This Happy Couple Showcased The Best Of Egypt For Their Destination Wedding | Real Weddings: Nadine Shahin & Amr Zola
Love filled the air as this bride and groom celebrated beneath the stars at the illustrious Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor
The Dubai Rugby Sevens is not where 29-year-old Egyptian-Jordanian Nadine expected to find the love of her life, Amr Zola. In fact, that isn’t exactly how the bride and groom’s story began. “In 2016 Amr visited Dubai from Egypt for a rugby tournament and it was actually my friend Lama that met him. I remember receiving a message from her telling me that she’d literally met my perfect match! At the time, I was completely focused on my career and wasn’t looking for a relationship so I didn’t meet him right away, but a couple of years later, Amr moved to Dubai.
We met up the day after he arrived and I was instantly drawn to him,” Nadine shares. “Our relationship initially started as a friendship – as the best relationships do – and we stayed good friends for two-and-a-half years but we both secretly liked each other. At the beginning of the relationship I lost my father and Amr was my confidant and safe haven during the most vulnerable time of my life. Our relationship grew stronger by the day. I feel so lucky – I have married my best friend.”
In the spring of 2021 the couple flew to Egypt for a friend’s wedding. Little did Nadine know, the friend’s nuptials wouldn’t be the only love that would be celebrated that weekend. “Two days after the wedding Amr popped the question in the most thoughtful way possible,” she tells Bazaar Bride.
“We love watching sitcoms together and he recreated an iconic scene from How I Met Your Mother –the ‘two-minute date’ scene. Our two-minute date took place on the beach in El Gouna where he’d created a full set-up which involved our friends, my favourite meal (fish and chips) and our favourite song playing in the background, If I Ain’t Got You by Alicia Keys. When I saw the set-up I immediately knew what was about to happen.” Nadine recalls the proposal being a very emotional moment and one that left her speechless, so it took a few minutes to be able to answer with, “yes”.
Immediately beginning their search for the perfect location, Nadine and Amr visited several wedding venues and fell head-over heels for Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor, a spellbinding property steeped in history.
Together with their wedding planner, Nardeen William Events, the couple planned a three-day celebration to show their guests the very best of the area. “We’re both proud Egyptians and wanted to have a wedding that showcases the beauty of our country,” she explains. “On day one we invited our guests to explore the magnificent gems of the city including the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple. On day two we had a pre-wedding reception on the terrace of the palace overlooking the Nile at sunset. And the third day was the actual wedding.”
On March 19, 2022 the couple sealed their union with heartfelt words during an emotional ceremony. Guests were then invited to join the newlyweds for dinner. “The food selection – a huge buffet – was curated by my mother and my mother-in-law. We also created a traditional Egyptian food section which had food trucks serving kushari, the national dish, and local snacks and sweets.”
Friend and artist Hassan Ramzy provided the vocals for the couples’ first dance with a beautiful rendition of Alicia Keys’ If I Ain’t Got You, Nadine stealing the show in a silk off-the-shoulder Anne Barge gown paired with René Caovilla heels. “The whole wedding was magical but my favourite memory was my first dance with Amr as husband and wife. It was incredibly emotional and I wish I could relive it every day.”
BRIDE’S BLACK BOOK
DRESS: Anne Barge at The Bridal Showroom, Dubaibridalshowroom.com
VEIL: The Bridal Showroom, Dubaibridalshowroom.com
SHOES: René Caovilla, Renecaovilla.com
HAIR & MAKE-UP: Michel Kiwarkis, Instagram.com/kiwarkis
EVENT PLANNER: Nardeen William Events, Instagram.com/nardeenwilliamevents
PHOTOGRAPHER: Alaa Shaaban, Instagram.com/alaashabanphotography at Occhio Studios, Instagram.com/occhiostudios
VENUE & CATERER: Sofitel Winter Palace Luxor, Instagram.com/sofitelwinterpalace
MUSIC: Hassan Ramsy, Instagram.com/hassanramzy_ and Mike Pham, Instagram.com/__mikepham
INVITATIONS: Hatch Concept Studio, Instagram.com/thisishatch
Images: Alaa Shaaban.
From the A/W22 issue of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia Bride