Mehndi & Wedding in Manchester

assalamualaikum!


so let's get on with Part 2!

it was my first time witnessing the pakistani wedding tradition.
i didn't know what to expect.
when my cousins got engaged, we only saw the pictures, and i was already confused.

here in Malaysia, when we get engaged, the mother of our future husband is the one who puts the ring on her future daughter in law.

but it's different with them.

the future husband puts the ring on his future bride.
in front of a lot of people.

i wonder what's it like for the muslims in China, arab countries, and everywhere else la.
heeeeeee.. curious gak kan!

anyway, i missed the Henna Night, or as we call it, malam berinai.
i thought it would be like how our malam berinai would be. but mom said it was like a night of partying politely in my cousin's house.

then there's Menhdi. which is a different version of malam berinai.

jeng jeng jennnnngggggg!!!

the set, it's AMAZING!

the theme was moroccan, and it was on point! (i always see people commenting this: your *this* is on point! your *that* is on point! nak join the 'on point' club too mehehehe)

that day, nadrah was a bit jetlagged. it was only 6pm and she was already ready to sleep through into the night. i was worried because i want to sleep normally by then. and if she's going to wake up in the middle of the night, i know i won't get my sleep. she's the sort yang tak suka tengok orang tido.

ceit!

so the mehndi was held at the hilton hotel.

and plannya camni.

my cousin tasha will come to the hotel entrance in a horse carriage, and we, the bffs and family girls will escort her in with candles in our hands.

it sounds so cool, the entrance.

problem was, we had to wait for her outside, and it was windy like crazy.

the candles couldn't stand it. they were quickly blown out..

and i was shivering too. 

but we escorted her anyway. heee! best tau tengok tasha naik carriage macam cinderella, and then she climbs out where the boys held this piece of cloth above her head covering her like its an umbrella, like how we malays hold up bunga mangga.

and then we girls follow them from behind.

then we enter the hall with tasha and the boys leading. and then we placed the candle thingy on the stage.

dramatic gila la entrance dia. 

after that, we waited for the guy to come. it took them about an hour, and i was already sleepy, still jetlagged.

when the guy arrived, he was serenaded with loud drumming, and i was glad, coz i almost snoozed. haha! nadrah, on the other hand, was still comfortably sleeping in her stroller, even with the loud drumming going on! hebat ok.

and i'm sorry sayang. i didn't want you to sleep through, and i didn't want you to miss out on this 'party'. i had to wake you up.

ummi: nadrah, smile!

nadrah: *no. whatevs*

T_T

white girls dancing for a pakistani party. bahahaha!

from my observation, mehndi night is like bersanding. relatives go up the stage where the future husband & wife sat, and bless them. kita baling daun daun kan, diorang kasi makan something sweet, and then threw some splashes of water on their faces.

nadrah, nak share tak cupcakes ni? =p

ummi. i found this thing on the floor.

you can have it coz it seems useless for me.

gee, thanks nadrah. hehe!

after the whole blessing ceremony, the food came and it was delicious! briyani diorang memang ada UMPH! seriously, just the rice would suffice. no need for kuah dal or whatever. but with the dal, it was 100times better! sedap gila!

i really really love indian food.

we left at around 10pm-ish. couldn't stay longer, padahal that's when the "party really started" as my cousin irfan said. thanks irfan, but no thanks. we were so tired already.

(it was the day we went to Old Trafford).

the end for mehndi night!

now -- THE WEDDING!

jeng jeng!

jeng jeng!

jeng dejeng jeng jennnnggggg!

jeng dejeng jeng dejeng jeng jenggggg!!!!

crazy details kan!?!?

I LOVE THEIR CLOTHES!

i wish i could show my tasha's wedding attire. it was heavily beaded and embellished with the riches colours of red, black, gold and blinged up like crazy that if the place it blacked out, her blings would give light. memang shining shimmering spleeennndiiidddd~

before the wedding started, we all had to wait outside at the foyer. serenaded by a string quartet, nadrah couldn't hold her inner ballerina. i posted a video of her dancing to the songs on instagram =B

i don't know where she learnt twirling, but mom said, i was like that when i was about her age. i would dance whenever i hear good music.

here's a secret.

i was offered to participate in "So You Think You Can Dance" many times. but i declined. coz, you know. modesty.

if you believe me, well. don't. coz i was just joking. mueheheheheeeee =p

nadrah & ummi enjoying the music =)

Ya Allah, Nadrah! where are you going?!

nadrah's bodyguards

for a wedding, i was wearing the least vibrant colours of all.

