Let This Beautiful Bodrum Wedding Inspire Your Big Day
A dreamy location, non-stop dancing and a dachshund set the scene for a very personal pledge
Given her role at one of the most successful communications and events agencies in the Middle East, there was no better person to oversee this wedding than the bride herself. “I planned the wedding in nine months. The hardest part was deciding on the country and finding a venue with fairly short notice. Once that was out of the way, and we had a wedding planner in place, it got easier,” says Louise Thomas, vice president of The Qode communications agency in Dubai. The girl-about-town met her now husband, Lebanese Radi Karnib, a director of tech for an international hotel group, through an app. “I had decided to give online dating another go. I almost cancelled as I thought he looked too good to be true. I had just gotten a puppy the day before and was more interested in staying in with my new dog. On the evening of our date, my friend had to give me a pep talk to go, and once I met him I never looked back.”
The pair were engaged two and a half years after that first date in a scene reminiscent of a Hollywood holiday romcom. “Radi knew my parents were coming out to Dubai for Christmas and New Year. He asked for my father’s permission to take my hand in marriage that trip, and then he actually proposed on Christmas Day in front of my parents and some of our friends. We had literally just finished lunch when he came to the table with a ring. It was the perfect setting, at home with our loved ones. I was over the-moon – and so pleased that my parents were able to witness the moment. We are both very close to our parents, so he knew this was very important to me.”
The happy couple chose Bodrum as the location for their nuptials as they had holidayed there during the summer whilst courting. It felt like the perfect location. Louise explains: “It was exactly between the UK and Dubai for guests to come, as well as very close to Lebanon. We looked at many venues, but felt Flamm was lovely as it was on the beach in a beautiful bay, with a very green aesthetic and a beautiful mountain backdrop. The team were also extremely accommodating which put me at ease.”
In a setting filled with white roses, to the sounds of a classical trio, the ceremony took place on a jetty going out to sea. Louise walked down the aisle to Falling in Love by Elvis Presley. It was important to her to hear the sound of waves on her wedding day. “I have been bought up on the sea, on boats, so it was important for me to have a sea element to the wedding and was very important for my father to walk me down the aisle – he is 84 years old and for me this was the greatest gift I could ever give him and also receive. He practised without his walking stick for a long time before the wedding and did an amazing job on the day. Our celebrant was my great friend, and founder of The Qode, Dipesh Depala. We asked him to be our celebrant as we wanted everything to be personal. We wanted someone with a great sense of humour who would be engaging for our guests. Dipesh did an amazing job and set the tone for the evening ahead,” Louise recalls.
The couples’ choice of music was a mixed selection of current and classic tunes. Your Love by Jackie Wilson belting out of the speakers for the recession, which also worked a treat with the confetti throwing. The first dance was Perfect Symphony by Ed Sheeren and Andrea Bocelli. “We have seen Bocelli perform twice and he is our favourite artist. I love his take on this song – and we feel we are truly perfect for each other. The DJ then played a mix of classics, dance and Arabic music throughout the night and created the perfect combination to keep everyone on the dancefloor,” smiles Louise.
Louise tried on no less than 30 dresses between four stores but knew instantly when she had found the one. “I had a vision of what I wanted. When I saw my dress, it was nothing like what I had envisaged, but I knew it was the one and perfect for a resort wedding. I was with Radi’s sister when I found it and it was a very special moment – I cried a lot when I tried it on. The dress was designed by Lana Marinenko and I found it at Mary Trufel in City Walk, Dubai. The dress was perfect for a destination wedding, with a fashion edge that I felt made it truly unique. I had seven bridesmaids, and I gave them full reign to chose what they wanted, as long as they stuck with our guidelines of a bold sunset theme. The girls wore a mix of reds, yellows and greens in statement shades, all in satin and it looked amazing against the sunset ceremony,” says Louise.
Guests dined on a four-course menu which was a mix of Mediterranean dishes with Middle Eastern touches. Highlights were the truffle risotto, filet mignon, and apple baklava. The cake was also a feature of the menu, and had a very special decorative tribute. “We have a dachshund dog called Mrs.Truffles who we couldn’t fly to Turkey, so we decided to have her feature on the cake,” Louise smiles. “The cake was a classic vanilla sponge and featured a small sugar figure of Truffles, as well as being decorated with beautiful white roses. I found the cake maker on Instagram and she did an incredible job and bought my vision to life.”
Next on the newlyweds agenda is the honeymoon and the pair are currently in the midst of picking where to explore. “We want a unique destination that neither of us have been to together,” she tells us. “We are planning on doing this after Christmas, and looking at safari options, as well as locations such as Japan or Singapore, which neither of us have visited. We went to the Maldives before the wedding for some relaxation time so we are ready for a real adventure for our honeymoon!”
Bride’s Little Black Book:
Mary Trufle marytrufle.ae. Shoes: Valentino. Wedding Ring: Fergus James Diamonds. Venue & Caterer: Flamm, Bodrum. Music: Soner Sezgin and the Bodrum Trio. Wedding Planner: Karem Events. Make-up: Michaela Selene. Hair: My Coiffure Bodrum
Photography by Nihal Ceylan
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s Bride Autumn/Winter 2024 issue