Mehndi
May 19
2022
Red Rock Casino Resort & Hotel
11011 W Charleston Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89135
United States
Shaadi - The Pakistani Wedding
May 20
2022
The American Wedding
May 21
2022
The Mayun / Dholki (Pre-Celebration)
Pakistani weddings usually begin with a Mayun. This is a pre-celebration event which takes place in the weeks leading up to the main celebrations. The bridal party, close friends and relatives of the bride and groom are in attendance. Traditionally, a "dholak" drum is played while guests sing and dance
At a Mayun, the bride will traditionally wear a yellow outfit. This is complimented with floral henna. Ashley will be wearing a traditional Pakistani dress.
We encourage our guests to wear something yellow! American or Pakistani clothing is absolutely fine, whatever you are most comfortable with! For example, women can wear a yellow maxi-dress, and men can wear khakis / slacks and a yellow polo.
Below are two links if you're interested in Pakistani clothing for the Mayun:
The Mehndi (Henna Party)
One of the most important events for a bride is the Mehndi (Henna Party) where the bride has intricate henna patterns drawn onto her hands and feet. The designs symbolize luck, joy and love. Female family members and friends will also have henna patterns applied with less elaborate designs than the bride #selfish.
Traditionally the Mehndi is known as the "Bride’s Day", which is spent with her close relatives and friends. However over recent years the groom has become increasingly involved. There is music and choreographed dancing by groups of friends and family to create a lively atmosphere and get everyone in the mood for the upcoming wedding.
Outfits for the Mendhi are bright and colorful! The theme for the women's outfits during this event is "Lehengas", which is a type of long skirts.
American or Pakistani clothes will both look great! We invite you to wear clothes in bright colors like orange, yellow, green, turquoise.
American Attire
Women can wear long colorful skirts or maxi-dresses, and men can wear khakis and a colorful button-down.
Pakistani Attire
Women can wear the above-mentioned colorful lehengas, and men can wear a nice "kurta", which is a long collarless shirt with pants (see pictures below). During the Mehndi, the kurta is not worn with a waistcoat, so it should have some flavor to it!
Below are two links if you're interested in Pakistani clothing for the Mehdi:
The main Pakistani wedding event is the Shaadi.
The first portion of the Shaadi will be the Baraat, which is the grand entrance for the groom and bride. Customarily, the groom arrives with his family and friends dancing to loud Bollywood or bhangra music. The bride then arrives in a similar fashion with her family and friends. This will take place at the entrance to the Waldorf Astoria.
Everyone will then proceed inside to the reception hall for a short Muslim ceremony called the Nikah.
The Nikah is the most important part of the wedding. It is a formal ritual where the bride and groom exchange vows and make promises to one another. A mehr, or symbolic presentation of gifts or money, is given or promised to the bride by the groom.
After the Nikah ceremony there is the wedding celebration. The reception is a huge party with many relatives and guests of both families in attendance. There will be Pakistani food and lots of dancing!
Finally, the Rukhsati – “sending off” takes place when the groom and bride leave together. The rukhsati concludes the entire wedding celebration where guests gather to say farewell to the newly married couple. Or in our case, "we'll see you tomorrow"!
The couple, family, and many guests will be in traditional formal Pakistani attire. We invite you to dress accordingly as well, or you are welcome to wear American formal attire in any color!
Pakistani Attire
Women can wear a lehenga - a long embellished skirt and top with a scarf - or a sari - an elaborate fabric draped across the body from shoulders to ankles. The classic wedding attire for men is a sherwani, a long waistcoat with trousers. A shorter waist coat with trousers is also acceptable (kurta). See pictures below!
Below are two links if you're interested in Pakistani clothing for the Shaadi:
Men's Outfits - Sherwani
Men's Outfits - Waistcoats. Please note - these are only the waistcoats; you'll need to get a Kurta separately (just a simple plain one to wear underneath the waistcoat):
Kurta Option 1
Kurta Option 2
Women's Outfits Option 1
Women's Outfits Option 2
Women's Outfits Option 3
The main event! The final day of our wedding celebration will be held away from the hustle and bustle of The Strip. A more intimate and personal gathering, but one you'll never forget!
Black Tie Optional
The ceremony, cocktail hour, and reception will take place outdoors, so please check the weather and dress accordingly.
In honor of the bride, please do not wear white.
Transportation Will Be Provided
We will be providing shuttle transportation from two pick up points on the strip to the wedding venue. Please make your way to one of these locations from the hotel you choose to stay at for the weekend. We kindly request that you do utilize the provided transportation instead of driving or finding your own transportation. We want everyone to have a safe and enjoyable evening all together!
Shuttle Schedule
1. PICK UP AT WALDORF ASTORIA
The buses will depart at 4:45pm. Please arrive no later than 4:30pm to load the bus.
2. PICK UP AT MANDALAY BAY
The buses will depart at 4:45pm. Please arrive no later than 4:30pm to load the bus.
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3. RETURN TO WALDORF ASTORIA
The buses will depart Reflection Bay at 11:00pm to return to Waldorf.
4. RETURN TO MANDALAY BAY
The buses will depart Reflection Bay at 11:00pm to return to Mandalay.