Mazen Istanbouli and Aisha Suara had similar life stories of growing up in a small town amidst close-knit families. They even ran in the same circles — but didn’t cross paths until a mutual friend’s game night in 2019; in 2022, Mazen proposed at Aisha’s home in the presence of both families. The couple’s religious ceremony was at Islamic Center of Nashville in Bellevue on May 7, 2022, with Dr. Sheikh Ossama Bahloul officiating.

Their Nigerian cultural wedding — officiated by Mrs. Sola Yussef and Mrs. Qudrat Temitope Adesina — was December 17, 2022, at Nashville’s Music City Center. The bride wore an aso-òkè of heavy fabric, detailed in its design and beading. It consists of a top — the sleeves of which broaden at the wrists — a floor-length wrap and a train. Nigerian brides also wear a traditional, ornate headpiece, called a gele, and a shoulder scarf called an ìpèlé.

The groom wore a buba and shokoto, a matching top and pants, covered by an agbádá, an over-sized robe with open sleeves. On his head was a fila, a hat specific to Yoruba attire. The wedding party wore traditional Nigerian clothes: bridesmaids wore gold and lace dresses, carrying wine-colored Nigerian fans in lieu of flowers, while groomsmen wore buba and shokoto with wine-colored embroidery.

For the reception, Aisha changed into a white dress featuring gold embroidery and a detachable train, and Mazen donned a tuxedo.

Guests enjoyed a Mediterranean buffet prepared by Music City Center. Mrs. Ganiyat Adewole provided the àmàlà, a Nigerian delicacy served with saffron stew, goat meat and jute leaves. Reception music was by DJ Ahmad, and the wedding cake was by Joseph’s Bakery in Antioch.

“Our wedding was a celebration of all of our cultures — Yoruba-Nigerian, Egyptian, Syrian and American — with Islamic ideals at the core of it. The ambience of the venue at Music City Center — combined with their wonderful staff, amazing food and location — made everything that much more special,” said the bride. Following a trip to St. Martin, the couple returned to Nashville where Aisha works as a physician, and Mazen is a Ph.D candidate in graduate school. Parents are Rahaman and Zulfat Suara and Wajih Istanbouli and Eman Elgendy.