Meeka Hossain and Jeffrey Klein’s Creative Los Angeles Wedding Blended Bengali and Jewish Traditions
Content creator Meeka Hossain and talent manager Jeffrey Klein had their meet-cute in Barneys’ shoe department in Beverly Hills during the summer of 2018. “Our first date went so well that it ended up lasting nearly 24 hours,” says Meeka. Three and a half years later, on New Year’s Day, the couple would take the next step in their relationship. “After an early breakfast on the Malibu pier, we went for a hike in the Santa Monica Mountains,” remembers Meeka. “When Jeff felt we were far enough into our hike, he paused in the middle of a secluded canyon to propose. He wanted the moment to be just for us—without any photographers—so we could own that memory completely.”
One special touch of the engagement? Meeka’s sister, jewelry designer Stella Simona of Haati Chai, designed the ring together with Jeff. “I hadn’t seen my engagement ring before the proposal, nor did I give any hints about what I wanted,” says Meeka. “Jeff wanted a design with a vintage feel inspired by my heritage, and Stella nailed it, bringing his vision to life.”
The couple admits that wedding planning was “more stressful than we ever imagined.” After touring venues in Mexico and India, as well as interviewing 10 wedding planners, neither felt a connection to their potential options. “Ultimately, our real-estate agent—who also found us our house—suggested the stunning Paramour Estate,” says Meeka. With a date available six months away, Jeff and Meeka would need to quickly start planning to achieve a wedding that blended both their style and cultures.
“I decided to take it on myself and teamed up with my friend Misha Sumitra, the events and marketing manager at Saie,” Meeka says. “Neither of us had planned a wedding before, but I love and trust her expertise and creativity. Every idea I brought to her was met with a resource or a solution. Together, we came up with outrageous ideas like transforming the valet parking lot at the Paramour into our dinner setup. Despite having hosted so many weddings, we were told that ours achieved a lot of ‘firsts’ for the venue.”
As planning kicked into high gear, Meeka and Jeff began looking for a wardrobe befitting the scale of their wedding celebrations. The first night would take place at a Case Study House in Silver Lake with the couple’s family and wedding party. The rehearsal dinner also doubled as a birthday party for Jeff, who wore a Sandro suit and Bottega Veneta slippers for the event. Meeka decided to wear a custom two-piece set by Wiederhoeft from Loho Bride that night. “I fell in love with the corset details and intricate hand-beading done in India, which made it perfect for my fusion wedding,” she shares. “I added length to the skirt and designed a tulle neck scarf inspired by a traditional Indian dupatta.”
For the ceremony, Meeka chose a classic strapless Vera Wang gown. “Funny enough, the first wedding dress I tried on was it,” she says. “I decided on Vera Wang and never looked back. I knew I wanted something timeless and with a long train. The drop waist and simplicity of the dress gave it a slightly edgy, understated feel that perfectly matched my personal style, while the veil added that delicate touch to tie the whole look together.” She paired the ensemble with Jimmy Choo heels and pearl studs for a minimalist touch. Jeff wore a suit by his favorite designer, Alexander McQueen, to say his vows. Meeka adds, “A sheer Acne Studios shirt provided a soft contrast, and he accessorized with heirloom pieces—his grandfather’s gold pocket watch and gold diamond ring.”
As a nod to Meeka’s heritage, both the bride and groom wore custom Sabyasachi at the reception. “After meeting the designer in New York, I knew I wanted to be a Sabya bride, so we traveled to India for the perfect piece,” shares Meeka. “My red lehenga, from the Heritage collection, honored my culture and paid tribute to the women of Calcutta, where my mother is from.” She also wore a gold choker with rubies, emeralds, and pearls; a pearl and emerald nose ring; and bangles by the designer to complete the ensemble. As a sentimental touch, the bride re-created her mother’s wedding-day henna design on her hands and feet. For his look, Jeff wore a cream sherwani with a gold kurta underneath and slippers he purchased from a street vendor in Jaipur. “He accessorized with a custom Haati Chai earring, inspired by our family vacation at an elephant sanctuary in Jaipur. The hint of red in his earring, combined with his McQueen suit, hinted at the vibrant colors that would be revealed later in the night,” says Meeka.
The wedding party looks were thoughtfully curated as well, with the bridesmaids in saris and the groomsmen in kurtas. “The girls brought in the vibrant colors, while the guys balanced it out with neutrals,” shares the bride. “I personally selected each sari during my trip to India in March, choosing different jewel tones to complement my red lehenga.” Meeka called on her friend designer Sam Adair to create the sari tops. “My sister and I gathered inspiration from our favorite Bollywood movies, which Sam brought to life with beautiful sketches,” she says.
On August 9, Jeff and Meeka, along with their bridesmaids and groomsmen, checked into the storied Chateau Marmont to celebrate the wedding all weekend long. The rehearsal dinner at the Case Study House owned by the couple’s friend Gina Correll also doubled as their own take on a Gaye holud. “In Bengali culture, the holud is one of the key prewedding rituals, where everyone wears yellow and orange and you put turmeric on the bride and groom,” explains Meeka. “So even without a full holud ceremony, I had my bridesmaids wear yellow to celebrate my culture.”
When the wedding day arrived, Meeka and her bridal party spent the morning getting ready together. “Chanel exclusively handled my wedding-day makeup, with artist Kate Lee creating my looks,” says the bride. “After a trial with Kate, I instantly loved her natural, soft glam approach. For my Vera Wang look, I aimed to look like myself, just enhanced.” Hairstylist Nicolas Flores created a sleek, slicked-back bun she would wear the entire evening. The couple decided to do a first look and took portraits in a vintage Mercedes.
Guests gathered on the grounds of the Paramour Estate before the ceremony began. The band Freedom Fry, who is managed by Jeff, played a few songs for the crowd before the procession began. “For our ceremony, we stayed away from the traditional arch or chuppah, and instead used soft, airy botanicals from the ground up, creating a more grounded feel with the garden and our surroundings,” shares Meeka of the scene. “Jeff described the ceremony as déjà vu because it was exactly what we envisioned from the start. From the sitar player composing our walk-down-the-aisle song to the canvas-draped benches filled with our closest friends and family, everything felt perfect as we exchanged our vows.” The couple also nodded to both their heritages in the ceremony. “We included a variation of the Indian ‘ring game,’” says the bride. “We filled a large bowl with uncooked rice and Jeff’s ring, and whoever found the ring first would be the ruler of the household—naturally, I won! To conclude the ceremony, we followed Jewish tradition by breaking a glass to symbolize our life together and everything that lies ahead.”
