Monday is here, Maharanis, and it is time to start the week the best way possible! The only way we can think of is by getting our daily inspiration of glam and charm from our dazzling brides. Today, and to kick start April, we have an incredible feature that is quickly becoming one of our favorites. Sabeen & Sohaib's Pakistani wedding, coming from NY, is all things grand and elegant and we are just loving every aspect of it. Our gorgeous Maharani Sabeen had already the experience needed when it came to planning a grand bash, so definitely we are looking at a couple that knew exactly what they wanted. The celebrations started with the Sangeet party hosted at Antun's by Minar. There, the bride wore a stunning orange sherbet lengha with details in gold and emerald green. Seriously, this bride's style is too much. SamArt Henna Contour assisted with the mehndi design that was also a complete knockout, just the way it should be! Araish Artistry and Arzoo Hussain joined the A - list glam squad and crafted our bride's hair and makeup, respectively, no less. An awesome job indeed. The ceremony was quickly approaching and The Piermont was looking amazing to host it. In today's featured gallery, thanks to the talented job of our friends from The Visual Couture Weddings, we are going to witness what went on during the ceremony and also have a glimpse of what was Sabeen & Sohaib's magical day. Come and join us next!
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Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
We were both scared of moving forward in the relationship so you could say we were a bit on-off for a while. During an "off", on my birthday, he managed to figure out where I was after I had finished hanging out with my friends. He picked me up in his car and handed me a bouquet of flowers and an adorable birthday card. He told me that he tried to imagine his future so many times and he couldn't see it without me in it. It wasn't a traditional "will you marry me?" rather, an "I can't live without you, let's get married."
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.
Friends and family have referred to me as somewhat of a "professional bridesmaid" because I have hosted or helped organize so many wedding functions, showers, etc. So, when I got engaged, expectations were high on what kind of experience my wedding guests would have. I was really excited because I had a million ideas in my head about decor, food, location, etc. but, I also realized that it's a lot easier to make those ideas come to life when you're not the bride. The bride can't run around like a madman on the day of the wedding making sure that the behind-the-scenes work gets done. And, even though everyone reminds you not to sweat the small stuff because something will inevitably go wrong, how many brides are really able to fully accept that?
To counter those potential issues, I started my wedding planning immediately and I focused a lot of energy on seeking out vendors that I knew I could trust without completely breaking the bank. To give myself a little more wiggle room on vendor budgets, I even embarked on a few DIY projects. Day 1 was a function in my parents’ home for which I starting setting up décor, myself, weeks in advance with the help of my mother. For the mehndi night, I built my own canopy to walk in under. For the wedding day, the place cards, table menus, miscellaneous signage, "activity" table, even, the card box were all made by me in whatever free time I could find between the engagement and the wedding. I even designed all the outfits for our 4 days of functions. They were created by "hometown" tailors in Pakistan and India who were able to help us choose fabrics and embellishments that met the custom-made vision without requiring the pricey, custom-made wallet.
My best decision making during the planning definitely went into booking vendors that really tried to understand what I wanted and worked very sincerely to bring those things to fruition. For example, one of the toughest things to accommodate during the wedding was my desire to have a family-style dinner service on the wedding night. Family-style dinner is extremely uncommon for a large function but, I always disliked buffets because they get messy and you end up with long lines in the middle of your party and, plated dinners just don’t work with South Asian food (or South Asian people). Thankfully, my wedding hall, The Piermont, that had some experience with this kind of service before and I found a dinner caterer who truly wanted to do whatever he could to make me and my family happy. Shan, the caterer at Shaheen Restaurant, met with us month after month to figure out not only the best menu items but even what bowls and platters would create the most elegant presentation. He also spent a lot of time educating his staff on how to handle a kitchen during family-style service…for over 200 people, it’s definitely not an easy task!
Even for the less complicated ideas, I am extremely happy with the other vendors I was able to work with as well. Raj at Antun’s by Minar promised me an amazing mehndi night and he really did personally manage every aspect of that night from the food down to the flooring (literally). Guests told me that when they looked at the stage, alone, they forgot they were in a hall!
Sunitha at Glamorous Event Planners designed my wedding day Deus/stage and centerpieces. I had seen her incredible work in pictures and she always assured me that as long as I gave her creative wiggle room, she would do whatever she needed to make my ideas into reality and, boy did she! I never even asked her for a centerpiece sample yet, she managed to go beyond my expectations and added her own touches to our stage and centerpieces that filled our reception with dreamy touches of warmth and opulence.
Asma at Araish Artistry did my hair and dupatta setting for our main events and also did hair and makeup for my mom and sister. We had worked with her before during my sister’s wedding so I knew she did good work but, I also felt so comfortable working with her because she really made me feel like a priority. One of my best friends actually did my makeup because she’s a makeup artist herself and has done makeup on me for other functions so, it goes without saying that I could trust her blindly to make sure I had a flawless look.
Our photographer/videographer team may be worthy of the most praise, by far. Sheheryar at S.Snapz Wedding Photography worked with me, directly, for months to go over every detail of the wedding and my vision to make sure he didn’t miss a beat. Photo and video at a wedding are so important because even when you forget, the imagery lasts. I hate to hear people say that they didn’t like their photos or video because, during the whirlwind of a wedding, you don’t always have much time to savor every moment so you really rely on those digital memories to help you relive everything. I never felt like my wedding was just another job for Sheheryar. He is really passionate about his work and I truly experienced that because he did whatever he needed to get the best shots and make sure we felt happy and comfortable. His whole team was not only reliable but also very warm. I actually kind of missed having them all around once all the festivities were over.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I knew I wanted a proper, bridal red for my main wedding function but that's about as far as I had gotten with concrete ideas. I spent a lot of time just browsing the internet and Instagram for style and work ideas. Since I was having 4 functions (mayoun, mehndi, shaadi/baraat, valima/2nd reception), I had an opportunity to try at least 4 different looks so that's exactly what I did. I did a "skinny" gharara look for my mayoun, lehnga choli for the mehndi, traditional gharara for shaadi and lehngha with peplum top for valima.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
Seeing it all, especially DIY projects, come together into something real!
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
Food (family style dinner) and decor
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
It was all such a whirlwind, I'm not sure I can pinpoint one moment.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Everyone you come by before your wedding will tell you to be mentally prepared for things going wrong and to remember that you shouldn't let things going wrong to dictate your mood but, guess what? It is totally okay if you get mad about things going wrong. It is totally acceptable if you have a mini freak-out or two. Don't let others tell you how you should feel because it's YOUR wedding and your feelings are completely valid. It is true that you can't be a sour puss the whole time or just yell at everyone that tries to help you but, remember that it is okay to not let ALL things slide and it is okay to react when something isn't done right. These are big moments in your life so do your best to feel your best!
Don't go anywhere, ladies, more to come next!
