Jeba And Sahnawaz’s Nikah Ceremony Was A Blend Of Tradition And Modernity

They say love has a way of finding you, especially when you least expect it. That is something that Jeba Ahmed also felt when it comes to her husband Sahnawaz Hussain. Based in Guwahati, the couple had an intimate, traditional Assamese nikah, which was community-oriented and rooted in cultural significance. 

The couple came across each other online and built their relationship on a solid foundation of friendship and understanding each other in a deliberate and respectful way before deciding to get married.

“Sahnawaz reached out to me online during the COVID lockdown and struck up a conversation. At first, I wasn’t quite sure what to make of his messages, because who really meets a soulmate online?” recalled Jeba.

Jeba and Sahnawaz connected in person only after the lockdown ended. Eventually, Shahnawaz invited Jeba over to his house and meet his sister and other family members. “It started off as us being friends, we would hang out and spend time with each other. And then slowly, he began introducing me to the people in his life, his friends, his sister…” Soon, the couple had been seeing each other since 2020 and were well on their way to being engaged, as Shahnawaz was meticulously planning a proposal in Italy. 

“Sahnawaz knew that I wanted a fairytale wedding, and everything else that precedes it. So, he began planning the proposal, keeping all of this in mind,” she shared with us. The newlywed also told us how her now-husband began showing her images of rings and asking her which kind she liked. As for how Jeba knew that Sahnawaz was The One, she says, “I knew by the way he would

always ask me how I was doing when we were together. He made sure I was comfortable and happy.”

Cut to 2024, Sahnawaz popped the question in a wonderful garden 50 km from the Amalfi coast, in Italy. “We went to Italy with two of our friends, they are also a couple. I remember him (Sahnawaz) telling me to pack certain dresses and get my nails done.” The morning that Jeba had been proposed to, the couple had planned to head to the Amalfi Coast from Sorrento. But Sahnawaz discovered a new scenic location close to the coast where he thought the proposal would be ideal, and so they headed to a beautiful garden close to the Amalfi Coast. “Our friend recorded the proposal and even helped Sahnawaz find the spot. I remember reaching the garden and Shazz popping the questions as our friends found the perfect angle to capture the moment,” says Jeba.

The couple decided to tie the knot shortly after getting engaged in October 2024. The wedding took place in December in the couple’s hometown. Jeba chose to wear a stunning, silk, pale pink traditional Assamese bridal outfit known as the Mekhela Chador from a boutique in Guwahati known as Shree Silk. And FYI, it took seven months to craft! Along with that, Jeba chose to wear beautiful non-gold jewellery which consisted of clear and emerald green jewels which she curated from Prerto and Pernia’s Pop Up. 

Even though the couple began planning the wedding only a month ahead, they pulled it off wonderfully. From getting the invites out as soon as they got back from their Italy trip, to booking venues and having a dream team put their wedding decor together, the duo seemed to have everything figured out. 

Jeba and Sahnawaz also decided to exchange vows for their Nikah ceremony to personalise it a little. “We felt as though the Nikah ceremony was a little short, and wanted to add something to it to make it more personal and memorable, which is why we thought of exchanging vows,” Jeba tells us. 

For her cocktail party, the newlywed bride chose a floor-length, corseted gown, which she did a bit of DIY craft work on, to add some bling to! 

“Initially, I ordered my cocktail attire from Faraz Manan’s boutique in Delhi’s Shahpur Jat. But the final design looked too similar to a lehenga (which clashed with my cocktail theme). So, 10 days prior to the wedding, I ordered my cocktail party outfit from London. When it arrived, I decided to add some bling to it to make it a little more glamorous!” she shared with us.

For Jeba, the most heartwarming moment from the entire affair was the day the Jurun took place. Jurun is an Assamese pre-wedding ceremony where the groom’s family visits the bride’s family to present her with the wedding trousseau. “There was a moment, I saw my mother looking at me with an expression that said she was thrilled to see me getting married to someone who loves me and values me so much,” she said, trailing off, feeling sentimental whilst recalling the moment. 

For Jeba, her intimate wedding was an experience she curated with the help of her closest family and friends. It was about organising valuable and memorable moments, rather than making it a guest-heavy occasion. Besides, the two invited the entirety of their family for the reception.”We decided to keep it a small and closed occasion and invite extended family members for the reception party.” 

During the ceremonies, the couple went with traditional Assamese food (for the wedding), Chinese-Indian food for the cocktail night and North and South Indian food for the reception. In fact, the wedding was flooded with fantastic Assamese delicacies such as Jolpan, bamboo shoot pickle, dry fish chutney, egg and potato pitika (mashed), aubergine fry, pumpkin fry, black sesame chicken, fish with curry leaves, fish with mustard seed steamed in banana leaf, duck fry and cream with mihidana and yogurt with rasgulla. 

The couple clearly knew what they were doing, because isn’t food an anchoring element in weddings? As our conversation came to an end, I asked Jeba, now that she has wedded the love of her life, eaten scrumptious food with the people she loved most, danced the night away during her sangeet, what is she looking forward to? “Lots and lots of travelling with my husband,” which isn’t surprising because her Instagram page is filled with videos and pictures of herself and loved ones in different locations of the world. Jeba is an evident travel enthusiast. 

Jeba and Sahnawaz’s well-thought-out, culturally rich, intimate wedding, which will be followed by a great deal of travelling, is something to feel inspired by; Full of intentional decisions and family joy, this Nikah was all about love.