Laila Lace Shawl from Shawlsuriy/La Kayena 

Jubah Shazfa in Dark Green

so festive -_-

in my defense, i wanted to pack a baju kurung songket i just got, but it turns out, i couldn't walk in it coz the kain was too tight at the ankle T_T 

and i had to wear green because:

1. i love green

2. i wanted to match with nadrah

3. too lazy to think of any other colour

4. bag was too full already. sukahati laaaaa!

oh well. heheeee =)

i am so grateful i get to witness the nikah!

it was beautiful!

i didn't understand most part of it coz they were speaking in urdu, but you just know what they're talking about. i was there, i thought, i know what that felt like.

the nikah was like this:

the girl and her bridesmaids, and family are in a room, not in the hall, and the imam sits down with her and lay all the terms and conditions apply, and then she says "ji", and then that's it.

the girl signs the papers and stuff, then the imam head to the guy who waits in the hall.

the imam lays out the terms and conditions apply, and then, the guy nods, and done. he signs the papers, and they're officially married!

then every guy in the hall goes up to the guy and congratulates him personally.

cool kan?

simple je.

i saw tasha crying when the imam tells her the T&C, which reminded me of how i cried when i was about to get married. listening to the imam has that effect i guess.

honestly, i cried because i was thinking if i've done enough for my mom and dad. if i had been a good daughter. 

it's something we can never know kan? until Judgement Day.. wuuuuuuu!!!!

ok ok, back to the wedding!

basically, that was it. it was the nikah and then, MAKAN!

i don't know what they're called, but serious woo.

sedaaaaapppp!

ayam masak rempah wooo. sedap woooo!

benda ni pun, i don't know the name, but sedaaaaap gila mamam tangan dia. lemak manis santan kelapa muda i tell ya!

less stories, more pictures i say!

nadrah could've been the flower girl.

only, she doesn't walk down the isle.

she walks wherever she wants to. haha!

seriously nadrah. this must be your favourite pose. nanti ummi buat compilation of this pose of yours.

it's called the 

"UMMIIIII!" pose.

(pose mintak dukung) hmph.

meh ai suap ye ayang?

ummi....

are we done yet???

i'm meltinggggggg of boredommmmm!

oh! a speck!

-__-"

at 1 year plus, nadrah is already an expert at photobombing.

i'm so happy =')

i taught her well. hahaha!

the wedding was beautiful =)

i wish my cousin tasha & her hubby kasim a lifelong happiness in dunia and on till jannah, in sha Allah! may you both be blessed with children who will take care of you both and make you happy! welcome to marriage life!!!

it isn't like the movies, but hey, make your own movie k? a bollywood one at that!

make your kids sing and dance at random moments and places k?

hahahaha! joking jokingggg!

OH YA!

before i end the post, i just wanna share with you something. teeeheeeee =p

so my family and tasha's second cousin's family sat at the same table.

nadrah is always moving around, so when comes to us, its between me & mom.

so this girl who sat next to mom started talking to us and stuff. she's a real sweet person, nice and very very positive. love that about her! so we were talking, and then she asked me who i came with. so i said, i came with my mom, my brothers, my daughter...

then she was like "your daughter?"

i said "yeah"

and she said "oh my God. i thought she was your mom's daughter!"

and then, aku ni bibik ke? i thought.

"hahaha! mom looks that young right!" i said instead.

"How old are you?" she asked me.

"28 this year. How about you?" i asked her back. she had her mouth open, then she said something to her mom, and looked back at me and made sure i was saying the correct age.

"How old do you think i am?" she asked me playfully.

"Errrr... 20? 21?" i said.

"I'm 16!" she said.

and then both her and her mom started ogling at mom and i and saying to each other how they can't believe we look like this for our age.

"What's your secret?" she asked.

Don't wear too much makeup, i wanted to say.

"Genetic, i guess. Haha! Not sure, but perhaps just being happy and healthy" i said instead. hehe!

my 83 year old grandmom doesn't look her age. my aunts and my mom too. so it must be genetic.

thank you Allah for this nikmat! it's one of those things i never asked Allah for, but He blessed me with it anyway. alhamdulillah!

nadrah, that aunty thought i was 16 too.

ihikkkk ihiikkkk iihhiiiikkk!!!!