Pakisthani Wedding Party: Faith, Family, & Fun in Cary, NC

Taking a look at memorable events the Stylus Weddings team loves!

In March of 2021, Stylus Weddings owner and DJ, Jason Huggins, was thrilled to be a part of the engagement celebration of a wonderful couple  at Prestonwood Country Club. This exceptional couple calls Washington, D.C. home. But it was important to them to return to the bride-to-be’s home state of North Carolina for this once-in-a-lifetime event.

We're freqently asked to perform multi-day events for Pakisthani, Indian, and couples from across the Arabic Diaspora. With this couple, the engagement party took place 8 months before the 3 days of wedding celebration and each event was a unique combination of goals, incorporating the traditional elements that meant the most to them and the 

We were delighted to find out that our VIPs were returning to North Carolina for their wedding. And even more excited that they again asked Stylus Weddings to be a part of their wedding celebrations!

And we do mean celebrations!

One day could not hold all the love and joy of this couple and their families and friends! 

Zain and Nadia had a phenomenal three-day wedding celebration that beautifully highlighted and blended their Pakistani heritage, Muslim faith, and contemporary style.  

Like many recent wedding couples, Nadia and Zain had to postpone their initial wedding plans due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The wait made their celebration from November 19 to November 21, 2021, feel even more significant.

Engagement Party

The engagement party was a smaller affair, featuring around 80 people and one of the elements they were most excited about was matching the DJ's look to their other choice. In this particular case they opted for the All-White set-up and you can see why!

The event began at 6:30 at the Prestonwood County Club and guests mixed and mingled for half an hour until the Groom's entrance. Escorted by his brothers and his parents, they came in to a special edit of Koi Aanay Wala Hai by Strings. 

Next, our bride entered to In Dinon by Atif Aslan flanked by her Father & Mother. 

Once inside, our guests of honor performed their Ring Ceremony which featured a live-mixed blend of 3 of their favorite songs: Dil Diyan Gallan by Atif Aslan, Din Shgana Da by Phillauri, and Reflections by Toshifumi Hinata.

After the Ring Ceremony, where the engagement is ceremoniously recognized - it was time to celebrate with a delicious dinner featuring an assortment of foods that left the palatte singing as brightly as the wedding attendants formal wear!

After a quick speech by our bride's father, it was time for my favorite part of the night - the FUN DANCES TO HONOR OUR ENGAGED GUESTS OF HONOR!

This is absolutely one of my favorite parts and I remember telling the couple how jealous I was that they had friends who were willing to do this because I don't know if any of my friends love me this much :)

It's a tradition whereby the groomsmen, bridesmaids, friends and family members will perform choreographed dances to songs of their choice. It's a pretty big deal because song choices and dance moves speak a lot to the feeling of joy and celebration that everyone feels during the performances!

After that wrapped up - it was time for cake and dancing and photographs before guests made their way home around 10:30 with warm hearts, full bellies, and happy memories. But, they had no idea what was in store for them later that year.

Friday - Mehndi

The party started on Friday night back at Prestonwood Country Club's main clubhouse, the site of Nadia and Zain’s engagement party.

In preparation for the night, Stylus Weddings set up top-notch sound equipment and lighting to make sure the couple sounded and looked as magnificent as they are. Uplighting was added to the stage and dance floor. And more focused lighting was set up to highlight a background flower wall and, of course, the wedding couple.

Guests were welcomed with appetizers and cocktails before the groom-to-be and bride-to-be made their big entrances. Zain entered first. His entrance was followed by dancing and growing anticipation for the introduction of the bride-to-be. All eyes were on Nadia entered with a traditional Pakistani wedding song, Chitta Kukkad sung by Neha Bhasin, and all eyes were on her!

The Mehndi ceremony was a definite highlight of this boisterous and bright evening! Intricate henna designs were painted on the hands of the bride-to-be and many wedding guests. Stylus Weddings DJ, Jason Huggins, played a carefully curated Mehndi ceremony playlist during the festivities.

