Jasmine + Qahir had a wedding day for the books! Not only do they radiate a joy and humor that effortlessly pulls others towards them, they are immensely kind, fun and so in love with the other. It also doesn’t hurt that they have a real eye for style.

There were small details incorporated throughout the day, which were meaningful to the couple. Qahir’s last name, Popat, means parrot so renderings of parrots were on the invitation suite and one of three wedding cakes. Custom vow books were also created with pressed flowers (same florals used at the wedding) behind acrylic. As this was a destination wedding for most of the guests, they created a Texan themed gift box with some of Jasmine’s favorite things about Texas.

Their ceremony was one we’ll remember for a while, with a Bible reading from Jasmine’s grandmother and Quran reading from Qahir’s mother. There was also an incredibly diverse menu, courtesy of Wolfgang Puck, that reflected the couple’s background and travels, from crispy roti, to chicken wing “lollipops” to pani puri lamb tacos with chutney and Hong Kong style fish to name a few.

Another fun aspect they added to the reception were milkshakes as part of their late night snack. Jasmine and Qahir had milkshakes the day they first met and it was a way to relive that moment.

Tell us about your love story – how did you meet?

We met at a milkshake bar on campus. Jasmine was a freshman and Qahir was a junior. Jasmine had a roommate who was from Kenya (where Qahir is from). Her roommate’s dad and Qahir’s dad were mutual friends. The roommate’s dad asked Qahir’s dad to show her around campus and help her get settled into life at USC. She had arranged to meet Qahir and another boy from Kenya and brought Jasmine along in case the two guys were “weird” and they needed an excuse to leave early.

Turns out that was not the case! Qahir bought Jasmine her milkshake (called The Hunk of Burning Love). We immediately hit it off over our shared love of EDM music, good food, and being a little homesick. Qahir convinced Jasmine to come over and cook a meal for him and his roommates. She made a meal that her mom often cooked for her and reminded her of home. The deal of ‘she cooked and they paid and cleaned’ seemed pretty fair and the rest is history!

What was your vision for the wedding?

For the look of the wedding, we wanted something that felt like a modern and sophisticated garden party. Qahir loves a classic and simple style, Jasmine loves neutrals and lush florals. The combination of our individual styles brought together that design style. We added smaller personal touches throughout the day, but let the outdoor garden venue stand as the strong backdrop.

For the feel of the wedding, we wanted it to be the best party we ever get to host. This one would certainly be tough to beat. Celebrating with all of your loved ones at the same time is a once in a lifetime occurrence. Especially when those loved ones are scattered all over the word like ours are, so we wanted to make the most of every moment!

What was your favorite part of the day?

We definitely both agreed on this one and we have to thank our planner Sarah for the suggestion! She asked if we wanted to do a private dance at the end of the night which we hadn’t given any thought to but loved the idea of. It really was such a special moment to be able to take the whole day in together. The day really flew by and it was that moment that we got to take just for us.

What unique elements or DIY details did you include?

Our venue itself was really an homage to Jasmine’s art background. Nasher was the only place we knew right away it captured the sophisticated yet fun garden party look and feel we wanted.

We asked catering to include a special late night dessert, a flight of mini milkshakes inspired by the day we met. Those were a big hit and brought us really full circle from the unsuspecting day we met in college to sharing the same milkshake on our wedding night.

We included a disposable camera table for guests to capture the night and enjoy something a little nostalgic! It was something everyone could have fun doing and an easy way to get the party started.

Another great recommendation from Sarah was something to energize the dance floor! Cowboy hats brought out the fun in everyone and the dance floor was instantly flooded. And doubled as a great memento for guests to take home at the end of the night.

Were there any sentimental moments/items incorporated to the wedding?

Three things in particular come to mind for us:

– We come from different backgrounds and faiths and wanted to include something special to unite the two for our ceremony. Having Jasmine’s grandma read a passage from the Bible and Qahir’s mother read a passage from the Quran felt like a natural way to bring everyone together.

– I (Jasmine) am really close with my mom. She raised me and my siblings primarily on her own and we are so similar to one another, we’ve always shared a special bond. When it was time to think about dances with loved ones – I knew a non-traditional mother/daughter dance would be perfect. We danced to Mama by the Spice Girls. This song not only reminds me of our relationship through the years but is a group I listened to non-stop with my mom when I was little.

– Sort of on that same note – I (Jasmine) am 10 years older than my brother. He’s not only been my little brother, but my baby brother with our large age gap. Once I thought through the roles each family member would play in our big day, it didn’t take me any time at all to decide to ask Roman to walk me down the aisle.

I don’t think either of us knew what to expect, but before we stepped out onto the aisle we chatted about feeling nervous. Suddenly it dawned on me that I had forgotten to put my long veil on. I looked to Roman almost in horror. He offered to run back to get it but with a split second to make the call we looked at each other and laughed hysterically. I walked down without it and we giggled the whole way knowing only we knew it was even missing from the scene.

What advice do you have for other couples/brides-to-be?

Be true to who you are as a couple! For example we wanted to sing, dance, even walk down the aisle to music we liked to actually listen to so we sent playlists to our violinist, saxophonist and DJ. If something non-traditional is you, embrace it. Those little details are the pieces that make your wedding yours.

Do your future self the favor and hire a planner. This was essential for us, planning from out of state especially. It took the stress out of our process and allowed us to not only enjoy the moments leading up to the big day, but to let go of stresses on the actual day itself. We know everyone says it, but take moments to really soak in your day together. The time goes by so fast and you’ll look back to those moments later in life.

We were really thankful for doing a first look because it gave us that time together where everything slowed down just for a moment.