Everything You Need To Know About The Most Spectacular Qatari Wedding !

I was behind all the designs, along with Tony and Zoom Arts, and I believe that we have done a wonderful job all together. It was a very nice collaboration, and I'm so glad with the result, because it looks exactly like we pictured it. And actually, it was two years ago when we first talked about this wedding, and when we proposed a few concepts, which have nothing to do with what we have here today. The challenge of working abroad, and obviously the different cultures, it makes the whole project a little more interesting. And yes, the first time we spoke, as I said, it was to be in London. We found some lovely venues, but then it became an issue. So immediately we moved over here. We tried to recreate those venues, or at least nod to them with the design. 🎶 The bride and her mother are really interested in Russian culture. And as a Russian, I was very excited to give some Russian touch to the overall experience. And for example, the ceremony area, it resembles like the French-style palace. But on the video, actually, we have a Russian palace. And I think that's an interesting detail. Also, the bridal dress was done by a very famous Russian designer, Ulyana Sergiyenko. I feel at the same time excited and also nervous tonight, because it's a very special occasion for our house and for our good friend Amna tonight. It's her wedding. And Ulyana Sergiyenko Fashion House created a very special gown for her in cathedral style, which is not very common here in Doha. But it was her request to create something unusual and something very, very beautiful for her. And we heard her dreams. We listened to her, and then we created that dress, which is in front of you, and which one you will see tonight on her. It took almost nine months, even more, almost a year to create that piece. And we used very traditional Russian techniques, like Krestetskaya stitch. We made embroidery with sequences, beads, all over the dress. It took, like, more than, I don't know, like 1,000 hours to create the piece for her, and also the veil and the hat piece for her. So, yeah, I feel myself excited, and I'm a little bit shaken when I'm talking to you right now because, I don't know, hopefully it's going to be a very, very special night for her tonight. And, you know, this overall Russian line in this event is very interesting to see now as a Russian person. The theme came from the thought of being married in a palace. We were looking at places like Lancaster House, opposite Buckingham Palace, for instance, which is where they filmed, if you see it, The Crown, the series on Netflix. So it has a very regal, opulent feel. Indeed, everywhere we were kind of looking had that kind of rococo, baroque-style gilt interior. So it was always a nod to a palace. So the theme came from the original venues, if you like, and that's how we progressed it. To make our own venue, which is a kind of a real hot pot, really, of palaces from Austria and Versailles, and trying to incorporate all of those elements in a fairytale-like way, really, I think. I like to keep an open mind when I listen to what a client would like, and, as I said, I love the challenge. I also love the thought of working through the whole project, connecting all of the elements, because the cohesion, I think, gives you a really solid event that you're able to consider so many aspects of it. So, yes, I do like to listen. Listening is very important. But also, the minute my mind starts to work, it comes up with these ideas, and then you've got to make that connection with the client that way. So, usually, I do sketches and mood boards in order to put my thoughts across, and they were very well received, so I'm quite happy for that, obviously. This is the first time in my experience when everything was ready the day before. I cannot believe it, but we have checked everything, and it was absolutely ready the day before. The most fulfilling thing when people come in is that they kind of stand back and take a breath, or you give them... Even if you can give them tears, then you know you've kind of hit the right sensitive spot, that it's taken them to somewhere that they feel... It's affected them emotionally, and I think that's really important. There are so many triggers with things you can use, smell, and obviously the visual is there. So, you know, to be able to use those again later, after the wedding, when people smell a flower or a rose, and it reminds them of that event, all of those things are so important, and I love to incorporate those into events. But yeah, definitely when people walk in, to just stand back or to hide sometimes and just see their reaction, the most fulfilling thing. and they have to go through very different setups and different rooms to get to the final room, the ceremony area, which is actually a palace. We built a palace here in Doha. French, English, Russian, but this is a great idea of a palace. So the guests come and they see not just the video on the screen, they actually get into the atmosphere of a 19th century palace, and this is, I think, the feeling that we wanted to give them. And I hope we have created a memory that she'll carry with her for the rest of her life. Certainly I will. I will, definitely. From the experiences, the friendships, and just the finished product. Very beautiful inside and out, and we just wanted to add some sparkle to her beautifulness, so this is what I felt yesterday. When Amnon got in touch with me, she explained that the decor room would have lots of gilding, mirrors and arches, and I know Doha is known for its beautiful buildings, so that was my inspiration behind the cake as well. So there was a team of five of us, and it took us nine days to assemble.