If you’ve ever wondered what happens when culinary creativity, heartfelt storytelling, and fusion wedding magic collide in the Catskills, Jess & Yasir's wedding is your answer. Intimate, wildly personal, and layered with intention, their celebration felt less like a traditional wedding and more like an immersive love story—one that unfolded slowly, beautifully, and with just the right amount of joyful unpredictability.
Set at the charming Wayside Cidery & Taproom, the wedding embraced the natural beauty of upstate New York with open arms. Rolling hills, rustic textures, crisp fall air, and a relaxed countryside rhythm created a setting that immediately invited guests to slow down and truly be present. With just their loved ones in attendance, the celebration felt deeply communal—every hug lingered, every laugh echoed a little longer, and every moment felt shared.
What made this wedding especially meaningful was that the creative vision came directly from the bride herself. Jess, the force behind The Freckled Fork, led the planning and design. The result was a celebration that felt organic, expressive, and refreshingly unfiltered—proof that when couples trust their instincts, magic follows. From stationery to favors to event flow, every detail carried intention and personality, making the day feel unmistakably them. Visually, the celebration was soft yet striking. Shepherds Meadow Flowers brought the space to life with florals that felt as though they were gathered straight from the surrounding meadows—natural, textural, and beautifully imperfect in the best way.
Jess’s bridal look embodied fusion elegance. Her fashion choice from Lashkaraa blended modern ease with South Asian tradition, while jewelry sourced from Jackson Heights added cultural richness and personal meaning. With expert draping and styling by Nadia Rahman, every detail came together seamlessly. Hair and makeup by Karen Neblung completed the look—effortless, radiant, and perfectly suited for a Catskills celebration. Intricate mehndi by Maryam Henna Haven added yet another layer of artistry and tradition.
Food, unsurprisingly, played a starring role. Catering by The Freckled Fork, Rachel Kruge, and Shachar Cohen felt intimate and thoughtful, while desserts by Rachel Kruge, Cafe Mutsi, and Sweet Sams ensured that guests ended the night on a sweet note (or several). It was the kind of menu that sparks conversation and second helpings—always a sign of a successful celebration. As the evening unfolded, music by Sounds Good kept the energy warm and lively, guiding the celebration from heartfelt moments into relaxed dancing under the Catskills sky. Yasir looked effortlessly sharp in his tuxedo from Zurhem, rounding out a look that matched the understated sophistication of the day.
Every fleeting glance, quiet smile, and candid laugh was captured beautifully by Symboll, whose storytelling approach preserved not just the visuals but the feeling of the day. Their cinematography allowed this wedding to live on as a sensory experience—one that feels just as intimate on screen as it did in person.
Jess & Yasir’s wedding was a reminder that fusion celebrations don’t need to be loud to be powerful. Sometimes, the most unforgettable weddings are the ones that feel honest, intentional, and deeply rooted in who the couple truly is. This Catskills celebration was thoughtful, soulful, and effortlessly cool—exactly the kind of wedding that stays with you long after the last cider is poured.
How did you meet your Groom and when did you know he was "the one"?
Yas and I met on Hinge, actually, in August of 2004. I wasn't really on the dating apps, but my coworkers at the time convinced me the "play Hinge" on one particularly boring work day. So they helped make my profile and with a day or so, I met Yas. Funny enough, it was a little clunky trying to meet up at first. A late-running work thing caused him to cancel our first date at the last minute, and then our 2nd first date was missed due to a questionable food aversion.
Totally uninterested in forcing this to happen, I gave him my only remaining available time slot...9am on a Friday morning, for coffee. He had never been on a coffee date and was really thrown off, but it was such a great conversation...lasting over 2 hours and then he walked me 10 blocks to my climbing gym. We hit it off and then quickly started seeing each other and finding reasons to almost every day.
Coming off of a divorce from my previous 16-yr marriage, I wasn't looking to jump into anything too crazy, but Yas was so impressive and already so special to me. It was around Christmas time in 2024 that I knew he was someone I could do life with...which equally excited and terrified me all at the same time.
Share the scoop on your Proposal Story!
Yas actually proposed 3 times. It was the beginning of May 2025, a few months after my daughter and I moved into Yas' apartment. One morning we were waking up and he stood by the bed, looking at me and told me he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, and if I would marry him. Not sure if he was seriously proposing or not, he said "Oh shoot, I got ahead of myself, I have a ring but it's not here yet...I just couldn't wait any longer."
Being neurodivergent, that made total sense coming from him. So that afternoon, we shopped around a favorite vintage makers mart and found a lovely vintage "stand-in" ring. The next day, Yas did what he wanted to do before...he called my family to tell them he was proposing and to get their input, their blessings, which they all gladly gave.
And then the next weekend was the actual plan. We went to the Catskills to help work at my friend's cafe for their anniversary party weekend. Millie washed dishes, I was on the line in the kitchen with Nicole and Yas brought his mom, too, to celebrate Mother's Day weekend. On that Saturday afternoon, after we finished service, Yas grabbed my hand and said he needed to tell me something. He led me outside, in front of the cafe and then got on one knee. The actual propsal! After enthusiastically accepting again, we celebrated the rest of the weekend with our friends and telling the world.
