book. I am so happy I get to hold onto that book and cherish it forever.
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.
Truth be told I grew up in the DMV area and have known where I would have my wedding and who I would use as my vendors for a long time! Due to COVID we ended up doing a mayoun hosted by my uncle/aunt at their house and a nikkah at my house for now. Stay tuned for the Mehndi and Reception details in Virginia and San Francisco next year (iA, God willing)!
So for now, venue for the Nikkah was my house which ended up being the best thing ever! There is something about leaving from your house as a bride with your husband that is so so soooo special, which I may have missed out on if it had not been for COVID (silver lining of the pandemic).
Photography/Videography: None other than Maria Fasih. This decision was one I didn't even have to think about. I met Maria at my best friend's wedding. As the maid of honor at her wedding I worked closely with her vendors including Maria. In just one night we got so close! I told her right then and there that she would cover my wedding and she has accommodated me no matter how many times I had changed the dates. She has become a lifelong friend who is super talented and will drop everything for her clients. I cannot wait for future shoots with her. Her work speaks for itself but when you meet her, you will understand that her work ethic and personality is unmatched.
Hair & Makeup: Mahwish Ali Beauty. There are so many talented hair and makeup artists that I have tried in the area that I love for their own unique styles. However, when it came down to my mayoun and nikkah I knew Mahwish was the one who could give me my "ideal" looks for both events. She is so talented and super sweet! Loved everything about my mayoun and nikkah look! The amount of detail and effort she puts into her work really shows! I fell in love with my looks as soon as I saw myself in the mirror but when my husband was obsessed with both my looks I knew Mahwish hit the nail on the head.
Outfits: Embellished By Sadaf Amir. Not only is she basically family she is a GREAT designer. I have known her for years and her work is nothing short of perfect. I basically told her my vision for my mayoun and nikkah outfits and with her own expertise she elevated those outfits to the next level. She always does an amazing job with all my clothes so I knew she had to be a part of my wedding looks. She is not just a designer who will talk business with you, she will go the extra mile to keep you happy. She dealt with all my tantrums and I will forever be grateful for her.
Decor: Sarah Khan Event Styling. Where do I start with them? There aren't enough nice words I can say about Sarah Khan and her team. From even before the pandemic when we were planning my events they had been sorting through ideas and working so hard for my dream wedding. When the pandemic hit they were honestly not just decorators but also a listening ear. I will never forget all the venting sessions I had with them and how cooperative they were with all my changing plans. They gave me a more ideal wedding than I could have had in a huge venue. I mean how did they turn my house into something out of a fairytale?! Until this day the decor is being talked about and people keep asking me who did it! Ahhh, I still look back at the pictures and obsess over the details!
Mehndi/Henna: Naseem for my BEAUTIFUL mehndi. She spent hours on my hands and feet with impeccable detail and the stain was beyond beautiful. She is so talented and super sweet. I will never get my mehndi done by anyone else! LOVE her work!
Desserts: Fatima for the AMAZING cake, macarons, cake pops, and cookies. Not only were they soooo pretty they tasted so good too! Super talented and fun to work with. I have gotten desserts from her in the past too and each time she exceeds my expectations!
Extra Details: Saher for the super cute "Qubool Hai" sign and chocolate bar favors. The amount of detail and talent in her work really shows and she is so down to earth and sweet on top of that! I have ordered her favors and art work many times and will continue to do so!
Thank you to ALL our vendors for making our events even better than what they would have been pre-pandemic. Their loyalty to their clients really showed during such an uncertain time. So thankful for the life long friendships we made along the way. We could not have asked for a better team!
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable part of planning for our wedding was the time we spent together. For most couples wedding planning leads to stress and added tension but for us it was a little different. Sure, there were days where I was being a complete bridezilla but I cannot say enough good things about my husband. He was a true gem throughout it all. He lightened up every situation and made me laugh. I think if the groom is just as involved in the planning as the bride then the memories you make are unforgettable. If you truly love each other, wedding planning should bring you closer together.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Honestly I try to remember how I felt in each moment to relive that day in my head. However, there are TWO very important moments that I will NEVER forget. One is when we were doing our photoshoot on the HOTTEST day of the summer my husband was blowing air on me, fixing my outfit, fixing my hair, and constantly making sure I am hydrated. In those moments he didn't care that he was also burning hot, he was just worried about me. Reminded me of why I fell in love with him. Two is during/after the Rukhsati (send off) he held my hand and told me "I know how much you mean to your whole family and I can't even imagine one day giving our daughter to someone else to take away to the other side of the country...but I promise to always try to fill your dad's shoes by loving and cherishing you" That moment made me more emotional than the actual Rukhsati because here I was worried about having my dream wedding when in reality none of that matters when you have the dream partner, the #DreamBaig if you will haha!
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Enjoy every moment because it flies by so quickly! I was the type of bride to worry about each and every detail but luckily my husband is very good at making me want to live in the moment. He joked around and made me laugh all night. Looking back at pictures/videos all I can see is a happy couple and that is exactly how you want to remember your big day. At the end of the day you won't remember or care about any detail, all you will remember is how happy you were in the moment. Take it from a major bridezilla!
That is all for today, darlings. Don't forget to join us tomorrow for more.
