From fabulous pre-wedding moments to the party of a lifetime, and every unforgettable event in between, today's final wedding film will capture your heart. AJ Studios filmed and edited this breathtaking highlight reel of an incredible South Asian wedding event in sunny Southern California, planned and designed by So Cal Event Planners. You'll fall in love with the bride, Shumaila, within seconds of hitting play, when you meet her as she gets ready for her big day with the help of hair and makeup artist Linda Chiriac of Beauty by Linda Chiriac. Her colorful mehndi celebration and swoon-worthy bridal fashion choices will blow you away, and so will her adorable smile! You'll get a detailed look at all the pre-wedding festivities, and of course the nikkah and valima. Make sure to watch this one all the way through, you seriously don't want to miss out on all the exquisite wedding inspiration in store!
The bride, on how she met the Raja of her dreams:
"A mutual friend introduced us having said that we would get along. Later on the same friend confessed that the real reason he introduced us was because he had had a dream that he was attending our wedding!"
On her wedding style:
"Starting planning was the hardest! You always dream of how you want your big day to look like, but when it comes down to it – there are endless options! We knew we would be having three main events and our biggest concern was making sure each event had fit our personalities and its own unique look. For the mendhi, we wanted it to be very colorful and give off a family feeling. We opted for more lowered seating and benches to ensure everyone was close to the dance floor and could easily watch the performances. It was great looking out at everyone and seeing nothing but color and smiling faces!
For the nikkah ceremony, knowing it would be an outdoor day-time event, we incorporated a rustic garden theme mixed with an eco and green-friendly theme. Centerpieces and the stage complimented each other and our outfits. This 500 guest event took place in an open draped tent with plenty of food, cotton candy, gelato and BJ’s strawberry lemonade to keep guests entertained. For our photobooth we opted for a custom banner backdrop with our names and fun props. This and the gelato station were a hit with guests!
For the valima, we went for a more modern look – lush purple and red flowers with pops of fuschia incorporated into our stage flower wall and all the centerpieces. As embarrassing as it is to admit, I was inspired by the Kim and Kanye wedding flower wall and knew I had to incorporate it somehow. We made sure to make this the main backdrop in our stage but with our own modern twist – Sorry Kim! I also LOVED the glam look of sequin table linens and made sure to use that for headtables, cake table, sweetheart table and on our stage. These specialty linens really changed the whole look! To keep up with the modern theme, we opted for a white dance floor and tilted this at an angle with headtables on either side."
On what she enjoyed most about planning her dream wedding:
"My favorite part of planning was bonding with everyone during the planning process. Yusuf and I learned a ton about each other, our likes, dislikes, the way we think through things and decision making as a couple. We learned how to best incorporate his Gujrati side and my Sindhi background. Similarly, I was able to spend more quality time with my family and close friends with all the dance preparations, endless sleepovers and fun events leading up to the big day. Those moments were very memorable!"
On choosing her dream wedding lenghas:
"For the ceremony, I knew from the start I wanted a white outfit with a long train. My mother-in-law helped design this. We chose the fabric and the accent work over the course of three days. Months later, it arrived and looked better than I imagined!
For my valima lengha, I was probably the easiest going bride anyone’s seen. In Pakistan, my mom and mother-in-law told me look at several designers before going out to shop and urged me to customize a design. Instead, I walked into our first stop and agreed on the very first outfit I tried on. I wanted to choose something that I could visually see in front of me because I wasn’t sure how something customized might turn out. I made a few tweaks to the sample and they begun work on my piece! I probably spent a total of 3 hours shopping for the valima outfit."
On her most memorable wedding moment:
"For the mendhi, we wanted nothing but dancing and fun which is what we got! I surprised everyone by having a fake entrance in which my friend Johnny entered wearing my mother’s bridal gown. We kept his head covered with the dupatta and most people thought it was me up until Yusuf pulled back the dupatta back and it was revealed that the bride was missing! I then entered on an open dholi waving and smiling – not the usual for what is supposed to be a traditionally shy Pakistani bride – but it fit my personality! Our friends and family were awesome and we had nearly two hours of dance performances. Yusuf surprised me but getting up and joining a dance mid-song but I turned right around and did the same with my own surprise dance just before the open dance floor. I can easily say looking back, this was my favorite event!"
On her hair and makeup:
"I loved my hair and makeup! I went on four trials before actually deciding on an artist - this was probably the one vendor I was most picky about. I chose Linda Chiriac and she is awesome. I loved her during my trial last year, but during the wedding events, her work blew me away."
On the role that family and friends played in makeing her big day memorable:
"Our friends and family were essential in everything that led up to the special day. Both Yusuf and I have 3 siblings each. They were great participants in all the dances and shenanigans!"
On being a foodie:
"I'm a total foodie and Yusuf loves to eat. We made sure food was plenty and sweets were always available. I think our personal favorite was the Kings Hawaiian Bakery wedding cake. Guests and family members were hunting down seconds."
Here's a look back at some of our favorote wedding moments from this past week:
- This unforgettable ceremony
- A divine bride
- and these sublime bridal details!
And please check out our newest Platinum Guide members!:
Partyland Event Design Boutique
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