FAQs

Question

There are two ceremonies? What is the difference? What should I expect at each?

Answer

Yes! We are having two ceremonies: the Mehndi on Friday, November 25th and our vow exchange on Saturday, November 26th. Mehndi: This celebration is more casual with lots of traditional dancing, dress, and food! We will be in the ballroom at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fayetteville from 6-10pm for this event with a buffet dinner catered by Sameem's from St. Louis. What can I expect at the Mehndi? Feel free to Google or Youtube Mehndi ceremonies, but we will be sitting on a stage, and guests will bless us by doing Henna on our hands and feet, donating money to us (which will be donated to a charity of our choice), and feeding us fruit or sweets. This will be on-going while traditional dancing happens. Salman's family is ready to show you some dance moves! Relatives will also be performing choreographed Pakistani dances (again, check out Youtube for a reference!). If you have experience with this and would like to do a dance, just let us know! We would love for you to participate! Wedding ceremony: On Saturday, we will be hosting our vow exchange and the Nikah at Sassafras Winery in Springdale. We will have an hors d'oevres hour from 2-3pm, vow exchange and Nikah from 3-4, and a buffet dinner starting around 4:30. We will also be catering from Sameem's for this event. We will have dancing and cake as well! Starting at 8pm, we will have an open bar with beer and wine and an after-party at the winery. What can I expect at the Nikah? While we're still planning our ceremony details, it will be a hybrid Desi-Western affair! The Nikah is the traditional Islamic ceremony where we will be blessed by a member of Salman's family and sign paperwork for the Mosque. We will also exchange vows and have a few friends participate by reading poems or performing music.

Question

What should I wear?

Answer

Western and Desi outfits are welcomed! If you are interested in wearing more traditional Pakistani outfits, feel free to reach out to us directly and we can help! Out of respect to family members, we ask that whatever your attire, you err on the modest side. The Mehndi is ideal for Desi clothing and the wedding ceremony is perfect for both attires! We want you comfortable and confident, just reach out with any questions you have! PS if you’re worried about being disrespectful through cultural appropriation- Pakistani Punjabi culture welcomes everyone in traditional garb. For Salman’s family, it will be a sign of respect if you wear Pakistani attire and fully participate in all cultural events.

Question

Will there be alcohol?

Answer

Short answer to this question: there will be access to alcohol, but you may want to pack a flask :) You are our dearest friends, so you know that we love a good party! As with any wedding, we are balancing many family members, traditions, and expectations. At the Mehndi, we will not have an open bar, but there is a cash bar in the hotel that you are welcomed to! We will also have a hotel room at the Hilton Garden, so if you'd like to store alcohol there, just reach out and we will figure out a plan. At the wedding ceremony, we will have an open bar from 8pm - 12midnight with wine and beer. We also have two cabins on the property that we can store alcohol and sneak off to for toasts and refills before the after party kicks off.