Re: Small Intimate Weddings
80 guests is a lot of people. Is it going to be an indoor event or outdoor? We recently did my sister’s nikah at home (indoor). About 50 people total. We had all the men/groom/molvi sahib sitting in the drawing room. We set a large food table for them outside. Kind of like buffet style. So they made their plates and went back to the drawing room to eat. The females and kids were inside in the living room, and a smaller food table set for them. We bought appetizers, drinks, and naan. A cook made biryani and qorma in a deg in the nearby masjid and it was delivered to our home at khana time. We made dessert at home. We hired two servers to help restock the food but just for the men’s side.
No video but we had a photographer take some photos. After nikah and khana, the groom came to our side for couple and family shoot.
To be honest, I’d say unless you live in a mansion, an indoor event for 80 people is going to look very crowded. We had about 30 females inside but even then with the kids running around, it was messy. Because we were serving the food (to the females) ourselves, we didn’t get to eat until after everyone had finished. It was hot with so many people inside and so the photos didn’t come out that great.
A few weeks later, we did my brother’s nikah. Again about 50 people total. This time having learned from experience, we rented a party room in a banquet hall / restaurant. We had 3 large dinner tables set against the walls and a swing/stage for the couple. In the center, we left space for the dance floor/videographers to film in peace. We hired a photographer/videographer but not an expensive one. We had a DJ as well so during nikah/dua, we had microphones and everyone could hear what was going on. After nikah, we played some music and did luddi/bhangra dances, etc.
All in all, it was a much better event. We as the hosting family were much more relaxed overall. We actually got to be in the photos and talk to people instead of worrying about the arrangements.
A third option is something like an evening backyard event at home. We did this for my khala’s engagement a couple years back and it was a really elegant and well-organized event. You can get food catered and have servers available during the event. Arrange for lighting on the plants. It looks great in person and in the photos. Set large dinner tables on the side, but still have a small stage (like a loveseat and two royal chairs - which you can easily rent for the night). The stage is important because people will give you salaami and want to take photos with you. If you’re sitting on a dining table, you’ll hide your dress and you won’t stand out as much from the crowd. You don’t have to keep sitting at the stage though; you can move around and interact with people after your nikah.
I love the idea of a do-it-yourself event because you can be very creative with the decor and lighting.
This one is a high-end event but I love how elegant everything looks.
BeautyFruityBlurbs: Bridal Diary: Valima