Our Multicultural Wedding
Article by: Laila Melissari
Photos by: Lauren Melissari + Sarah Burns Photography
“The beauty of love is that, you can fall into it with the most unexpected person at the most unexpected time.” -Rita Ghatourey
Our love story began right here at Texas A&M University. Ryan and I first met in a department, where he was already working as an IT administrator and I had just joined the research staff of one of the laboratories there. At the time, my main focus was my career, so it was unexpected that I would meet the love of my life, someone who I would calling my husband. Eventually, my co-workers pointed out (& teased me) that Ryan, who often assisted our staff with various computing needs, was much more attentive to my computing needs than anyone else’s, and by then, I too secretly had wished for him to ask me out on a date. As luck would have it, he did! Our first date consisted of a casual lunch, which ended with a stroll (& our first kiss) at a local park, which incidentally was also in the same neighborhood where he grew up- something he apparently wanted to share with me on our first date.
The proposal (a few years later…)
While I had known for some time of an impending proposal, what I didn’t know was when & where he was going to propose. The only request I had for Ryan was that he proposed outside-under an open, clear blue sky, witnessing our union. Irrespective of our different cultural backgrounds, the one thing that binds us together is the love that we have for each other, which as also reiterated in our American ceremony script, “love has no culture, no boundaries, race or religion. No matter who we are, where we’ve come from, what we believe, it is love- the great unifier & the one universal truth shared & appreciated by us all, that truly brings two soulmates together”…as I believe it brought us together.
As we were returning home from a concert one summer evening, I didn’t expect Ryan to take a detour to that same park, where we went on our very first date. He asked me to marry him under a clear, blue sky in the same spot where we shared our very first kiss. I was completely taken aback by him remembering this park. It was simple, yet perfect.
Wedding Events-
Given that I am a practicing Muslim originally from India (raised in NYC) and Ryan is an American (an aggie, indeed), our wedding was a two-day multicultural event honoring traditions from both our backgrounds.
Day 1: Nikkah Ceremony
As an Ismaili Muslim, I wanted us to have a Nikkah, which is an Islamic ceremony, traditionally considered to be of great significance, as it unites two people in marriage. This day began with me donning a beautiful peach saree, accessorized with jewelry and customized name-bangles (with mine and Ryan’s name) that my mother had custom-ordered from India, while Ryan donned a customized grey suit and a peach-colored tie. Our multicultural wedding also included two first looks- one before each of the two ceremonies. Prior to the first look before the Nikkah, however, it is customary that the bride is blessed by her parents, as it is often regarded as a symbol of approval for her new life. This emotional moment between my parents and I was beautifully captured by our photographers. The Nikkah ceremony, which consisted of a special prayer recitation and signing of a Islamic marital contract, was followed by blessings by the elders of my community and concluded with congratulatory wishes from our families and friends.
Ceremony 2: American Ceremony
Similar to the proposal, we wanted to be married in the presence of Mother Nature, so we picked The Oasis overlooking Lake Travis as our venue. The main theme on this day revolved around the 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, (Love is patient…) passage. It is especially meaningful to us, as it serves as a reminder about what love between two people entails, so it was incorporated in our wedding guest book, isle chair decorations, and in the script read by our officiant. We included traditions such as my mother putting my jewelry, my Maid of Honor helping with the dress and my sister-in-law with the veil and of course, another first look between Ryan & I that was just as momentous as the day before. Our ceremony included vows & a ring exchange, as well as a unity sand ceremony, symbolizing the joining of two soulmates as one. The music that played throughout this day, which included both- Bollywood & American music, was enjoyed by all our guests. After an evening of food and dance, the night concluded with the last song being, “international love” by Pitbull featuring Chris Brown, as our love is international indeed, fusing two lives together, originating from two ethnically diverse backgrounds.