Click the knot

Marriages may be made in heaven but the internet has been competing.

Founders Humaira Mubeen and Shereen Nourollahi first met on an online forum called ‘Mipzters’ while discussing marriages on a chat thread. Both of them recognised the need for a platform where likeminded Muslims could meet and get to know each other for the prospects of starting a relationship. Hence, came about HipsterShaadi.com, a fun project catering to adults who consider themselves “Muslim, cool and involved in today’s society.”



With South Asian elders still playing a significant role in young people’s lives, the process of finding a spouse does not singlehandedly belong to the prospective bride or groom. The team felt that there was a gap in what the elders decided for their children and what the son/daughter was looking for in a future spouse, thus creating space for a venture like theirs. “The youth needs to actively branch out and show what they are looking for. This site serves as a filter in society to find others who are likeminded,” explains Humaira.

To get started, you need to submit a profile of yourself which includes a write-up that provides a glimpse into your personality, what you are seeking in your significant other and a picture. However, no one gets to see the picture until you find a hipster ‘connection’ and choose to reveal it.



The site which has been around for nearly three months initially started on Tumblr and became instantly popular, driving the two founding girls to take on two other partners for a fully functional website. Hassan Shaikley and Sadique Ali, whose profiles are listed on the website, brought with them the required computing and programming skills to run such a site.

“We are two men, two women, from Pakistan, Iraq, India, and Iran/America and have grown up in different places. Our ages range from 22 to 27 years, making us as varied as a group gets. We all get along really well and think that is a major contributor to our success so far,” says Shereen. The website does not charge a fee for registration yet, something which potentially nurtures the daily influx of new users. “As we are currently in our beta stage on the site, we are actively working on improving our services,” says Humaira, who claims all expenses are paid for by the team so far. Additionally, there is help if you are unsure of what to write on your profile as the team provides pointers, listed under ‘profile tips’.

With free registration and a trend-forward team, the site attracts various hopefuls including some very funny, casual profiles. One reads, “I’m the doctor your parents want you to marry,” while another says, “I refuse to wear bright red and yellow skinny pants if that’s what you’re looking for.”

While most profiles on the website seem to resort to humour to express themselves, the purpose remains serious. “It’s not necessary [to be funny] at all — each profile represents the individual person in their most genuine form. If they’re naturally funny, or serious, or more mature, the open-ended profile system HipsterShaadi uses allows a person to show their true colours and find somebody who appreciates their unique characteristics,” explains Shereen.



According to the team, the most common demands seen on profiles for men are “open-minded, serious about religion, someone who wants to grow spiritually/intellectually, and a good sense of humor”. Women on the other hand are seen to be asking for their match to be “intellectual, confident, accepting of a career-oriented woman, physically active and serious about religion.”

The website also caters to divorced individuals — a pleasant reminder that happy endings are not limited to first-timers. “Some divorced individuals have made profiles, though the majority of users are first time spouse-seeking, younger people,” says Ali.

This digital platform transcends borders, maps and cultures and is a great meeting point for all hopefuls. According to website analytics, HipsterShaadi.com is most popular in the United States, followed by Canada, United Kingdom, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates.

The newly launched website has not had a successful HipsterShaadi couple yet but there is good reason for that. “We’ve only been up and running for less than three months, we hope couples are still getting to know each other by this stage!” says Hassan.



The team keeps both hopefuls and browsers equally entertained with nuggets of wisdom on the top of their webpage that change as you hit refresh. There is peace for those in panic, “When it’s meant to be, it’ll happen”; there is encouragement for those who need a push, “Sometimes you just have to Yolo [You Only Live Once] it” and signs for those struggling with a decision, “This could be the one.”

So if you’re looking for Cupid, or four, you know the address.  

Manahyl Khan is a subeditor on The Express Tribune magazine desk.
She tweets @manahylk 

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, February 2^nd, 2014.