Meraj and Anna met while both were attending Hendrix College in Arkansas. They each served as writing tutors and became friends quickly, eventually traveling abroad together to Spain, Turkey, Italy, throughout the UK, and France. It was important to Meraj to have a big celebration with friends and family that reflected his Pakistani and Islamic culture. His parents planned the ceremonies and parties Thursday through Saturday, and Sunday’s wedding ceremony ended up being Anna’s own vision reminiscent of a traditional American civil ceremony. Keep scrolling to see all of the beautiful photos of this incredible weekend by Tandy Allen Photography. Barry Allen created all of the amazing florals, the menu was created by Vibrant Occasions Catering, and No Media Videography filmed this special weekend at Castle at Stagecoach and Grandeur House. You can see all the images in the full gallery here, so make sure to check them all out!
“If it was up to me,” Anna said, “our wedding day would’ve been at the county courthouse years before, but Meraj wanted a celebration, which turned into four days of celebrations. Sunday’s wedding was really representative of me and what I wanted. My grandma owned a flower shop called Letta’s Flowers my entire life, so vibrant and bold flowers were my dream. I wanted us to be officiated by someone that knew us, so my godfather got ordained for the occasion.”
Food played a major role in both wedding weekend events. Anna’s budget-saving recommendations for other engaged couples include prioritizing what’s important to you and not to worry about the rest. Meraj and Anna decided to forego the expense of party favors and instead splurged more on food. It was important for the couple to have both cultures represented in their food choices. For the Saturday event at the Castle at Stagecoach, guests enjoyed smoked salmon and dilled cream cheese cucumber bites, fresh crudite shooters, saucy Asian meatballs, and honey chipotle barbeque chicken picks for cocktail hour. To make things more lively, they incorporated a chicken and waffles action station and a cheesesteak sandwich action station. Their dinner included baba ghanoush, which is an amazing roasted eggplant dish seasoned with sesame paste, fresh garlic and a hint of lemon. They added an American french fry action station for the dinner portion, as well as a fresh strawberry salad served with seedless red grapes, toasted walnuts, shredded Parmigiano cheese, grape tomatoes, cucumbers and served with a balsamic vinaigrette. Anna explained, “Since the Sunday event was a 2:00 ceremony, we wanted passed heavy hors d’oeuvres. Meraj’s family are Muslims and require halal meats and I’m gluten free, so we had some tight dietary parameters. Vibrant Occasions Catering made spectacular personal charcuterie boards, stuffed mushrooms, crostinis, and bite-sized lahmajoon. Lahmajoon is a Turkish pizza and was so special to us. Mary with Vibrant Occasions Catering suggested it but, little did she know, Meraj and I had it when we traveled to Turkey together and it is one of our most special memories.”
There are many ways to bring multiple cultures together to create wonderful memories and Anna and Meraj found ways to do just that, expressing their love for one another and their families. They dreamed up so many thoughtful touches that created lively experiences and vibrant designs that truly captured both their personalities. The couple’s sweet perspectives carried them through all the planning stages culminating in a celebration they will cherish for a lifetime. We love seeing Anna and Meraj’s beautiful events come together with so much thought and care for their respective families’ traditions.
Advice from the experts
1. Keep an open mind and a positive attitude.
2. Use vibrant colors for the perfect pops of color against an all-white venue backdrop or an outdoor, natural landscape.
3. Splurge on the food and find ways to incorporate favorites of all families!
