Huma & Arfan’s Anniversary at Philbrook Museum of Art
Meet Huma And Arfan
From Issue Three, read about their thoughts on celebrating their one year anniversary and what planning their Pakistani Wedding in Oklahoma was like.
How did you get engaged? Huma: Our engagement story will always be one of my most special memories. Arfan's family lives in Houston and my family and I were planning on driving from Oklahoma to visit them for a casual weekend in early February. The day before our drive, my sister convinced me to pack a red dress because she thought it would be perfect if we all went out to a fancy dinner there. I will never forget that Saturday when Arfan came downstairs in a red dress shirt, I was shocked because I thought we were coincidentally matching! The plan (or so I thought!) was for Arfan to take us around Houston and show us all the cool areas and then grab lunch. After exploring downtown, we stopped at a cupcake shop and Arfan had to go outside to "answer a phone call." The next thing I know my sister and family said let's all go on a walk outside and we ended up in the most beautiful area of Houston right by the water. Arfan and his friends all came out in a full Bollywood style dance performance. It ultimately ended with him taking me down a walkway which overlooks the water and getting down on one knee to propose. It was the most beautiful engagement proposal with our families, friends, dances, a ton of roses, and my dream engagement ring! One week later, we had a beautiful engagement ceremony in Tulsa at Cedar Ridge Country Club.
What was the process of planning a Pakistani wedding?
Huma: Planning a Pakistani wedding was extremely fun and exciting for us! Soon after our engagement party, my mom and I flew to Pakistan to start the planning. The first mission was to pick out my wedding dresses! Unlike traditional western weddings, Pakistani weddings consist of multiple days filled with events and outfit changes. It was so special for me to have my mom and sister with me in Pakistan. We went to designers in Karachi and Lahore and ultimately I ended up finding my dream wedding outfit at Republic.
The process of a Pakistani wedding takes extensive planning because it is spanned across several days with multiple events. In fact, we had one wedding weekend in Tulsa and another wedding weekend in Houston. We worked with Bebe's Decor, an amazing decor company based in Dallas, TX to bring our vision to life. Our venue was the Hyatt Regency for our wedding weekend in Tulsa. The first major event is the Mehndi, which is a night filled with lots of colors, dancing, and fun. This was followed by the main wedding day which I wanted to be the most elegant and graceful gold and white decor with beautiful floral arrangements. Our final wedding event was in Houston, TX and it was the most beautiful fairytale end to our wedding celebrations.
How was it translating a Pakistani wedding to Oklahoma?
Huma: In order for us to bring our Pakistani wedding weekend to Oklahoma, we worked with Bebe's Decor which specializes in South Asian decor. We also incorporated a ton of Pakistani rasms (an Urdu word for traditions) throughout our wedding weekends. Both Arfan and I have a huge love for our Pakistani culture and it was important for us to incorporate these traditions during our wedding.
How did you two celebrate your honeymoon?
Huma: I am always dreaming about our honeymoon because it was so beautiful and perfect in every way! We flew to Italy and spent our days walking around San Marco Piazza in Venice and eating gelato in Rome. Arfan had only one rule in Italy: stop and eat gelato at every gelato shop. We ended our trip in the south of Italy in Positano, Amalfi Coast. We are always talking about how we want to make an annual holiday in Italy a tradition because we had so much fun!
If you could each describe your first year of marriage in 3 words, what would they be?
Huma: Love, dedication, forever.
Arfan: Trust, friendship, laughter.
Your first anniversary was this past June. How did you two celebrate?
Huma: If there is one quote Arfan and I live by, it is "Collect moments, not things." We love to travel and that is exactly what we did for our first anniversary! We flew to Turkey and got to visit Istanbul and Cappadocia. It was such a fun experience for us!
Tell us about your favorite moments of your first year together.
1. The dreamy, early morning hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia, Turkey. It was such a magical moment for both of us and a memory we will never ever forget!
2. Our boat ride from Salerno to Positano on the Amalfi Coast. We sailed in the south of Italy on the bluest of waters on such a pretty, sunny day and took in all of its beauty!
3. Walking the lively streets of Istanbul, Turkey at night, and seeing the majestic Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque!
Any newlywed advice?
The best advice we have for newlywed couples is to remember that you are best friends and in this together! Marriage is truly amazing if you are each other's best friend and can share everything with each other!
Favorite local spots?
Le Louvre and Shades of Brown