In South Asian cultures, Shaadis are traditional, grand celebrations of love among newlyweds. From the choreographed dance routines to the detailed stitching of lehengas, Shaadis are incredibly elaborate, and each element comes together perfectly to create a spectacular event full of joy, usually continuing for three to five days.

For the first time since 2019, the Pakistani Students Association (PSA) hosted a Mock Shaadi on March 25 in the Mandela Room. Zairah Ahmed, a sophomore majoring in philosophy, politics and law, was “married” to Fayeem Mooktadeer, a sophomore majoring in computer science.

The PSA has been working thoroughly to plan this event since the beginning of the semester. Laiba Wasti, a PSA intern and freshman majoring in chemistry, described preparing for the event as a very extensive process taking many months to choreograph dances, purchase all of the supplies and decorations and interview the bride and groom.

Many arrived at the celebration wearing the traditional clothing of beautifully vibrant colors ranging from pastel pinks to bright greens all coming together to light up the room. The celebration began with guests filing in, getting appetizers and settling in their seats until it was time for the newlyweds to walk in with their groups. Tables were dressed with rose petals and small bags of almonds, pistachios and chocolate while the room was beautifully decorated in red.

Once the procession began, the entire E-Board of PSA entered, preceding the groom and bride. Mooktadeer entered on the shoulders of friends with at least 20 people around him that proceeded to surround him once he made it to the stage, where he would soon sit with his “wife.” Ahmed entered along with her group of girls. After meeting Mooktadeer at the stage, they sat next to each other watching a performance by BU’s Bhangra team. Several performances followed, divided between the groom’s side and the bride’s side, followed by everyone coming together to dance. Michael Lulaj, an attendee and freshman majoring in biology, expressed his appreciation for these performances, describing them as his favorite part of the night.

“Everyone was so talented,” Lulaj said. “I was so glad I could experience it because I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

By the end of the night, everyone gathered on the floor to dance to popular Pakistani, Indian and mainstream music until the Mandela Room cleared out. The event was remarkably successful at bringing people together to celebrate this culture and participate in an experience that many might not typically have. Mooktadeer was eager to take on the role of the groom to celebrate this culture.

“I know, back at home, I’m not really into most of these traditional things,” Mooktadeer said. “So I wanted to embrace myself in Binghamton [University’s] culture because I did not get much of that back at home and now I’ll get that here.”

Editor’s note: Fayeem Mooktadeer was a former Tech Assistant Manager for Pipe Dream