Vibrant Indian-Muslim Wedding in Austin, TX

Deeba and Sameer’s picturesque summer wedding was the perfect fusion of their modern style and cultural tradition.

The couple, who met while acting in a play, took full advantage of the gorgeous natural sencery of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center for thier beautiful outdoor ceremony.

Deeba had three outfit changes throughout the day: one traditional sari, one traditional white gown, and one lengha. She looked captivating in all three!

Even their décor had sweet personal touches: the centerpieces were their favorite books, and guests took them home at end of the night. For catering, they had a little bit of everything from a wandering oyster shucker, to a homemade Indian and Texas BBQ fusion buffet, and ice cream. Yum!

After dancing under the stars, the newlyweds and guests climbed onto Ninja buses and continued partying into the night!

Keep scrolling to see all of the amazing details.

Couple: Deeba Ashraf & Sameer Soleja
Occupations: Psychiatrist, Software Executive
Wedding date: 6/22/2019
Wedding location: Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Quick Facts

What gifts did y0u give to your bridesmaids and groomsmen: Groomsmen got Hydroflasks, to commemorate our bachelor party in Banff. Bridesmaids: Bridesmaids got bird jewelry and CBD chocolate from Portland, Oregon (where the bachelorette party was!)
Gifts for one another: We did not have a specific gift, but we did plan our honeymoon to New Zealand. New Zealand was on both of our bucket lists and we treated ourselves with the trip!
Ceremony entrance song: “Hoppípolla” by Sigur Ros
Recessional: “Step Out” by José González, from “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” soundtrack.
First dance song: Penn Masala’s cover of “Fix You/Ishq Bina”. Very appropriate for a mental health professional!

How did you meet?

We met doing a play as part of a theater company in Houston called Shunya. The play was an Indian-diaspora take on “A Woman of No Importance”, called “A Widow of No Importance.” In it, we played a brother and a sister. Literally.

Tell us about the proposal.

We were on a long-needed vacation in Scandinavia. We drove to the Norwegian UNESCO Heritage city of Bergen, took a funicular up one of the mountains around the city, and then hiked around the peak. In a gorgeous green glade, he got down on one knee — and the rest was history.

Describe your wedding style.

I wore three wedding gowns – the first was a South Indian gold saree from Jayalakshmi from Trivandrum, Kerala, India and my cousin Lubina Azad from Colors Boutique designed the hand-beaded deep blue blouse and embellished the saree.

The second gown was a white, strapless Anne Barge with lace on the sides from Ivory Bridal. It was the first shop I went to, and I ended up finding my white dress there!

And the third dress I wore was a light blue, peach, and gold lehenga from North India. I bought this in Sugarland, Texas but it was stitched in India.

The wedding shopping spanned from Texas to India and I was joined by friends and family along the way. I probably went to at least twenty shops total for all three outfits! I tended to get really serious and intense about finding the right dress, but my mom and my friends made it fun to try out such fairy-tale gowns! I even did real-time consulting with my sister-in-law in Florida for advice. They all helped me decide and have fun with it!

Did you incorporate any culture into your wedding?

We fused bits of our backgrounds — Muslim, Indian and Texan–into our event. The first night, we had a mehndi at The Clay Pit in Austin. Traditional Indian music, dancing, and anointing of the couple (us) with wishes was the theme of the event.

On the second night, we started with a religious ceremony with an imam. Deeba wore a beautiful sari, and after we hugged our parents, brothers, and sisters, we went outside to the grounds of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center for the reception. This was more Western. Sameer was in a suit, and Deeba was in a gorgeous, strapless modern white dress. The music came from all over the world, and then there was the food: Real Franklin’s barbecue, delicious curries from an Indian chef at Contigo, and oyster shuckera. At dinner, we had some of our favorite books as take-home centerpieces. They were international as well — Habibi, an Arabian illustrated story, and One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, were among the favorites. The evening ended with dancing (to lots of international and fusion music), and Amy’s Ice Creams.

What is your best memory from your wedding?

We said our vows outside, in a courtyard, with a beautiful landscape of wildflowers (and a threatening sky). Right as our officiant said his bit (and during a pause), the thunder rolled. Amazing.