Happy Friday, Maharanis! Can you believe how quickly we've flown through this week? It seems that with a blink of an eye, we went from Monday to Friday! The good thing is that throughout the whole week, there were a lot of beautiful and inspiring stories that enriched our creativity and made our imagination fly. And today's fusion wedding is no exception! So, get ready to be amazed by the beautiful union between Hira & Shakil. This wedding bash comes to us from Irvine, CA, and it was so spectacular that this adorable duo had to have two different photographers to immortalize this marvelous celebration of love. In today's gallery, you'll find visual masterpieces by Lin & Jirsa Photography and also by Thanh Photography. They are equally beautiful and representative of the grandeur that surrounded this enchanting wedding celebration, and we are sure you are going to love them so much! Let's start this journey by taking a look at a Nikkah ceremony officiated at the Islamic Center of San Gabriel Valley, where Hira & Shakil tied the knot in the company of their family and closest friends and made a promise of eternal love to each other. And we cannot stress enough how much we love seeing them together, as you can tell that they are a match made in heaven! An elegant and luxurious reception party held at the Hotel Irvine followed the Nikkah ceremony, and oh boy, this reception was fabulous beyond words! But there is no surprise here as SoCal Event Planners took care of the planning and execution, and Chez Rose worked their magic to create a marvelous backdrop with gorgeous floral arrangements and luxurious chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Anywhere you looked, it had perfection written all over the place! Starting with the ravishing look of our gorgeous Maharani, whose fashion sense is as graceful as exquisite! She looked like a goddess throughout the entire wedding festivities thanks to PeaceLoveSakina and The World of HSY, who took care of her beauty and fashion needs. In between emotional speeches, tears of happiness, and the upbeat melodies played by Dhamaka Entertainment, this night got to an end. But we are more than sure that the end of this magical night was only the beginning for Hira & Shakil's happily ever after!
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
We met at a mutual friend’s graduation party. He tapped me on my shoulder and introduced himself and the rest is history! For our first look on our wedding day, we recreated that moment and he tapped me on the shoulder (as opposed to the bride tapping the groom on the shoulder).
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Shakil took me on a helicopter ride in Los Angeles. We got to see an aerial view of our favorite and most memorable spots in LA. The cherry on top was the beautiful sunset we saw over Santa Monica beach. After the helicopter landed, he popped the question and I immediately said yes!
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.
I did extensive research using Instagram to create a vision. With the help of my coordinator, Shumaila of So Cal Event Planners, I was able to achieve the vision I had in mind for my wedding. I spent time with my decorator, Tanya, picking out the color theme that would complement our outfits. Each flower type and color was handpicked by me and I made sure we had different shades of dusty pink, red and orange for the wedding center pieces. We opted for a dark burgundy background so it could make us stand out. I love chandeliers and decided I wanted them to be part of the background. I wanted to go for a vintage theme and dark theme. Shumaila made sure the ballroom looked beautiful with the lighting, draping, and decor. As for the Mehndi (sangeet), I chose colors from my outfit to be used for the decor. I opted for baby’s breath for the stage decor and I absolutely loved how it turned out. I chose my long time and talented friend, Sakina, as my make up and hair artist for both days. I communicated what type of hair and make up I wanted before the events.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
I went across the globe to Pakistan for wedding shopping. I was never a fan of wearing red and always knew I wanted to wear a champagne color outfit with gold embroidery from my favorite designer HSY. As for my mehndi (sangeet) outfit, I decided to wear a bold color like black because I wanted to stand out amongst colorful decoration. For my nikkah look, I wanted a super traditional look with the outfit and jewelry. My dupatta had a hint of yellow, baby pink, and baby blue, which was my favorite part of the outfit.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
The most enjoyable process for me was choosing the decor! As I said before, each color was carefully handpicked by me based on the outfits I was wearing. That’s how I also chose my husband’s outfits (I shopped for each one of them in Pakistan). I wanted to make sure we wouldn’t washout with the backdrop, so I chose colors that would complement our outfits.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
They loved the backdrop, handels ice cream and of course the horse carriage at the end! We didn’t even tell our family members about it, but it was the perfect fairytale ending.
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Before walking into the ballroom, Shumaila told us to take it in and walk slowly. I still remember the doors opening, as we took our first step, all we saw were flashing lights. As we took a few more steps, I got to see everyone clearly in the ballroom. It finally hit me - this is OUR wedding. Our favorite song was playing for the entrance (can’t take my eyes off of you by Frankie Valli & the 4 seasons) and I literally looked at my husband thinking “you’re just too good to be true, can’t take my eyes off of you”. It also hit me that we had over 500 guests present in that ballroom to celebrate our love. I won’t ever forget that feeling.
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.
For our first dance, we chose “can’t help falling in love” by Elvis Presley, which was another favorite moment from our wedding. With the fog we felt like we were on cloud 9!
For the mehndi, my family and friends surprises the grooms side with a flash mob to “hips don’t lie” by Shakira because we wanted to incorporate a song with our hashtag.
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
I’d be lying if I said planning a wedding is not stressful, but trust me, when you look back at the wedding planning process you’ll miss it and realize how fun it was because it’s your day and once you see everything come together, it’ll be the best feeling! It may not be 100% but that’s ok, because ultimately you’re finally marrying the man of your dreams and that’s all that matters!
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
Jewelry on the wedding and nikkah was also bought in Pakistan during my wedding shopping trip. I wanted to buy real gold so I can pass it on in the future. I wanted my nikkah jewelry to be super traditional and my wedding jewelry to look more vintage.
That is all for today, ladies! Have an awesome weekend, stay safe, and don't forget to join us on Monday for more!
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