Content creator Hemayal and Ali Aizat walked into the new chapter of their lives and tied the knot last month at a wedding surrounded by close family and friends between Islamabad and Lahore.
Firstly, many congratulations on your wedding Hemayal. As a content creator with a major following on social media, did you feel the pressure while figuring out your bridal looks?
Thank you so much, it means a lot. To be honest, not really, I knew what I wanted and on my wedding I wanted to dress for myself only. I wanted to wear what I thought would look good on me and that is exactly what I did. I didn't take any pressure of any sort and I'm pretty glad about the decisions I made.
'The most memorable I can say was our Nikkah. It was an intimate event filled with lots of love, tears and joy'
Who helped you during the process – (your go-to people besides the designers)?
Izzah from Pictorizzah helped me a lot through the dress hunting process but majorly it was my own styling for Nikkah, Mehndi and Baraat. For the Walima I entirely left the look on Zahra. Who helped me on and off for 'Baraat as well. Sania from Sania Maskatia helped me manifest the look I had always dreamt of, I literally took a huge risk and I'm soo glad I did.
How long did it take you to plan out all your outfits and accessories? What did you find hard about the process?
Honestly a lifetime. The looks were stuck in my head for as long as I can remember. I was very sure of the colours, the silhouettes and the cuts for each day.
Which three top style tips would you give to all brides-to-be this year?
Just be yourself. Enjoy your wedding and smile. That's it, nothing else matters.
What advice would you give to brides on a budget who want to look magnificent on their big day?
Don't stress out. DIY major things. Cut off budgets where you can and spend where you think is important. That is what I did.
'My advice to brides-to-be is not to stress out. DIY major things. Cut off budgets where you can and spend where you think is important'
Which, out of all your looks, was your favourite and why?
My Nikkah and Baraat look. I worked really hard on both of them. For the Nikkah I was actually scared but I wanted an all silver jewellery look and I was really happy with the final outcome.
What, in your view, is that one outfit that will never go out of style at a Pakistani wedding?
A red bridal look can never go out of fashion. Hence, I went all out on red on red.
How did you meet your husband? What are the most important things to the two of you as a married couple?
We met at a fashion show back when I was in university. Well it is only the start of our marriage but till now the most important thing is trust and respect for each other.
'A red bridal look can never go out of fashion. Hence, I went all out on red on red'
What was the most important thing to you at your wedding?
The most memorable I can say was our Nikkah. It was an intimate event filled with lots of love, tears and joy.
'I knew what I wanted and on my wedding I wanted to dress for myself only. I wanted to wear what I thought would look good on me and that is exactly what I did'
Lastly, tell us what has the transition of moving from Islamabad to Lahore been like? What’s one thing you miss of Islamabad and one thing you absolutely love of Lahore so far?
I have never shifted or lived out of Islamabad so I don't really know how that would go. Islamabad will ALWAYS be home for me so that’s what I'll miss about the city the most! Let’s not forget the breathtaking views and peace the city brings. Now if we talk about Lahore, a piece of my heart has always been there so I'm kind of looking forward to making a new home here.
Please give us a small rundown of your looks of all your events (Designer, MUA and why you decided to go for this particular look)
Starting from my favourite the Nikkah look.
Nikkah
The protagonist of the whole look was the silver jewellery. It was custom made from ‘Ayesha Accessories'. So once that was sorted I started hunting for a perfect white dress, that I eventually found from ‘Zuriador’. For the makeup I only trust 'Faiza Salon' in Islamabad. She literally brought my vision to life.
Mehndi
For Mehndi I wanted to create a fun look in which I can dance the night away easily. I wanted to wear a traditional yellow lehnga choli and I had my eyes on Abhinav's mirror work which he is best known for. I wanted the hair to be away from my face and that’s what we did – as for the makeup I wanted it to be glowy with a hint of pink. I chose ‘Faizas’ again because I knew only she could have done justice to it. For the jewellery I went for traditional pieces from ‘Grace Jewellers’.
Baraat
I wanted a red on red lehnga and I literally looked for one everywhere but could't find any that I liked, fortunately I went to Sania and she agreed on making a custom one for me. The results were breathtaking. For the jewellery I knew I wanted to be a ‘Grace’ bride. For the makeup I again only Trusted ‘Faizas’. I wanted a minimal makeup look.
Walima
I left the look entirely on Zahra and she created what she thought would look good on me. For the jewellery we went for ‘Damas’ as they have the most beautiful diamond sets. And for the makeup I chose ‘Allure’ and they did their magic to complete my whole look for the day. Lastly, I want to give credits to my photographers Mussana and Izzah who captured all the memories so beautifully.
INTERVIEW: SUNDUS UNSAR RAJA
PHOTOS: COURTESY HEMAYAL