Two vibrant cultures merged together at the wedding of Mohammed Udbin and Narissa Mursjamsi, who married on March 28, 2021 at the Town Center Garden Atrium in Southfield. The intimate 50-guest ceremony was an event several years — and thousands of miles — in the making.
Mohammed, whose family is from Bangladesh, and Narissa, who was born and raised in Indonesia, met while Mohammed was on vacation in Bali in 2018. He spotted her in a café, they struck up a conversation, and the pair developed an immediate connection.
The strong bond remained even after Mohammed returned home to Michigan. The couple continued to talk and meet up in various parts of the world, including Japan and South Korea — the latter being where Mohammed proposed to Narissa in 2019.
In Narissa’s culture, it’s customary to ask the bride’s family for permission, so the couple headed to Indonesia to do so. Soon after, Mohammed and Narissa began planning for a September 2020 wedding. However, the onset of COVID-19 — combined with the nearly 10,000 miles between them — provided some unique challenges.
“We thought everything would go as planned, we’d have a ceremony, our reception, and we were also planning to go to Indonesia and do a party with her family,” Mohammed says. “Fast forward, 2020 came, COVID came, and shattered all dreams and hopes for a lot of us.” Despite everything in their way, the couple found that they grew closer together during this time as they developed strong communication with one another and discovered that there was a solution to every problem.
“With our planning, there were a lot of problems that we faced, but both of us remembered that no matter the problem, we have to find a solution and focus on that,” Narissa says. “That’s how we handled problems together, and now here we are.”
As COVID-19 cases started decreasing, the couple decided on a new date in March, at a time when their families could safely travel to Michigan. With both families able to come together for this special day, Mohammed and Narissa wanted to ensure that they wove in traditions from each of their cultures.
For example, they both wore traditional Bengali attire at the ceremony, though Narissa highlighted her own culture and opted for a white sari instead of red or pink. In keeping with Indonesian wedding culture, they had a moment between Mohammed and Narissa’s father where a blessing was exchanged and Mohammed expressed his commitment to Narissa. Following the ceremony, the couple honored Bangladeshi tradition and participated in a fish cutting ceremony where the groom brings the bride a fish, which she then prepares.
From the beginning of their engagement to the last moments of their wedding, the couple ensured that each of their backgrounds was beautifully represented in their celebration of love.
“For any couple getting married from different cultures, it’s important to combine both to show how great the world is,” Mohammed says. “We showed that we can bring two worlds into one place and enjoy it together. It can be very magical if that approach is taken.”
VENDORS
Reception Venue: Town Center Garden Atrium, Southfield
Photographer: Mahin
Traditional Attire: Kebaya by Karina
Hair: Hair by Aysha
Makeup: J Hobby Makeup Studio
Wedding Bands/Jewelry: Lino & Sons, and Festive Essentials
Flowers: Wafaa’s Flowers
Videographer: TTL Production
