This Timeless + Sophisticated Dallas Wedding Was A Celebration Of Desi Traditions

Tasnim + John’s Dallas wedding was an absolutely stunning blend of dreamy decor + Desi traditions, and we cannot wait to give you a peek.

“We went through many iterations of what we thought we wanted our wedding to be,” the couple says. “We knew we wanted our wedding to feel timeless, just as our relationship feels.”

The late October celebration was set against the backdrop of the grand but modern historic lodge venue The Mason Dallas. Originally the plan had been to keep the design vision mostly white, but that monochromatic version didn’t last. “The Desi girl in me really wanted some color,” remembers Tasnim. And the day’s positively enchanting color world took shape from there!

With the help of SB Events Co. the couple’s airy + effortlessly sophisticated wedding vision came to life. And Mikayla C Photography was behind the camera capturing the whole thing.

The First Look

“John and I are high school sweethearts!” Tasnim shares. “We grew up in the same town and went to middle school and high school together, but we weren’t close friends until high school orchestra. After school, my friends and I would hang out in the orchestra room together and John was always there, waiting for his mom to pick him up. Once we got our driving permits/licenses, and our first cars, he always joined us when we went to Sonic or Chipotle. He was always funny in a shy, awkward kind of way.”

“Then, one day in my junior year (his sophomore year), he had finally cut his Bieber-cut hair, and I could finally see his face, and a thought kinda struck me, like, “Hey, he’s kinda cute!”. That must have been December 2013, and I remember over winter break, I tried flirting with him (by creating a separate chat from our friend group chat), but he really wasn’t getting the clue. Once we came back from break, I remember telling my friends to tell him that if he didn’t ask me out by the end of the week then I was going to. Come Friday, there he is, awkwardly asking me to be his girlfriend. Of course, I said yes. We’ve been together ever since January 2014, and he’s grown into such a wonderful man — but he’s still awkward. I love that about him, haha.”

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding
From the bride: "Marrying John after all these years was absolutely surreal. We had shared so many formative moments, and this felt like a really big milestone. Seeing him at the altar was such a special moment, and reading our vows in front of all our friends and family was incredible. He looked so handsome that day!"
From the groom: "My favorite memory was definitely the first look. After all this planning and all these years together, it finally came together. Seeing her in her beautiful dress and her hair and makeup done to perfection is something I’ll never forget."

The Ceremony

The couple included their late grandparents’ wedding pictures placed in empty chairs as a moving memorial at the ceremony.

“We had both sets of parents walk down the aisle,” the couple says, “so everyone could be included.”

Bishop String Quartet was on hand providing lots of beautiful musical moments.

Our Musical Choices
			
Processional: A special arraignment of "Fix You" by Coldplay (played by the Bishop Strings Quartet)
			
			
Recessional: "Get Lucky" by Daft Punk (played by the Bishop Strings Quartet)
			
			
First Dance: "At Last" by Etta James
			
		

“We started out with the classic color palette of all whites/creams/ivories,” say Tasnim + John. “But as we got deeper into planning, we started incorporating pops of oranges, mustards, and greens. A very nature-inspired color palette.”

Love getting a peek at Tasnim’s floral wedding heels from Loeffler Randall!

“We had many small nods to tradition here and there, but my favorite absolutely has to be the Gate Dhora (Holding the Gate),” Tasnim says. “While typically done before the ceremony, we did it before our grand entrance into the reception. In this tradition, the bridal side (siblings, cousins, bridesmaids) stand at the proverbial gate and bar the groom and the groomsmen from entering until they’ve paid a fee that the bridal party deems appropriate for entry.”

“It’s a lot of fun to see the bartering between the two sides. Bids can start from any amount, but my maid of honor and brother are closers – I think John ended up promising somewhere around $3k (still to be paid).”

The celebration’s menu was created by CN Catering.

After the ceremony, Tasnim + John switched up their wedding day style. Tasnim rocked a floral embroidered reception dress by Saint Bridal Couture that she discovered at Lovely Bride, and John went with a breezy light neutral look from Suit Supply.

Our Advice To Those Planning Now
From the bride: "My biggest piece of advice, and one that I’m sure couples who are planning their wedding hear all the time, is to really take in all the moments. You spend months and months planning one day, and when it finally gets here, it is truly over so quickly. So don’t worry about the schedule, don’t worry about the small things and make sure to enjoy the food, enjoy the music, and enjoy the first day of forever.
Additional piece of advice — if you have friends and family coming in from out of town, have a post wedding brunch before everyone leaves. I really wish we had asked our friends to stay one extra day to spend some more time with them, because it’s never enough."

Look at the sugar flower magic that Cakes By Tayte created!

Congratulations, Tasnim + John! Your Dallas wedding was a timeless + sophisticated dream. GWS wishes you both nothing but the best!