Hi friends!
As we await the professional pics from my wedding (I particularly can’t wait for you to see Amna Rathor’s amazing transformation of our barn mehndi venue!), I thought I’d show you the cutting edge fashions that are available in Pakistan (and tell you funny stories) by introducing a new feature on my blog….”the Dawat Diaries.”
Now, for those that are unfamiliar, “Dawats” are these dinners that South Asian relatives and family friends throw to honour the couple as newlyweds soon after they tie the knot. If you’re part of a family that has a large social circle (that’s me, folks!) that means that the dawat invitations just keep rolling in. In fact, the newlyweds that I’ve talked to have told me that they have had, on average, two dawats every weekend, for the last year. YEAR! Lol, luckily my in laws have been asking us if we’re free before committing us to these gatherings, because, well, let’s be honest, they’re not exactly how as twentysomethings you would choose to spend your Saturday night! (As sweet and well intentioned as the dinners are!)
Our first official dawat was definitely an interesting experience. I walk into the room and there are about 30 aunties sitting in a big circle, all staring at me. So, naturally, I smile and proceed to go and meet each and everyone one until I make the round! A tad overwhelming, no doubt, but the constant social observer in me couldn’t help but find the whole set up all a bit comical. (30 aunties sitting in a circle, think about it lol). So, I rolled with it, smiled, exchanged niceties and let them admire my fabulous jewels and jora (jora = outfit).
Which brings me to the most important part of the night, my outfit lol! (Hey, any newlyweds out there or those that are about to become, will quickly learn that all everyone cares about is all the new clothes that the bride is wearing!….part of South Asian cultural tradition includes the bride being gifted fancy clothes and lots of gold, you know, so she’ll look like a new dulhan (new bride) at all the dawats that inevitably follow! Basically, desi culture loves glam.)
So, what I appropriately wore to our first dawat was a Saira Rizwan, chantilly lace, ready to wear, bejeweled gown which I fell in love with from the moment I saw it, below you can see why for yourself (SM is being blogshy and therefore gets cropped out lol) and a tear drop earring opal and pearl gold set generously gifted to me my brother as a wedding gift.
In conclusion, dawats = dress up!
xx
Safa
mybigfatpakistani 