Faiz and Justin's Unique Gay Interracial Indian Wedding at BAM Brooklyn

June 29, 2024

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Tell us a little about yourselves.

We met in college at Western Michigan University, where we both majored in theater, but we didn’t start dating until we’d been in New York for 3-4 years.

We have been together off and on for eleven years, married for five (in July 2024).

Tell us about the proposal.

Faiz proposed to Justin with a Shinola watch on the bridge overlooking the Boathouse and lake in Prospect Park.

What led you to the venue?

Faiz used to work at BAM, and we had a lot of history there during our dating period(s). It was important to us to get married somewhere that wasn’t a traditional wedding venue. There hasn’t been a wedding at BAM since ours.

What inspired the vibe of your wedding, and why did you choose it?

We decided early on that we wanted it to be the least amount of “work” for the most amount of people. That helped guide our decision to have it in Brooklyn, not have groomsmen, no speeches, etc.

What are your favorite moments?

We wrote our own vows and read them to each other every anniversary.
After the ceremony, the caterer set up a champagne toast for us to enjoy in the dressing room. It was nice to have a moment to take it in.
We danced with our friends and family to music we loved at our reception (we asked for our favorite dance songs in our invitations).
We had late-night pizza delivery and ice cream sandwiches at the reception.

Advice for other couples planning a wedding?

Do it your way! It’s hard, but try to ignore friends’ or family’s ideas of what your wedding should be.
Don’t be afraid of a short engagement. You can plan a great wedding in under a year. A short engagement helps you realize what your priorities are. The more time you have, the more you’ll worry about things that just aren’t important.
Be prescriptive with the music you want to be played during the entire ceremony/reception. It was important that every song we heard on our wedding day was one that we cared about. We had a great DJ that worked within our song choices.
Try to stay together. It’s easy to be pulled apart throughout the day, and it’s better for your memory and the photos if you’re together.
Hire a Day Off Coordinator so you don’t have to think about anything other than enjoying yourself and spending time with friends and family.
Ask the caterer to add an additional bartender beyond their standard calculation. We wanted to make sure no one waited for a drink.