Shore of Love – A Carousel wedding…

Dana hired wedding planner, Zainab Alsalih from Carousel Weddings to help her create the most beautiful outdoor wedding at Waldorf Astoria, Palm Jumeirah. On 21st November 2014 320 guests  joined Dana and her husband Ammar to celebrate their special day.

The planning process…
Ammar & I wanted the wedding to be a complete reflection of both our personalities. So we planned every little detail of the wedding with Zainab. Zainab was able to make every little detail that I wanted or had envisioned come to life in such a stress-free manner, to an extent that my mom was surprised how at ease I was with all the wedding planning. I enjoyed every single minute of the 10 month journey, it was one of the best experiences of my life.

Finding the dress…
My Mom and Sister were with my every step of the way. I tried on many ready-made bridal dresses, but couldn’t find “the one”. So we decided to design and customize my dream dress. After meeting with many designers in Beirut & Dubai, Adnan was the designer I felt the most comfortable with. My mom headed the whole project, and made sure every detail of the dress was exactly what I wanted. My Mom & I had actually found & bought the the Guipure that I idealized for my dress, before we even decided on the designer to move forward with. A few months later we found out that George Chakra had used the same Guipure in his 2014-2015 Fall/Winter Collection.
My mom managed every bridal element (my Swarovski customized head piece, dress, shoes, etc.). She made sure that every second was utilized during our visits to Beirut, making everything that was impossible, possible. She is the artist behind all my dolling up.

Beautiful bridesmaids…
My sister, Tala El-Kalache, was my bridesmaid. She wore a pink embellished Jovani gown, featuring a nude underlay and lace applique overlay.

Groom’s attire…
Ammar wore a custom made Ermenegildo Zegna tuxedo & Moreschi Tuxedo Shoes, Lanvin Bowtie.

The Flowers…
Hydrangea, Roses, eucalyptus leaves and wax flowers. We wanted to create a natural garden feel and these flowers worked very well to help achieve that.
The Décor…
It was very important for us to work with the beautiful surroundings and beach backdrop to create a romantic rustic feel to the area. We wanted the space to feel cozy yet beautiful. We chose organic cotton table linens and burlap runners and white beach style chairs. On the deck we wanted to create more laid back space for the youngsters to chill and dance, so we opted for lounge furniture and cocktail tables. Soft pastel hues were used for the florals and rustic bottles and container were used for the garden style floral centerpieces.
The Wedding Cake…
Tier Cake. Chocolate & Hazelnut Flavor. Color Palette and Design Theme: Ivory with various shades of blush pink. Main
sugar flowers include peonies, blossoms, roses and wafer paper flowers. Alternative tiers covered in sugar crystals.

The Music…
Our First Dance was the cover song of Cold Play – Magic. Coldplay is one of our favorite bands, “Sky Full of Stars” was our Save the Date video music. I fell in love with the Magic – Cover by Kina Grannis.
The Honeymoon…
We went to Cape Town and Kruger National Park, SA. We wanted to honeymoon somewhere warm, that was the perfect mix between a romantic escape and adventurous.

Memorable moments…
Definitely sunset! We loved watching all our guests fall in love with the view that leading to that date had taken our breath away numerous times. Our sunset photoshoot followed by our first dance was magical in every way, surrounded by our loved ones that flew in from all parts of the world to share in our special day. Our first dance was the first song (Magic, by coldplay) performed by Layla & The Free Sound Project…The timing of both was just perfect!

Advice for other couples…
Create a wedding that is a reflection of you and your groom, no matter what it involves. At the end of the day it YOUR day.
Pick a Wedding Planner that you are 200% comfortable with and trust. The relationship you end up developing is priceless.

Lovely Vendors…
Wedding dress: Aden Fashion
Jewerly: Tufenkjian Beirut
Wedding rings: Yasser Younes
Venue: Waldorf Astoria, The Palm
Photographer: Daniella Baptista
Videographer: Record Box Productions
Wedding Planning & Design: Zainab Alsalih of Carousel
Make-Up & Hair: Fadi Chedid
Wedding Favors: Rama Al Jundi of Jarful