Raja Omar surprised Maharani Sayeda wih his idea to tackle their walima's decor on their own, and this newly-wedded Desi dream team proved themselves perfect for one another with their partnership in bringing together all the details for the groom's unique vision — a Mughal-themed celebration of enchanting proportions! Following their Pakistani wedding events in New Jersey, the newlyweds planned and evening to remember at the Hyatt Regency Cincinnati, where they partied the night away with family and friends in major style. S.Snapz captured all the most spectacular details, from the incredible sweetheart stage and tents, to the gorgeous floral details from Robin Wood Flowers, but the most exquisite element of the evening were the newlyweds, who looked divine in their custom-made ensembles by Deepak Perwani! They're lavender and gold cake creation from Servatii practically glowed from all the glam surrounding it, and if you're like us and still itching for much more, you can visit the complete gallery!
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Maharani Sayeda, on her walima experience:
"When Omar first told me that we weren't going to hire a decorator and will do our own decor for our Walima, I looked at him as if he had two heads. We knew it would be a challenge but we also knew that no one could execute our ultra traditional mughal-era vision better than we could ourselves so I got on board! We wanted to bring the rich Mughal heritage to life. Think: Peacock fans, fountains full of rose petals, lavish tents and canopies, live classical music, grand gold and white accents, candle chandeliers, lanterns, and even our very own army of mughal warriors (groomsmen) that would march in with us. We met with many decorators but no one had experience with this type of wedding in the Midwest or weren't able to execute our crazy ideas! So we did it ourselves. We ordered custom-made tents, cushions, and a beautiful takht (seat) from India. We ordered custom handmade peacock fans from Pakistan. Everything from rugs to lanterns to layouts was done ourselves. Omar's mom painted the takht and nearly 30 lanterns with gold leaf by hand! Omar also constructed the bows, arrows and spears that his groomsmen would carry. Let's just say it was a lot of trips to Home Depot. We transformed a usual hotel ballroom into a royal and grand ambiance with the help of an amazing lighting company and florist. Our stage was a tent and we placed it smack dab in the middle of the room and our guests loved that. We also had mini tents for our live musicians to play classical Bollywood tunes on the flute, and one for our guests to lounge in. Everything came together perfectly and we couldn't be happier."
On her walima style:
"For my Walima outfit, I worked with Deepak Perwani, who is quite experienced in the field. I knew exactly what I wanted. Omar and I had decided on white and gold for that day. I designed an exaggerated A-line high-waisted lehnga, heavily embellished with layers and shades of gold and pearls. I wanted very traditional handwork on a modern cut and it was nice to see it come to life, even though there were slight modifications on my design!"
On what she enjoyed most about planning the Desi wedding of her dreams:
"It was really nice to see the pieces coming together and crossing things off our to-do lists! Going back to Pakistan with my parents and shopping for the wedding was so much fun. Overall, the best thing was having my sister and parents by my side the entire time. They helped me plan, provided emotional support, and were my backbone no matter what I needed."
On the support of family and friends:
"NOTHING would have been possible without our family and friends! Talking about this makes me quite emotional because we have the most wonderful families that went above and beyond! My parents did everything to make sure I was happy every step of the way. The day before my mehndi, my mom had a billion things to do and a house full of 50 guests, but she was sitting there sewing and altering a canopy by hand just to make sure I could use it. Trips to vendors, shopping in Pakistan, to-do lists, time management, everything was taken care of by my parents. My dad is a machine and does things way before anyone has even thought about them, making sure everyone else is comfortable. He always does 200% and did everything to make me happy. My sister selflessly devoted her time and love. She threw me the most beautiful bridal shower and was my right hand for any tasks and any stress I had. Everyone from cousins, to aunts and uncles was involved. My aunts made my bridesmaids bouquets at home, my cousins helped immensely with decor, seating charts, and moral support. My bridesmaids helped with any little thing I needed them to do, especially the day of. They were by my side for anything and everything. One of my best friends came over a couple weeks before the wedding and helped my parents and sister fill 300 jars with honey as favors! Omar's mom is such a trooper - she carried the brunt of so many tasks for our Walima. The day of our walima, his brother was making runs to get audio equipment, while his friends were building our stage. The list goes on and on and we simply do not have any words for every thing that each person did for us."
Were you blown away, Maharanis? We sure were!
