A 7-Day Celebration And A Personalised Coke Studio Song: This Wedding Had It All

Darin Huq and Amman Al Aziz’s meet cute in the gym set them off on a journey that would blossom into a love story and culminate in a beautiful seven-day grand wedding in Dhaka, Bangladesh. 

To kick it all off, Amman planned a surprise proposal to sweep Darin off her feet. He knelt before her during a family dinner and presented a Toi et Moi ring that symbolised their love. The Zambian emerald in the ring represents him and the pear-shaped diamond represents her. 

The wedding was a celebration of love, culture, and unity- a true reflection of their third-generation upbringing. With guests from over 42 different nationalities, the festivities melded the best of East and West. 

The celebrations were kicked off with the Akth ceremony, which is an important step in Bengali-Muslim weddings. This is when the couple signs the marriage contract. For Darin and Amman, it unfolded as a dream ceremony for it was her childhood fantasy to have an intimate, white wedding.

She picked out a beautiful Sabyasachi sari and said “Qubool hai” in front of all her loved ones to mark their union. This was followed by the grand welcome dinner, themed ‘All Black, No Tie’, which was held at their ancestral home, adhering to Amman’s late grandfather’s wishes.

“When Amman’s Dada was alive, he desired for each of his grandchildren to host at least one wedding event in his home,” said Darin.

The Gaye Holud (or haldi ceremony), themed ‘Blooms of Paradise,’ inspired by one of the first gifts Amman had gifted Darin: Flower Colour Guide by Darroch Putnam, which covers 484 pages of every flower in every colour in the world. The bride and groom coordinated outfits with their flora and fauna-inspired Rahul Mishra outfits. It was a wild celebration highlighted by a special hilarious song created especially by Darin’s Uncle, in collaboration with Coke Studio. The song ‘Hey What’s Up Amman Bhaia,’ was performed by their close Bangladeshi rapper friends and told the story of both Amman and Darin.

The wedding itself themed ‘Royal Rhapsody’ was an exchange of garlands between the couple. A sacred ritual followed, here the groom held a mirror for the bride to see her reflection, symbolising a promise to cherish and support her always.

While the groom chose a stunning Rohit Bal sherwani for the occasion, Darin went with a Manish Malhotra lehenga. The veil was embroidered with the words ‘fid duniya wal akhira in this world & the next’ as an emblem of the couple’s “forever-love, here & in the afterlife”.

Darin chose a custom blue Gaurav Gupta dress for the reception, which also inspired the decor of the event with its sculpted details. The night was one for the books as the 3000+ guests in attendance! The wedding festivities concluded with a bash that began with a fun ‘Rong Khela’ at Bhawal Resort, 40 km away from Dhaka, with the couple making a grand entry in a chopper.

The couple had enlisted the services of Indian wedding photographer Epic Stories to capture their celebrations. “For me, it was a chance to witness traditions that resonate with the Indian roots, but also take on a beautiful new life here. An exploration of the exotic and uncharted beauty of Bangladesh,” says Himanshu Patel, founder of Epic Stories, “As an Indian photographer, capturing a high-profile Bangladeshi wedding is a rare honour. Every frame captured was an emotion unique to this land and its people. There was a sense of reverence for the centuries-old customs and inclusivity of modern cultures at this wedding. Every wedding has its place, its significance, and its story to tell, and translating it through our lens was a fulfilling experience.”

The week-long celebrations have given way to a lifetime of love grounded in stability, kindness, and the deep-rooted bond of friendship.