The Dallas Desi Bride Guide

If there’s anything about our culture we love & hate (but secretly love the most still), it’s a big fat Desi wedding. Our weddings are over-the-top, crazy, fun, dramatic, colorful, beautiful, and exhausting. Especially exhausting. While western weddings last maybe a day, our Desi weddings last a weekend, well, technically a month. Yes. It’s true. Our weddings are a big deal, but hey so is marriage, right? South Asian weddings, regardless if you are from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, etc. all generally follow a similar and extensive format–which is why planning a Desi wedding takes a village. Literally. And you’re probably related to all of them. For South Asian brides in Dallas, it can be challenging to find vendors that work with our unique bridal needs. And while our community is growing, so are our options, but where to start? My personal experience with planning our wedding set for Thanksgiving 2016 has been interesting. What I found lacking most were resources. I live by lists, so I knew I had to create the ultimate starting point for brides. It seems the wedding business is driven by word-of-mouth, so Dallas[Intuitive] has asked YOU to give us your suggestions for planning a the perfect Desi wedding and here’s what we got:

Step 1: Venue

• Eldorado Country Club
• Embassy Suites Frisco
• Double Tree Richardson
• Omni Richardson
• Reflections on Spring Creek
• Crystal Banquet Hall
• Eisemann Center
• Hilton Rockwall
• Hilton Anatole
• The Four Seasons
• The Ritz-Carlton
• Curtis Culwell Center Garland
• Dallas Palms Carrollton
• Lal Qila Carrolton
• Sheraton Downtown Dallas
• Westin Galleria
• Plano Civic Center

*There are tons of venues not listed, but a quick google search will take you to many more options. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and opt for a cool clubhouse or vintage barn. Things to consider: Hotels are more expensive per head, but provide more services such as staff, cutlery, and sometimes even the platform for the stage. Clubhouses may be cheaper & cuter, but probably come with less.

Step 2: Wedding planner/coordinator

• L3 Event Services
• Naheed Raheel from Make Your Wish
• Imrana Siddiq from Glam Affair
• The One Event
• K.I. Weddings
• For the Love of Splendor

Step 3: Decor

• Weddings by Farah
• Wedding Decor by Faiza
• Bebe’s Decor
• Elegant Affair Southwest
• Prashe
• Divine Decor of Dallas
• Ace Soiree
• Sheila Burki Design & Decor
• Events by Nadia
• Events by Hala
• Sky House Event

*Don’t feel bound to one decorator. It might be beneficial to have separate decorators for different events, or even using one decorator for tables and another for the stage!

Step 4: Catering

• Al Markaz
• Ayesha Catering
• Bilal Catering (Crystal Banquet)
• BBQ Tonite
• Afrah Mediterranean
• Fadis Mediterranean
• Noodle Wave Thai
• Crescent Moon Halal Chinese
• Halal Dickey’s Barbecue

*Again, there are many more options, but these are the most commonly used & recommended. If you are brown, food is key. People barely remember any of the decor or details, but they will remember your clothes and the food!

Step 5: Wedding Cards

• Imaj Design Custom Invitations
• Yours Sincerely Invitations & Accessories

Step 6: Cake

• Buttercream Bliss
• Cakes By Tasneem
• Society Bakery
• Haute Sweets Patisserie
• Opulent Cakes
• Natalie Bakery
• Fancy Cakes by Lauren
• Shireen’s Custom Cakes
• Brilliant Cakes by Aamina Masood

Step 7: Photography and/or Videography

• Tirmizi Photography
• Nida Rehman Photography
• Shamain Khan Photography
• Once Awan A Time Photography
• Axel Leong Photography
• Rija Saleem Photography
• Sonya Lalla Photography
• Humza Yasin Photography 
• A&A Video
• 1 Cinema
• Aventography Photo & Video Studios
• VEK Photo
• Texpertz Photography
• J & J Studio
• Matt and Ivy Photography
• Ali Kareem Films

Step 9: Entertainment/DJ

• Silver Scope Entertainment
• DJ Moti from Outspoken Visions Entertainment
• DJ Riz
• DJ Jazz Singh
• DJ Ahmed Salim
• Sohail Najmi Qawwali group
• Blue Flame Productions
• Ali Pervez Mehdi
• Jason Taj Tabla
• Rizwan Jagani Viola
• Lubby Singh Mann for Punjabi Dance
• Bhangra Express
• Endemic Entertainment

Step 10: Hair & Make-up

• Alexandria Dixon from MsPaintedLady
• Hina Saleem from Kashish by Hina
• Shilpa from Makeup By Shilpa
• Christina Williams from Beauty on the Go
• Ailah Safdar from Cosmetality
• Moorat Lakhani from Glitter and Gloss Creations by Moorat
• Shally Chand from Kismat Kreations
• Alia Ghaffar from BeautyDazzled Diva
• Erika Antonio from Hello Flawless Make Up
• JTorry Makeup Artistry
• Pooja Nagpal Makeovers
• Seher Chhotie Hair & Makeup
• Aysha Khan Hair
• Audrey Hossain Makeup
• Amina from Arayan Make Up & Hair
• Makeup by Muniba
• Brush Onn By Alveena
• Heba Styleaway

*Every bride wants to look like a princess, so make sure your hair & makeup artist shares your vision. Do not be afraid to criticize–it’s YOUR wedding. At the same time, trust your artist. A good artist knows what will pop on stage!

Step 11: Henna/Mehndi

• Afshan Moosa from Henna by Afshan
• KM Henna Artistry
• Henna by Sharmeen
• Khadija Ahmed
• Sanober’s Henna

Step 12: Floral Jewelry

• Sadia Shah Farooqui
• Saima Siddiqui
• Jasmine Dew Flowers
• Unique Flowers by Samrin Saeed

Step 13: Novelty Ideas

• Live N Laugh Photobooth
• Dessert bar by Candee Couture
• Sprinkles Cupcakes
• Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream Truck
• Old Town Creamery Station
• Royal Sweets Mithai
• Agha Juice
• Cotton candy by Fluffpop

For all prospective brides, Dallas has an amazing bridal show scene. Be sure to check Facebook for details!

While there are many other deserving vendors to be listed, we could not include each one. The included were based off positive customer experience. Here at D[I], we were not compensated in any way to feature specific companies in order to maintain integrity for the resources we provide. If you do reach out to some of the listed vendors, be sure to mention Dallas[Intuitive] for special deals and discounts. And if you are a potential vendor and want more information on how to be featured on our list, email us!