An Evening to Remember
By Hussain Rokerya
Pictures above: Glimpses of the Rehana Vakil and Khurram Siddiqui wedding
Much to the delight of their families, close relatives and community members, the wedding of Rehana Vakil and Khurram Siddiqui took place at the Fairmont Hotel in Newport Beach on November 1. The banquet room reflected the very best of Islamic and American traditions. The glittering event turned out to be a truly memorable occasion and for many in the distinguished gathering an evening to remember.
The bride, Rehana, is the daughter of Mr Farooq U. Vakil and Mrs Mariam Vakil of Anaheim Hills, California. The groom, Khurram, is the son of Mr Qadir Siddiqui and Mrs Saeeda Siddiqui of Corona, California.
The spacious banquet hall had a diversity of people representing America. Beside Muslims, there were Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist and many others from all walks of life. Their specific dietary needs were kept in mind in drawing up the special menu.
Distinguished dignitaries present on the occasion included US Congressman Garry G Miller, Pakistan Consul General Syed Ibne Abbas, Consul Generals of Sri Lanka, Colombia and Venezuela, Senior Adviser to the President of Sri Lanka Mr Jeff M Goonewardena, Consul General of Afghanistan Mr Attiqullah Atimal, Mrs Salma Abu Zafar wife of Consul General Bangladesh, Mrs Lourdes Saab, Deputy Chief of Protocol, County of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors; Judge John S Adams, Superior Court of California; Mr Salim Iqbal, President, Habib Bank, New York; and Mr Arif Zaffar Mansuri, President & Managing Editor, Pakistan Link; Linda H Liu, Registered Patent Lawyer and Attorney
at Law, Knobbe Martens Olson & Bear LLP.
Greetings poured in from all over the world from friends and family for the newly wed couple and the two families.
The nikah ceremony started at 4.30.P.M. in the Gazebo Area. The bride was dressed in a traditional red and green attire. Nikah was performed by Imam Shaheed Hussain of Corona Mosque in the presence of 150 close friends and family members of the bride and the groom followed by a social hour in a huge tent reminiscent of the Arabian Nights. Family members and close friends had especially flown from New York, Wisconsin, New Jersey and Malaysia to attend the wonderful wedding.
After two hours of the jovial get-together, the guests entered the elegant banquet hall decorated with beautiful flowers and many entrancing embellishments.
In the ball room the Italian dancers welcomed the bride who was now dressed in an exquisite white wedding gown true to her half-Italian heritage. Her mother is from Italy. Wow, what a stunning appearance - the most beautiful fusion of the East and the West that I have seen in any
wedding in North America. The credit goes to Mrs Mariam Vakil, the mother of the bride.
The next day, Valima was held on a four-hour boat cruise. It was a great evening. The married couple left for Hawai on their honeymoon.
Photos courtesy Yogi Patel
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