Inside The Wedding Of Ghida Arnaout & Rami Rasamny
A passion for the great outdoors brought this adventurous bride and groom together in what turned out to be a lockdown love story they will cherish forever
Founder of The Wholesome Self, Ghida Arnaout met her groom-to-be, British-born Rami Rasamny on Instagram in 2014, when a mutual friend suggested the couple connect because of their shared love for adventure and mountain climbing. “We followed each other for about a year before I reached out and messaged him to ask about great spots to climb – but Rami didn’t get back to me for four months! We then ended up chatting non-stop for the next few weeks until Rami flew out to Dubai from London so we could meet in person. I immediately felt something I have never felt before. It was like I had always known him,” Ghida tells Bazaar Bride.
Under the UK’s strict guidelines, only four guests were allowed to attend the wedding
In the year that followed, Ghida and Rami flew back and forth between the UAE and the UK to visit each other as often as possible, with Rami making the permanent move to Dubai in April of 2016.
Fast forward to the summer of 2019. The couple had founded adventure travel company, Life Happens Outdoors, and were leading a climb at Mont Blanc. “I will never forget the day Rami proposed. It was on the day that we reached Tête Rousse Hut which stands at 3,167 metres, and was the last stop before we started to attempt the summit of Mont Blanc the next morning. It was almost sunset and Rami and I were sitting in a magical corner of the hut with a breathtaking view of the pink sunset. I told Rami that I was going to accompany one of the girls from the group, back down the mountain and he would have to lead the rest of the summit. According to him he just knew at that very moment that he wanted to pop the question. He didn’t have a ring so he took the string that was attached to the zipper of his trousers and asked me to marry him. I thought he was joking. He assured me he wasn’t and he put the string on my finger.”
Friends and family watched the ceremony via Zoom
Having never been a fan of huge weddings, little did Ghida know that her big day would, in fact, be very small. The couple had planned their wedding for May of 2020, surrounded by family and close friends at Old Marylebone Town Hall in London, following in the footsteps of Rami’s parents and the many celebrities that have held their nuptials in the Grade II listed building. But then the world was hit by a pandemic, and their plans had to change, more than once. “We went into lockdown one so we postponed to September. Then another lockdown was enforced so we switched to January. But then our wedding was cancelled until further notice and we were offered a refund – which really hurt because our plans had now changed three times and we felt there wasn’t a light at the end of the tunnel. We just wanted to get married,” Ghida shares.
The happy couple tied the knot at Old Marylebone Town Hall in London
That light at the end of the tunnel came via a telephone call from the registrar informing the couple they could hold their wedding in March, but under the UK’s strict guidelines of only four guests in attendance. “Our parents couldn’t come because of travel restrictions. We had Rami’s aunt and uncle who live in London, and two of our closest friends. We set up a Zoom link so that our family and friends could attend the ceremony from all over the world. This meant a lot to us.”
The bride and groom with their guests
On March 31, 2021 just two weeks after receiving that telephone call, Rami and Ghida finally became husband and wife. “I remember feeling really nervous before the officiant began, but once she started we were both overwhelmed with emotion. It was one of the most intimate and meaningful moments I have ever experienced,” Lebanese-born Ghida explains.
The couple’s bespoke wedding bands
The couple affectionately exchanged bespoke wedding bands that represented their mutual passion for the great outdoors. “It’s one of the biggest reasons we’re together so I suggested to Rami that we should have mountains engraved on our rings. Mine has three small diamond stones between the mountains that represent the sun, the moon and the stars.
BRIDE’S BLACK BOOK
DRESS: Elisabetta Franchi, Elisabettafranchi.com
SHOES: Amina Muaddi, Aminamuaddi.com
ENGAGEMENT & WEDDING RINGS: Antoine Walid Salamoun, Antoinewalidsalamoun.com
JEWELLERY: Lynyer, Lynyer.com
HAIR & MAKE-UP: Sophie Higginson, Bridebysophiehigginson.co.uk
GROOM’S SUIT: Boggi Milano, Boggi.com
GROOM’S SHOES: Geox, Geox.com
PHOTOGRAPHER: Nataly J Photography, Natalyjphotography.com
VENUE: Soho Room at Old Marylebone Town Hall, London, Adaytoremember.london/old-marylebone-town-hall
FLORIST: Sara’s Events, Sarasevents.co.uk
CAKE: My Baker, Mybaker.co
From the spring/summer 2021 issue of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia Bride
Images: Nataly J Photography