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.
Early on in the wedding planning process, we decided that the Catskills would be the venue since it was special to us and also the place we got engaged. Yas expressed his desire to have a Desi wedding, which was a really surprising and beautiful sentiment as he had distanced himself from his culture and religion for most of his life. This was to be a reclaiming and a reconnection for him and for us as a new couple, a new family. So I did all the research on Bangladeshi traditions, Muslim traditions and Desi weddings.
The internet and Instagram were my best friends. We were blending two distinctly different cultures...my Southern/White Girl/Christian American upbringing together with Yas' Bangladeshi/Muslim culture. We wanted it to be a beautiful acknowledgement of our pasts, along with celebrating our differences and our new blended life together.
We picked one venue first, sign a contract and paid a deposit only to find out it wasn't adequately equipped with ADA compliance standards, so we pivoted and moved to where we actually wanted to originally host, Wayside Cidery in Andes, NY. It was the PERFECT venue.
For the outfits, my family and friends to be respectful, appreciative and celebratory of the culture and the traditional dress for Desi weddings. I found beautiful Kaftans for my bridesmaids for the Holud night, and gorgeous Navy Sarees for the wedding ceremony. I searched for months and found the perfect Holud and Wedding outfits for my parents, my nephews, and my brothers. I consulted with Yas' sister Nadia and cousin Tania to make sure we were buying the appropriate ones. Yas' wedding suite came, custom made from Bangladesh by an up and coming designer, Zurhem, and his shoes were a custom art piece designed and made by his friend and artist, Saks.
For the theme, we wanted Desi-mountain-chic. Mountain muted tones, blending Southern greenery and florals with bright Bangladeshi accents.
How did you select your bridal lengha or wedding dress? Did you have a favorite color in mind?
For my Holud dress, I wanted to veer from the traditional Holud wear, and stay true to my Southern, artistic roots. I went with a yellow and green floral dress, traditional Holud floral jewelry and adornments and funky vine/lace up heels. My wedding dress was SO gorgeous, from Lashkaara. It was out of stock for months and then finally I was able to snatch it up. A beautiful, jeweled Anarkali style Lehenga...modest, respectful and totally gorgeous. I knew I wanted to toe the line of traditional western and traditional Desi, so the white and red combination made me feel like a princess. My jewelry was sourced after a long day of shopping in Jackson Heights, NY, with my new sister-in-law, Nadia. She helped me find the most perfect vintage set that would be a blend of my style with the traditional Desi wedding jewelry.
What was the most enjoyable part of the planning process, and why?
Planning things with my fiance and watching him lean into and learn more and more about Desi weddings and Bangladeshi traditions. I loved watching his face on the actual wedding weekend as he was able to see all the planning, moodboards and lists come to life in front of his eyes. H was so happy and so proud. I loved being able to do that for him.
What did your guests particularly love about your Wedding?
They've all reached out and shared that the food was the absolute BEST wedding food they've ever had. And the party, they said it all seemed so effortless and well blended. People still comment that it was their favorite wedding to-date and that they want us to do it again:)
Was there a really special moment in your wedding that constantly replays in your mind?
Having my dad and Yas' uncle officiate our ceremony and vows was so very special. Being surrounded by friends and family who traveled near and far, touched our hearts so much.
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.
Our Holud was a beautiful blended event similar to a rehearsal dinner, with elements of a traditional Holud. We had an amazing mehendi artist, Maryam, who did henna for our guests, and the bridal table was filled with southern and bangladeshi sweets. All the guests were invited to come by, paint turmeric paste on our hands (or Yas' face!) and feed us a sweet bite and shared their well-wishes. It was a lovely evening!
Do you have any words of wisdom for Brides-To-Be?
Weddings are so complicated and everyone will have an opinion. Having had two weddings in my lifetime, I was able to do things MY way, OUR way, the second time, and I am so glad we did. Focus your attention and money on the things that matter and that will last beyond the day, the food is priority and dictates the general vibe of your guests and the photos/video are what you will keep forever, so don't skimp on those two things.
Anything else you want to tell us? We'd love to hear all about your other details! (jewelry, mehndi, venue, cake, bouquets, etc.)
My flowers were curated by a local flower farm in Delhi, NY. Lauren Culpepper, from Shepherd's Meadow Farms, rescued the remaining blooms before the first frost to ensure we had the most beautiful peonies and wildflowers. She made gorgeously distinctive and thoughtful bouquets for my bridesmaids and for my bridal bouquet, as well as giving us a few buckets of the remaining blooms to use for decorations.
Our wedding cake was a delicious masterpiece by my Chef friend Rachel Kruge, she made a custom pistachio chai Tiramisu cake with a beautiful bright green pistachio icing. It was so good!
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