A mehndi is a traditional Pakistani pre-wedding celebration that includes music, dancing, food, and henna! Keep in mind that this event is a muslim tradition and therefore alcohol will not be served. Here's an article that explains more about the celebration. https://www.theknot.com/content/mehndi-party

If you've ever wanted an occasion to dress in beautiful traditional Pakistani clothing, now is your opportunity! While traditional Pakistani clothing is not required, all attendees are encouraged to embrace the cultural traditions and get into the spirit of the event. If you would like guidance on purchasing traditional Pakistani clothing, some links are provided below. We encourage women to wear an anarkali, a lehenga choli, gharara, or sharara. We encourage men to wear a kurta. If you would prefer to wear American-style festive cocktail attire, that is also welcome! This may include colorful dresses for women and colorful dress shirts and jackets for men. We also ask that, because this is a Muslim celebration, you avoid showing cleavage or wearing dresses/skirts that are above knee length. https://www.lashkaraa.com/ https://www.stringnthread.com/ https://us.khaadi.com/

We encourage you to dress up and feel fancy for the wedding! Women are welcome to wear elegant cocktail dresses, full-length dresses, jumpsuits, or pantsuits. Men are welcome to wear suits (tuxedos are not necessary). Traditional Pakistani clothing is also welcome for the wedding. Keep in mind that your presence and enjoyment are more important to us than what you wear. So come in what feels best to you and be ready to celebrate!

As many of you know, Omar was born in Pakistan and was raised muslim, while Becky was born in the United States and was raised Christian. Our wedding will be a celebration of both of our cultures, traditions, and faiths! The mehndi will be a traditional Pakistani event, and the wedding itself will be an interfaith ceremony with a blend of both of our cultures reflected in the attire, music, and food. The setting in the Houston Museum of Natural Science is also meant to reflect our mutual nerdiness, childlike sense of wonder, and appreciation for the natural world!