Planning a wedding is no mean feat, but to try doing it virtually during a global pandemic is an entirely different story. As one of many forlorn 2020 brides-to-be, I was trying to re-plan our wedding for the third time, in Dubai! As neither me nor my fiancé were based in Dubai, it was crucial for us to find a reliable person who would help us on this challenging journey. We had met up with several different decorators and stylists but had never found the right click. After stumbling onto the MyLovelyWedding website, I only had to speak to Joelle for 15 minutes to know that I had found the perfect person! From our very first telephone call, she immediately understood my character, what I was looking for and was super excited with my ideas! When I told her that I was not based locally which would make the whole planning process more daunting, she did not bat an eyelid. She said we had Whatsapp and Skype and that was really all we needed. She never made me feel like our limited budget was inadequate in any way which stood-out to me the most and I loved that she said we could use her simpler design ideas, like IKEA tablemats to stay within our range. Speaking to Joelle, was like talking to your childhood friend who just knew everything you wanted. All our décor ideas, choices of colour palettes and flower arrangements were seamlessly brainstormed and discussed over WhatsApp and Joelle made my ideas seem super easy and attainable! She custom created the perfect wooden arch that I wanted for the ceremony with a regal red velvet throw and lovely candles and flowers in the background. Somehow, she had even managed to convince me to use real grapes and oranges as part of our table set-up!!
Two weeks before our wedding date and two days before my fiancé and I flew into the country, Dubai declared a ban on all social gatherings, events and weddings! I was distraught, we had guests flying in and to say it was mayhem would be an understatement. However, through all the uncertainty and chaos, Joelle was just a superwoman and my guiding light. She constantly comforted me and said no matter what, “we will make your wedding special, promise” and oh, did she mean it! When we considered moving the wedding last minute from Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah, she completely reassured us that she could make it all happen – in just under 5 days’ time! She worked tirelessly to re-organise everything, co-ordinated with all the vendors and the hotel staff in the new venue making the logistics so much easier for us. We could only meet in-person once before the big day and I loved her cheerful disposition! She also super helpfully set up meetings for us with her lights/sound contact, who even found us a DJ so we could meet everyone before the event!
She was all hands-on deck from the morning of the wedding and when I saw the fully dressed up venue for the very first time, it simply took my breath away! To say that the wedding was a dream come true, sounds like a cliché but it honestly was just that – my dream had come true, in the form of an absolutely chic, earthy toned and fabulously styled rustic set-up with fairy lights strewn across the garden lawn overlooking the beach. A special thank you to Teddy, for arranging all the lights in such a stunning manner! The tables were gorgeously adorned, our flower centre-pieces were so thoughtfully handpicked with darker colours as per my preference using berries and thistles! My bridal bouquet was just so very special, simple and elegant and beautifully done with Hellebore flowers!
We had a magical evening and I truly felt like a princess and Joelle, I just want to say none of this would have been possible without you! Your creative talent, positive re-affirming attitude and your ability to adapt and flourish in an ever-changing set of circumstances is astounding! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for creating the perfect backdrop to the most special day of our lives. – Natasha & Arshaan (February 2021)
Best wishes always,
Natasha
