The plan
Two events, planned as two events from day one
A nikah at the masjid on the Friday and a walima for 240 on the Saturday, in Houston, planned from the start as two events with two guest lists rather than one wedding with an overflow.
Halal catering and a venue that could give them prayer space and the seating they wanted narrowed the shortlist to four rooms in the whole city. The one they chose set $71,000 in motion.
Where the money went
$71,000, by category
Split on the calculator’s Muslim weighting, where the nikah and the walima often sit in two venues and halal catering leads.
Figures are this couple’s total split on the calculator’s weighting for their tradition.
In hindsight
What they would do differently
What they would do differently: check the date against Ramadan and both Eids before anything else, since the calendar rules out more weekends than the venues do.
Settle the mahr and the contract details at the same time as the invitations rather than after them, and write the modest-dress guidance for guests early, so it reads as hospitality instead of a late correction.