After a delectable dinner catered by Prestonwood Country Club, wedding guests took the spotlight! Many of Nadia and Zain’s friends and family members prepared choreographed Bollywood-style dances to celebrate the marriage and performed them for the couple. We were blown away by the talent and thoughtfulness of these wedding guests! Some danced solo, others in groups of three, and a few did large group dance numbers. Photographer and videographer Mark Maya captured this extraordinary moment and other meaningful moments throughout the wedding celebrations. 

It was a fantastic show of love! And some serious dance moves!

Saturday

The Umstead Ballroom in The Umstead Hotel and Spa in Cary, NC was the site of Saturday’s festivities. The ballroom was the perfect location for the more formal tone of the day with deep ruby, sapphire, and emerald jewel tones featured in the wedding decor.

Stylus Weddings was happy to accommodate last-minute lighting changes to add to the uniqueness of Nadia and Zain’s big day. The Stylus Weddings team added large ceiling-mounted lights for stage washes and intelligent lighting featuring four moving fixtures controlled from a console in the back of the room. It was the perfect lighting choice to highlight all the elements of the day, while also allowing seamless visual transitions throughout the event.

Violinist Trev Wignall played as guests arrived, mingled, and found their seats, while Zain was preparing for his baraat, the groom’s procession.

Zain made his grand entrance along with the baraat, complete with a performance by dhol drummer G2 Singh. Zain’s brothers, Hasan and Yasir, spoke to welcome the groom and set the stage for Nadia’s entrance. 

When it was time for the bride-to-be to make her entrance, the room went dark and a spotlight shone on the opening doors. The focus was all on Nadia as she entered and revealed her gorgeous wedding dress. Nadia’s father, Ghazanfar, escorted her to the front of the room while violinist Trev Wignall played along with the song Ghar Nari. Zain met Nadia at the front of the room to escort her up to sit on the stage.

Family photos were captured as the bride and groom took their places on the stage for the ring ceremony. Behka Na and Je te laisserai des mots played during the ceremony and a prayer was offered by Imam Kayzer Aslam. 

Following Nadia and Zain’s ring ceremony, wedding guests enjoyed an exquisite dinner catered by the Umstead. Speeches were given by Nadia’s father, brother, and best friend. And each one showcased the love in the room with shared memories and well wishes for Nadia and Zain. 

The Stylus Weddings team was busy monitoring the sound to make sure every guest heard each speaker clearly from start to finish during the speeches. And they were preparing for the next event of the night- the cake cutting!

Nadia and Zain cut into their spectacular wedding cake (made by Annelore’s German Bakery in Cary, NC) with Aankhen Milaney Waaley playing in the background. Mark Maya took more action shots of the moment, while Stylus Weddings’ Jason Huggins prepared additional microphones for another noteworthy element of the celebration. 

After the cake had been served, the bride’s family and Zain made their way to the stage for the dhood pilai or milk ceremony. During this Pakistani wedding tradition, the bride’s family presents the groom with a glass of milk. . . for a price. The groom really wants the milk and has to barter and pay the family to get a drink. This light-hearted and playful exchange will definitely be remembered for years to come!

By the end of the dhood pilai, the wedding guests were ready to get up out of their seats and join in the celebration! Stylus Weddings’ DJ Jason Huggins played a mix of classic and newer pop music with colorful and dynamic lighting adding to the festive mood. 

As the end of the night approached, the music and lighting shifted to a slower, more somber tone as the wedding couple and their families prepared for the rukhsati, or send-off. The sadness of Nadia’s family as she stood up and ceremoniously left her own family to join Zain’s family was felt by all. It was a bittersweet moment as the couple and family exited the ballroom with Neha Bhasin’s Madhaniya providing the soundtrack.

Sunday

The wedding celebrations wrapped up with an after-wedding brunch for family members and friends at The Matthews House in Cary, NC. The delightful brunch was catered by Southern Harvest. The lovely event gave Nadia and Zain one more opportunity to spend time with their wedding guests before returning home to start their life together. 

Stylus Weddings provided emcee and DJ services for the wedding brunch. And sound equipment and lighting that added a luminous feel. It was the perfect ending to an out-of-this-world wedding celebration! 

The Stylus Weddings team is honored that we got to be a part of Nadia and Zain’s wedding celebrations!

We’d love to be a part of your wedding celebration too! Tell us about the meaningful elements you want to include in your wedding day celebrations!