Mina Al Sheikhly On Love, Laughter And Her Very Modern Happily Ever After

The Iraqi social media star and budding beauty mogul exclusively talks to Bazaar Arabia in our latest Bride Spring Summer 2023 issue…

It reads like a movie meet-cute: “I found him. I found the one. You have to come,” Mina Al Sheikhly’s friend Raya Qaddouri insisted, playing cupid. And though the heroine of our story balked at the idea at first, she eventually relented, meeting her beau-to-be at Mexican eatery Chingon. “I think we clicked from the very beginning,” she recalls, “After a week, Nelson came to my birthday party and we have been together ever since.” Two years on, Spanish-French entrepreneur Nelson Barrios Cirera proposed at the same location, now transformed into Italian Bella. “When we reached the restaurant, I kept asking for the menu because I wanted to try this new place so badly. However, he kept hiding it from me,” 31-year-old Mina smiles. “Finally, they brought it to me. My first reaction was to flip the first page and ask, ‘What is this?’ I continued to read, realising it was full of our pictures – special memories.

“When I got to the end of the menu, he said, ‘And now this is when…’, before getting down on one knee and proposing. He had also booked half of the venue, inviting all of our family and friends to join us. Nelson put so much love into the proposal, it was a dream come true.” The fact that the meeting wasn’t part of a plan was unusual for Mina; “I really do believe in manifesting. Every year I create a vision board. I put how I wanted my wedding to be, my honeymoon. I even put a bridal cover. If you work hard for something, it will come!”

Cross-Cultural Chateu

“Every time I wake up, I wonder, ‘How did this happen?’ I am super Iraqi, super Arab – and he is super Spanish, super French. But it’s not about culture or language in the end. It is about the chemisty you have. It’s that click. We are both crazy, so passionate, so ambitious. I didn’t know how to compromise before I met Nelson. You will never have someone in your life who is tailored to you. You need to meet half-way. It isn’t about who is going to win,” Mina advises, when recalling how important it was to not just incorporate both of their heritages, but still stay true to themselves as a couple.

And, it might seem a big risk to book a venue based just off pictures, but that’s exactly what the duo ended up doing. Luckily, the gamble paid off, when the couple settled on Castell De Ben Viure, just half an hour outside Barcelona, to host their 220 guests.

For Mina, there was no hesitation: “It is an old, Cuban house that has been passed down through generations of families. It was truly a sight to behold. The sun reflecting off the unique facade, the vast expanse of palm trees, and the feeling of nostalgia that the place brought to me. I knew from the moment I saw it that this was the perfect place to make a promise of everlasting love. It reminded me of my hometown in Iraq, combined with the culture of my partner. It was as if I had stepped into a movie. It was the perfect place to start a new life and I could not wait to make it official.”

Support System

“I was so busy with work and launching projects that I couldn’t be as involved as I wanted,” admits Mina, who was in the throes of bringing her eponymous beauty brand to fruition while organising her June nuptials. Yet luckily her tribe rallied around, and with the help of planner Priscila Llorens, her right hand Pam, family and bridesmaids – plus her other half of course – the whole event went off without a hitch, reaching her exacting specifications. She insists, “It truly was a team effort!”

The love story also seemed to come full circle when Raya, who set up that first meeting years ago, stepped in to do the actual honours on the day and officiate the wedding; “She was the one who made the phone call that changed my life and told me I had met the one! Nelson’s cousin was also the Master of Ceremony, and it was a double honour to have both of them present,” she tells us happily.

Personal Touches

Every bride has a different focus when it comes to the decorations that will play a key part in the theme, but in Mina’s case, given the spectacular setting, she let the venue take centre-stage, with everything else playing supporting roles. Tasteful cream and pastel roses, baby’s breath and peonies bloomed, with pops of interest provided by the cutlery – striking mother-of-pearl pieces – as well as bold burgundy accents and yellow and pink tulips adding colour.

Bright sunshine added to the upbeat atmosphere, with individual flamingo-shaped fans engraved with the couple’s initials providing guests with the opportunity to cool down, and take home as a keepsake.

Hitting a High Note

One of the most special moments of the day was undoubtedly when the bride walked down the aisle to a specially composed song composed by Iraqi musician Layth Sidiq. The acclaimed singer fused a Spanish tune by Pablo Alborán with an Iraqi number called Chi Mali Wali about a Baghdadi girl, changing the lyrics as a tribute to the couple and reflecting both of their heritages.

The song was the perfect start to a ceremony that saw the couple write their own vows, speaking direct from the heart. Mina is filled with emotion when she thinks back, “Tears filled the room as the ceremony came to a close, marking a moment of joy and love that we will never forget.”

Feeling strongly that the soundtrack would dictate the vibe of the night, the duo flew in DJ Ahmed Al Shaikhli to take over the decks. Mina gushes that “his unique ability to seamlessly blend Arabic, English, and Spanish songs made him the perfect choice. His music was so wonderful that he had the guests dancing all night long.

Family Ties

Guests couldn’t stop talking about the dress. Not only was it beautiful – there were in fact two outfit reveals on the day – but the fact that Mina was wearing her mother’s wedding dress when walked down the aisle was deeply sentimental. It was “a reminder of the importance of family and the lasting impact of love”.

“It’s 33-years-old and has travelled across the world. It’s a piece of art, with intricate beading work and detailed embroidery that my mum made herself. When she found out she was pregnant with me, she sold the dress, but it was always in the back of her mind. She wanted her daughter to wear it one day. Amazingly, she was able to buy it back for double the price she had sold it for. Knowing the significance of the dress, she was determined to make it happen,” we hear from the bride. “I grew up watching videos of her wedding. It was the first dress I fell in love with. I knew I wanted to wear it on my big day. Esposa’s Kristie Romanos was able to deconstruct the piece, and in the end “created a dress that was reflective of both my mother and I that I will treasure forever”.

A second outfit, also by Esposa, made its debut too, with Jimmy Choo heels adding the finishing touch, and Amiri sneakers letting Mina dance till 5am. “I had the freedom to have fun and express my own style. And honestly, I advise any bride, stick to sneakers to enjoy the best day of your life,” she laughs.

No Regrets

“Everything was magical and everything was memorable,” insists the entrepreneur when pressed to pick a highlight. “The wedding was the best day of my life, truly unforgettable. I had incorporated some unique touches that were not part of any particular culture or tradition. Everyone was amazed by the originality of the ideas.”

That’s also why, bucking tradition, Mina and Nelson sealed their vows with a kiss – a controversial move, but one that she doesn’t regret. “I live in the glare of social media. I know what it’s like. People are always going to find something to criticise. I am a very expressive person, of course I am going to kiss him! I am making my own rules. We live every day, making our own rules and pillars for our own life. You can’t please everyone.”

Those wanting to follow her playbook, should. “Honestly, be yourselves. People often get so caught up in tradition and the formalities of a wedding that they forget the true meaning of the day. My partner and I wanted to have an official ceremony – we are both Muslim and that’s not traditionally part of our weddings – but we wanted to make sure that our special day was a reminder of the commitment we made to each other and the union we were creating. We wanted to ensure that our wedding day was an expression of our love and our joy. Don’t let the traditional trappings of a wedding take away from the true meaning of the day – your commitment and your love for each other.” She adds, “At the end it was our day. It was the best day of our entire lives.”

Photography: Amer Mohamad. Styling: Nour Bour Ezz.

Make-Up: Jean Kairouz. Hair: Jazmin Lois Rodriguez. Fashion Assistant: Fernanda Tronco. Photographer’s Assistant: Yasir Ali

From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia Bride’s Spring/Summer 2023 issue