Love Latch: The Ritz Carlton, Abu Dhabi

Overflowing with lots of thoughtful touches, this outdoor affair is simply gorgeous. Alongside her dapper groom Moustafa, veiled bride Dalia el-Hefny looked absolutely breathtaking in her tailor-made gown and Tiffany blue Manolos. With Cloud Nine Weddings & Events on hand, every detail was flawless. Below, the lovely Mennat from Cloud Nine talks us through planning this dreamy Abu Dhabi wedding and shares her favourite moments.

A Note From The Wedding Planner

Above: Mennat Al Hammami, Wedding Planner & Founder of Cloud Nine Weddings & Events

I first met Dalia during Ramadan of 2014, the time of year when most of my creativity comes to a complete halt and I take time off to plan for the next wedding season. Dalia’s pure-hearted friendliness literally changed my mood that evening. She was very keen on working with me and knew what she wanted: a shabby chic outdoor wedding with almost every quirky element possible! With five months to plan and the summer holidays just beginning, it was my role to ensure that everything was pulled together as quickly as possible, especially as I had to prepare their invitations as well. I worked closely with Louma Bardawil, from Design by Louma, to create the perfect invite, with Arabic text, a lilac palette and lace. Louma and I also created ‘fill in the blank’ advice box cards and the table names. Dalia and Moustafa’s love and appreciation shone through on the wedding day. Dalia is ambitious – a girl’s girl with great taste. Moustafa is a perfectionist, an honest and loyal person with a great sense of humour. What did these two have in common? Both are doctors and wanted to make each other happy. To surprise Moustafa, Dalia asked me to include pyrotechnics that would go off once they cut the cake. Moustafa wanted to make Dalia happy by having Ciaran Fox sing her favourite song by Micheal Bublé for their first dance. Their friends and family were in awe of them! Moustafa’s family had a song created for the couple, which was played at the very end of the wedding. Finally, Dalia’s sister got in touch with me and asked if I could put together a surprise video of all their friends. It took a lot of follow-up and many rounds of editing, but we managed to pull off some very exciting surprises that left many in tears on the day. Dalia wore a dress by Lamar Tailors, and her shoes – none other than Manolo Blahniks – were her favourite colour, Tiffany teal blue. The groomsmen and bridesmaids wore matching bow ties and dresses. From Egypt, the couple wanted to include some Arabic entertainment and I thought of the amazing violinist Aboud Abaza. Fine art wedding photographer Joem Aldea and his team captured the entire event and even provided a live photobooth for guests to enjoy. I set up an interactive dessert bar, which is quickly becoming a Cloud 9 staple at weddings. This time, I asked Sunny’s POP to provide mini packs of different flavoured popcorn for people to take home. Also, Lilies Restaurant and Cafe in Abu Dhabi made the cutest pink cupcakes, which I created lace cup holders for. All in all, it was a wedding filled with love that came out in every detail!

The Brides Little Pink Book

 Wedding planner: Cloud Nine Weddings & Events / Venue: The Ritz Carlton Abu Dhabi, Villa Lawn / Photo & Video: Joem Aldea Photography  / Invitation, invitation photo’s & stationery: Design by Louma / Wedding gown: Lamar Tailors / Make up: Zareen Shah / Veil styling: Hijab Clinic / Cake: Katrina Sweets & confectionery  / Cupcakes: Lilies Cafe & Restaurant Abu Dhabi / Gourmet popcorn giveaways: Sunny’s Pop / Entertainment: DJ Haysun / Ciaran Fox (Jazz solo vocalist) & Aboud Abaza (solo violinist).