An Intimate Home bound Wedding

Today’s real bride – Charlotte, British, is quite the ‘take-charge’ bride. She handled all of the planning, decorating and designing of the wedding from the set-up and invitations to the decor and flower arrangements, in little over a month! Her love story with Omar, Emirati, is sure to make you believe in destiny!

The couple chose to get married during an intimate ceremony at the groom’s family home in Abu Dhabi, with the bride incorporating Indian bridal wear into her overall wedding day look, just stunning! Their special day was captured by Goldfish Photography and Video, and below, Charlotte talks us through their wedding and leaves our readers with her wedding planning words of wisdom.

A note from the bride

It may be a magical coincidence or destiny that the two of us not only moved to Australia on the same day six years ago, but moved into the same building in the same week. We met, got on like a house on fire and have not looked back since. Talk about ‘meant to be’!

Omar comes from a family of architects who had spent many years building their dream home in Abu Dhabi, UAE. We deemed the family home to be the perfect venue for our special day.

I have always been fascinated with combining elements from different cultures to create a unique look. I especially love the elegance of Indian wedding embroidery and jewelry. Even though I originally opted for a traditional Indian saree veil, I decided against it and choose a maang– tikka (a traditional Indian headband which is currently a major global fashion trend) as it added an ethnic touch to my beautiful Jenny Packham sequin embroidered dress without being overbearing.

As for our wedding favors, most people would think that clay mate animals are an unusual choice for wedding favors, but there is a special story behind it. Since the time we met six years ago, I have been gifting Omar mini animal clay mates because he loves animals – so much so that my family has nicknamed him Doctor Dolittle. Picking Australian themed animal clay mates as wedding favors added a personal touch to our wedding.  

Charlottes words of wisdom

Because of extenuating circumstances, I had only one month to plan the wedding. What worked for me was being relaxed, not overthinking every little detail and going with the flow. Remember your wedding is first and foremost about the celebration of love with your partner and everything else is secondary!

The Bride’s Little Pink Book

Photography: Goldfish Photography and Video / Venue: Groom’s family home in Abu Dhabi / Dress: Jenny Packham / Makeup: Ailene Reins / Hair: ST Beauty Salon at Emirates Palace / Flowers: Inara Flowers / Catering: Abu Dhabi Officers Club Event Catering 

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