bride's hometown: Lancaster, PA
groom's hometown: Manheim/Mount Joy, PA
current place of residence: Conestoga, PA
bride's occupation: general laborer
groom's occupation: general laborer
how they met: Rashna and Brian's sister Tiffany worked together. "One day, she told me her brother was going to start working there too," Rashna says. "I was excited because Tiffany is a joy to be around, so I expected the same energy from Brian." The first night they met, he introduced himself and then they went back to work. "He then came up to me in one of the aisles and started another conversation," she recalls. Despite the fact that she was introverted at the time, Rashna says, "We laughed and talked all evening like long-lost best friends." They met on Oct. 3, 2015, and got married exactly five years later on Oct. 3, 2020!
the proposal: Sept. 28, 2019, was the day before Rashna's birthday. "Brian had been hyping this day up like no other," Rashna recalls. He bought her a fancy dress and encouraged her to do her makeup and hair. Rashna suspected that he was planning a surprise birthday party! After taking in a production of "Evita" at the Fulton Theatre, the couple drove to Breezyview Overlook in Columbia, where Brian suggested they take some pictures before dinner. "I was thinking, 'OK, the party might not be ready yet,'" Rashna says. With the camera recording, Brian pulled out his phone and began playing "Marry Me" by Train. "It's the song I always wanted playing in the background when he proposed," Rashna says. "I started crying!" Brian read her a letter he wrote, then pulled out a ring and asked her to marry him. "I said yes!" Rashna exclaims.
length of engagement: one year
honeymoon destination: Annapolis, MD. "We had planned to go to Costa Rica, but the travel ban ruined that," Rashna says.
wedding date: October 3, 2020
ceremony location: Muddy Run Park Amphitheater, Holtwood, PA
reception location: Hawthorne Ridge Community Center, Lancaster, PA
wedding colors: white, pink, and gray
wedding theme: modern and garden
special reading: Solomon 3:4. "It was also on our customized runner," Rashna shares. "Song of Solomon was the first book in the Bible Brian and I read and finished together."
unity ceremony: sand art. "Our moms added their colored sands first because they brought us into the world," Rashna explains. "Then Brian and I added ours, and then lastly our pastor, symbolizing God, added the sand on top."
the menu: chicken biryani, kebabs, naan, chicken tikka masala, chicken pulao, korma, chaat, samosa, pakora, and more
cake: chocolate with chocolate-covered strawberries for the bride and groom and marble cake for the guests
first dance song: "Turning Page" by Sleeping at Last
favor: personalized invitation baskets with a candle, a jar of popcorn and almonds, Pakistani desserts, and the invites for the Mehendi ceremony and the traditional ceremony. "At the wedding reception, we had little baggies of our favorite candy and labeled them 'Her Favorites' and 'His Favorites,'" Rashna shares.
something worth splurging on: food and cake
favorite decoration: a beautiful tapestry the couple got married on
photography/videography: Dream Team Photography, Philadelphia, PA
music: Dream Team DJ, Philadelphia, PA
catering: Namaste Restaurant, Lancaster, PA
bride's dress: Azazie
bridesmaids' dresses: Azazie
salon: Ashley Velez, Lancaster, PA
suits: Central PA Tuxedo, Lancaster, PA
cake: Achenbach's Pastries, Leola, PA
decorations: Rental World, Lancaster, PA, and Ace the Party Place, Lancaster, PA
The Wedding Planner: What was the first thing you did when you began to plan your wedding? What inspired you to start there?
Rashna: The proposal, haha! The budget for sure. We wanted to know what we had to spend before we went looking for our options.
TWP: How did you select the bride's dress, the groom's attire, and the outfits of the members of the wedding party?
Rashna: I always wanted a dress that would complement my body shape and size. I had the chance to go to David's Bridal before the lockdown, but after that it was mostly online shopping. I came across Azazie, and seeing that it offered a try-before-you-buy option was a saving grace. I ordered 12 to 15 dresses and had a virtual bridal party to try them on. The dress I ended up picking was the last dress I tried on, and I knew as soon as I put it on. It was everything I wanted: quality, design, fabric and shape.
Ever since he was a little boy, Brian always wanted to wear a white tuxedo for his wedding, so all we had to do was match our whites. The guys' and girls' outfits I picked out as well. I picked these beautiful off-shoulder dusty rose gowns for my girls from Azazie, and the guys' suits were a darker shade of gray that matched the girls' dresses. My flower girl and maid of honor had their own unique dresses.
TWP: How did you incorporate the tastes and personalities of both the bride and the groom into the wedding?
Rashna: Brian and I fortunately have very similar taste in decorations, venues, and colors. Special ways that we incorporated our personalities would be music and the color of the sand we picked for each other. Our wedding rings were also an extension of our personalities; Brian wanted something blingy and extravagant. The food we picked was our favorite dishes and desserts.
TWP: What did you find to be the biggest challenge/hurdle in planning a wedding?
Rashna: Not being able to see or plan the wedding in person because of COVID. It was really hard finding things online. Money also became a hurdle, but because we had already changed the wedding twice up until that point we decided to work through it.
TWP: What is the single most important piece of advice you have for other brides and grooms planning their weddings?
Rashna: You don't have to spend what everyone thinks you should spend. We had two ceremonies with equal amounts of attention given to both, but we managed to get everything under $10,000. Do research on the vendors around your town; there are so many local vendors willing to work with you. Also, Thumbtack is your best friend. They have a lot of vendors with all kinds of budget options.
To honor Rashna's heritage, Rashna and Brian celebrated two ceremonies: a Pakistani wedding and a traditional ceremony. "I always knew I wanted to have both," says Rashna. "Brian has always been very respectful to my culture and valued my expectations."
The couple's Mehndi ceremony was a pre-wedding event held at Hawthorne Ridge Community Center, where their reception later took place. "Mehndi Day is usually extremely colorful and full of dancing and singing to start the wedding celebration," explains Rashna. "This ceremony is usually celebrated a couple of days before the wedding day." Historically, brides and grooms have separate ceremonies with their respective families, but in recent years, the celebrations have been combined. Rashna and Brian opted for a combined celebration.
For the decorations, the couple selected bright colors like pumpkin, fuchsia, and marigold, along with a selection of lights. As part of the festivities, the couple's friends and family adorned them with flowers, henna, Ubtan (a face and body mask made up of turmeric, wheat, and yogurt), and holy oils. "My mom and Brian's mom, along with my friends, all put a platter of henna (herb mix), Ubtan, oils, and desserts together," Rashna says. The platter was put on a table in front of the bride and groom, and each guest came up to adorn and bless them.
"All this is so the bride and groom look their best and are protected from any evil eye before the wedding," Rashna says.
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