Dubai is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, and today’s Real Wedding feature is a beautiful reminder of why. Dubai-based photographer Tamila, a native Uzbek, and husband Ahmed, who is half Emirati, half Thai, got married on the 12th January 2019. Their location? One of Dubai’s coolest and most artistic spots in the city – Maisan15.

This homegrown, hidden gem is a restaurant, gallery, library and garden and was the perfect backdrop for Tamila and Ahmed’s intimate special day. The guests were asked to come in formal entire but to wear strictly trainers, due to the couple’s love of street-wear, and the lineup of DJs (yes line up!) read like a who’s who of the Dubai music scene. With Tamila’s vintage inspired wedding gown complete with pillbox hat and veil, this bride could well have been mistaken for a 1950’s Hollywood starlet, minus the Nike Airs! We absolutely love Tamila & Ahmed’s Instagram worthy combination of tradition and modern, edgy style, which resulted in one of the coolest weddings we’ve ever seen. Read on as we find out more from the Bride herself…Enjoy!

Tamila, tell us about the proposal?

The proposal happened nearly a year before the wedding. His initial plan was for it to happen on Valentine’s Day. Ahmed had hidden the ring in the microwave hoping I’d discover it, but it took him two whole days of convincing me to even go near the microwave due to being busy with work…But we got there eventually!

Did you have a specific vision for your wedding?

Aside from the dress code, which was formal with strictly sneakers due to our love of sneakers and comfort, we envisioned our talented friends all taking part in any way they could. In the end, we had 7 of the best DJs in Dubai play at our reception which was just incredible.

How did you decide on a location for your wedding?

Maisan15 is owned by one of our dearest friends, and it just happened to be the place Ahmed and I had the majority of our first dates, so it made complete sense to have our special day there. We were so thankful to the Maisan15 family for opening their doors to us and giving us the venue exclusively for the night.

Tell us about the inspiration behind your stunning wedding look and where you found your dream dress?

I wanted my wedding look to be as traditional as possible and fairly conservative, yet include my own personal style. I put all my trust into my Mother to find the dress which ended up being a beautiful white gown by Spanish wedding dress designer, Pronovias, located in The Dubai Mall. I accessorized my gown with a statement pearl necklace, a Blusher veil with lace trim and tiny scattered pearls and of course my white Nike Air Max sneakers. For my Bridesmaids I let them pick their own dresses, my only request was that they wore blue. I love all of their personal styles so I knew they would look amazing whatever they chose, and they did!

What was the most enjoyable part of planning your wedding?

The fact that I was doing it by my husband’s side and we really felt both of our visions became reality. Ahmed and I planned everything from the décor, catering and DJ line-up but some close friends helped us with all of the set-up on the day before our guests arrived. We couldn’t have pulled off our dream day without the help of our amazing friends!

How did you incorporate both yours and your husband’s cultures into your wedding day?

Aside from my gown and traditional Uzbek headpiece, my husband wore a traditional kandura. We also asked the restaurant to serve Uzbek, Thai and Arabic cuisine so our guests could enjoy food from both our cultures.

We hear your groom showed off his DJ skills on your big day! How do you rate him as a wedding DJ?

Easy, 10/10! He’d been playing for me and practicing his skills for months leading up to the wedding and I couldn’t be luckier with my multi-talented husband.

What was your favorite part of the whole day?

My favorite part of the day was my husband and I cutting our wedding cake and feeding it to each other. Another highlight was the fact one of my best girlfriends caught my bouquet with one hand! I also loved how when the sun set our music got more upbeat and as we had more guests join after the ceremony it turned into a real party!

What’s your top three tips for brides-to-be currently planning their wedding?

♡ Do not ignore your husband’s opinion, it’s his special day too.

♡ If you don’t have a wedding planner, don’t worry. Have the confidence in yourself and your husband to create your perfect day together and remember to include your own personal touches.

♡ Patience.

The Bride’s Little Pink Book

Venue: Maisan15 / DJs: –Shefcodes, Frezidante, Dan Greenpeace, DJ Liutik, Parvane, Karrouhat, Cheb Moha / Wedding Dress: Pronovias, The Dubai Mall / Photography: Kris Kiseleva, Young Habibti (amateur photographers/friends of the bride and groom).

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