Here comes the bride. Well, the fake bride. The South Asian Student Alliance will host a Mock Shaadi.
By Alex Kramer
A sea of white, gold, and red flares and mingles among the flowers, candles, and merriment. Rose pedals graze guests’ feet as they walk under dangling star-like lights. A throne commands the stage overlooking the dance floor, soon to be filled. Signing into the centrally place guest book, one officially becomes a guest at this wedding celebration.
Looking to immerse the masses in its rich culture, the South Asian Student Alliance will host a Mock Shaadi, translated to “fake wedding”, at 7 p.m. Friday in the IMU Main Lounge. The event will showcase everything from traditional food and dancing to a grand entrance from the bride and groom. A full-length South Asian wedding celebration, usually running three to four days, has been rolled into a few hours.
“We have everything except the actual religious ceremony aspect,” said copresident and cofounder Arham Pasha. “All the cultural elements of a wedding we’re going to have. Our organization does it because we thought it was a great idea to educate the university, and everyone around us, and let them know what our culture is — what kind of things it can be.”
Not only will Shaadi bring a flavorful culture to Iowa City, the event is also meant to generate revenue for a Chicago-based charity called Apna Ghar, which aids the lives of struggling South Asian women. Thus, the event is an energetic wedding environment for a cause, meaning no guilt for taking the afternoon off to celebrate.
“It’s very reminiscent of Middle Eastern, South Asian [weddings],” said Uzair Ahmed, a codirector and a member of the ’South Asian Student Alliance Executive Board. “You get those sort of vibes of the old, traditional style. Not a lot of people know how we do things or what all of our traditions are. It’s just this new, really cool experience everybody gets to enjoy.”
Like most wedding celebrations around the world, including American, the entrance of the bride and groom will be one of the most intriguing aspects of the night, Ahmed said, though traditional Shaadi music will be playing in lieu of “Here Comes the Bride”.
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“You’ll see a big group of people huddled around the couple, the bride’s side and the groom’s side … [and] the groom’s side will all walk in with him,” he said. “You’ll see them lead the way for him to come up on stage, then same with the bride’s side.”
Though the families of the soon-to-be newlyweds will not be in attendance, because the two are not actually being legally bound, the friends of the couple will step up in place of families. Javeria Ali, a codirector of the event, said being able to experience a tradition typically spent with family with friends instead is going to be a stirring and striking change of pace.
“We chose this event because it’s the biggest party that South Asians can throw,” she said. “It’s definitely something new, and something campus has never seen before.”
Mock Shaadi 2016
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: IMU Main Lounge
