A Look Inside Monique Ghorayeb and Elie Abdou’s Picture-Perfect Mountain Wedding | Real Weddings
It was an enchanted affair for this Dubai-based couple as their fanciful wedding unfolded in front of their closest family and friends says Editor, Nina Catt
Ask anyone close to Monique Ghorayeb and Elie Abdou, and they’ll likely tell you that their wedding was a heart-warming depiction of the couple’s love and devotion for one another.
Having met in Dubai at a mutual friend’s birthday party, the bride and groom dated for almost two years before getting engaged on holiday in the Maldives. To Monique, the proposal was absolutely perfect. “It was exactly how I would have wanted it to be – a private moment between the two of us without a big scene, in a romantic destination I’ll never forget.”
The Silk Valley Resort & Wellness Retreat was the obvious choice for the Lebanese couple to celebrate with their 250 guests, following a religious ceremony. The venue, nestled in the picturesque pine forests of the Metn mountains, has a storied history as a former silk factory dating back to the 1800s.
“Our theme was Enchanted Gardens. Inspired by the floral scents of magical gardens inhabited by birds whispering through their whistles into the rays of nature’s beauty, the concept was created with the intention of transporting guests on a fairy-tale escape filled with sensory experiences.” Monique explains. The vision was brought to life by friend and wedding planning expert, Jessy Karam and her team at Strawberries & Champagne event planners.
On August 15, 2021 making their grand entrance as husband and wife, the newlyweds marked the occasion by sharing a dance to a traditional Arabic wedding song on a custom-built runway-inspired stage, Monique dazzling in an elegant Elie Saab gown. “I always knew what I would wear on my big day in terms of the colour and silhouette,” the bride reminisces, “it wasn’t a difficult decision and Elie Saab has always been my favourite designer.”
Having transformed the venue into a paradisiacal wonderland the bride explains, “A pathway leading to the garden directed our guests on a floral-scented trail to the welcome drinks. We also had various entertainment stations housed by musicians, plus a rose water fountain bursting with floral aromas for our loved ones to fill their cups.”
Taking their seats at banquet-style tables, guests were treated to a bespoke buffet beneath the stars. Tablescapes featured fragrant florals, candles and rose-tinted glassware. What followed was an evening of celebrations to toast the couple, with a surprise performance from family friend, singer Nancy Ajram.
“Happy, dreamy and full of love.” Is how the bride remembers her wedding day and we’re certain the newlyweds’ upcoming honeymoon will be just as magical.
BRIDE’S BLACK BOOK
DRESS & VEIL: Elie Saab, Eliesaab.com
SHOES: Aquazzura, Aquazzura.com
WEDDING BANDS: Chaumet, Chaumet.com
HAIR: Wassim Morkos at Pace e Luce, Paceeluce.com
MAKE-UP: Bassam Fattouh, Bassamfattouh.com
GROOM’S SUIT: Boggi, Boggi.com
EVENT PLANNER: Strawberries & Champagne, Strawberries-and-champagne.com
VENUE: The Silk Valley, Thesilkvalley.com
PHOTOGRAPHER & VIDEOGRAPHER: Parazar Productions, Parazar.me
WEDDING FURNITURE: Ghorayeb Technotel, Instagram.com/ghorayeb_technotel
FLORIST: Roni Bassil, Instagram.com/ronibassil
CAKE & CATERER: Saveur Plus, Instagram.com/saveurpluscatering
BAR: The Tipplers, Instagram.com/the.tipplers
CUSTOMISED NAPKINS: Salem Curtains Art, Instagram.com/salemcurtainsart
WEDDING FAVOURS: Skyn+Spirit Favors, Instagram.com/skynandspiritfavors
ENTERTAINMENT: Nancy Ajram, Instagram.com/nancyajram, 8e Art, Instagram.com/8eart, DJ Nadim Merheb, Instagram.com/nad.merheb
From the S/S22 issue of Harper’s Bazaar Arabia Bride
Photography: Parazar Productions