‘We struggled to keep our numbers low’: Epic wedding held over three days

A bride and groom have revealed their wedding plan, which included a dash away from guests.

The wedding of Muskaan Hussain and Nabeel Ismail. Picture: Hawthorne Creative

Muskaan Hussain and Nabeel Ismail spread their wedding over three days in celebration of culture, tradition and love.

The Rochedale couple, who have been together for one year, celebrated their nuptials with hundreds of guests over three events on April 19, 24 and 26.

The events included the nikkah, the religious ceremony, at Rosewood Estate at Beechmont in the Scenic Rim region, in front of 200 people.

Celebrations continued at The Star in Brisbane with 350 guests for the baraat, which is a procession led by the groom, his family and groomsmen to signify the groom’s journey to unite with his bride and bring the two families together.

The third day was the walima, the marriage banquet or reception hosted by the couple to publicly celebrate their union, at The Lex in Brisbane with 120 guests.

The wedding of Muskaan Hussain and Nabeel Ismail. Picture: Hawthorne Creative

How did the proposal unfold?

Muskaan: We introduced our parents to each other and they gave us their blessings to get married. I got the ring eight months later during a visit to the beautiful Maleny Botanic Gardens!

How did you choose your wedding venue?

I have always been a lover of the beautiful Scenic Rim. There’s nowhere else I would want to get married! I had seen Rosewood Estate on Instagram in 2019 and I knew that it would be my venue one day, the mountains are my favourite place to escape to.

Where did you honeymoon?

Japan.

What would you spend more or less on?
Don’t refrain from spending big on your hair and makeup artist, it really dictates how beautiful you feel on your big day and your photos are forever!

Muskaan Hussain and Nabeel Ismail celebrate day two of their celebrations. Pictures: Hawthorne Creative

How did you go about choosing your wedding dress?

My mum chose it for me. I travelled to Pakistan to try it on for the first time and it was perfect. I had two veil prototypes made because I wanted to get that dramatic train perfect. The reception outfit was a custom design. For the second day, I always knew I would wear black at my reception. I custom designed this dress over eight months going back and forth with the designer on WhatsApp. I went to pick it up in Karachi, Pakistan, and decided to add more sequins after I tried it on. The third day I wore a dress from Needle and Thread London.

Were there any unique or surprising details about your wedding?

I was expecting it to be a super emotional day for me with lots of tears, but from the moment I walked down the aisle it was just pure joy and excitement.

What was the standout moment of the day? After we walked back up the aisle, we ducked

away to grab a drink and share some time just walking around the grounds of the estate by

ourselves, it was really special and we were able to take it all in and breathe.

What was the most stressful part of wedding planning?

Narrowing down the guest list to fit the venue’s capacity, tracking guests RSVPs and dealing with last-minute cancellations. We struggled to keep our numbers low due to our cultural backgrounds, weddings are massive for us and we felt awful having to draw the line at 200 people.

What was a wedding non-negotiable for you? Fresh florals! I made sure to carve out extra

space in my budget for it.

What would you do differently?

Do a rehearsal/run-through for as many elements of the day as you can! It will make it so much smoother on the day.

Muskaan Hussain and Nabeel Ismail on day three of their celebrations. Pictures: Hawthorne Creative

Best advice for other couples planning a wedding?

Some things will not go to plan! But your guests won’t even notice the little things and it will still be a great day.

The Bride

Muskaan Hussain, 24

Profession Accountant

Parents Samreen Hussain, Arshad Hussain (Deceased)

Hair Day one, Makeup Palace. Day two, Lelle Beauty. Day three, Ella and Jade

Make-up Day one, Makeup Palace. Day two, Lelle Beauty and Day three self

Flowers Day one, The Lush Lily. Day two, Borrowed Events. Day three, Is. Style Event Designers

Content Creator Day three only, Cehani Content

Engagement ring Diamonds International

Wedding planner/stylist Scenic Rim Bride

The Groom

Nabeel Ismail, 33

Profession eCommerce marketing professional

Parents Fazila Ismail, Mahomed Ismail

Suit Junaid Jamshed, reception Oscar Hunt

Entertainment Umer Syed

Videographer Hawthorne Creative

Caterer Day one, Koyla Live BBQ. Day two, The Star Brisbane. Day three, The Lex

Cake Day three, Anni Loves Cakes. Sponge with raspberry curd and fresh cream which we decorated ourselves with Just Married.

Originally published as ‘We struggled to keep our numbers low’: Epic wedding held over three days