Drawing on the purity and bliss of the Garden of Eden, this couple had an off-the-scale wedding in a Roman-inspired venue in Lebanon

Taking it back to times of purity and unadulterated bliss, Lara Scandar, 27, an Egyptian singer and songwriter, chose a stunning ‘Garden of Eden’ theme for her wedding to Philippe Katchouni a 31-year-old jeweller from Egypt. “I wanted something that symbolised purity and the most beautiful form of love. Eden was perfect and the first state of bliss ever created.”

Set against the sprawling Legend Venue in Zouq El Kharab, Lebanon, the 900 guests of Lara and Philippe’s October 2017 wedding were immersed in a historical Roman-esque space bringing the beautiful Eden references to life. But despite the sheer size of the wedding, details did not go unnoticed. “I’m pretty meticulous when it comes to planning events but my wedding planner Neiman Azzi took care of all of it.” There was a cosy and personal vibe to the wedding courtesy of the party favours. “Every hotel room had a customised coffee travel mug and a box of chocolates with our wedding logo in gold foil, a rescue kit, and a La Vita e Bella sleeping mask. For the wedding day we had bonbonnières given out with the colour scheme of the Garden of Eden, and green customised flip-flops in every size put into a dust bag, beautifully dreamt up by our graphic designer, Nour El Gammal.”

The flowers and the cake both played a pivotal part in gradually revealing a spectrum of colour to the wedding. “We decided to have a transition of colours,” Lara explains. “For the ceremony, the flowers were green and white, for the welcome drinks we began to introduce powdery tones of pink and purple, and for the reception
we added blue, violet and white with an arrangement of alliums, delphiniums, vandas, hydrangeas and bouvardias.” The cake, although not initially on Lara’s agenda, became a focal point after her mother insisted on the tradition, culminating in a 10-tier cake with a melange of flowers spiralling from top to bottom. “I have to admit, it was beautiful,” Lara smiles.

When it came to the dress, Lara always knew she wanted Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad to be the one to create it. “I went to see him, with my parents and sister, and he sketched my dress on the spot. Once we had discussed the details, I knew right then that I was in good hands,” the bride recalls. As for bridesmaids and their dresses… “My seven girls at the ceremony wore matching dresses tailored in Egypt but then they went on to wear their own beautiful dresses right after.”

As a singer/songwriter, music was another important note for Lara. “Most of the ceremony had songs from Disney as I’m a huge fan. Philippe walked in with an orchestral version of Cinderella’s A Dream Is A Wish’, the flower girls and page boys came to Pinocchio’s  When You Wish Upon A Star and my entrance was
to Mendelssohn’s Wedding March.” The day concluded with a befitting and rousing performance by an A capella group serenading the couple from on top of the bridge.

BRIDE’S BLACK BOOK

Dress: Zuhair Murad, +971 4 3399323

Shoes: Aquazzura at Level Shoes, +971 4 501 6939

Jewellery: Katchouni Jewellery, +20 22 737 2121

Groom’s Suit: Ermenegildo Zegna, +971 4 330 8811

Venue: The Legend Venue, Lebanon, www.thelegendvenue.com 

Caterer: Cat & Mouth, +961 1 424 484

Florist: Gladioli by Dolly Khairallah, +961 1 896 868

Music: JMR Productions, www.jmr-productions.com

Photographer & Videographer: Elie Azar at ParAzar Productions, +961 3 307 537