The best day of my life was the day I married my best friend. I had always dreamt of having a winter wedding just because I love the winter season and the month of December. So I planned for a winter wonderland in one of the most beautiful hotels in Lebanon: Phoenicia Beirut.

For all the winter brides out there, yes you probably have to do an indoor wedding, but that won’t take away from the beauty and creativity that outdoor weddings have! In fact, there’s a lot of creativity involved in transforming an indoor venue. Have a look at how I transformed my wedding ballroom into a winter wonderland! 

Just have to say that while most brides stress about their big days and want to get involved in every step and details – I, on the other hand, wanted to let all that stress go, and think of it as just one day of my life.  It also helps to think that way when you choose one of the best wedding planners in Lebanon: Mohammed Safadieh. Normally I’m a picky and detail-oriented person, but I trusted my wedding planner in all the details which alleviated most of the stress of planning a wedding. 

This wonderful December morning began in my house in Lebanon, where my family and friends gathered and enjoyed delicious chocolates and sweets.

 

While everyone was at the gathering, I was at Hala Ajam‘s getting my make-up done. Then I went to Younis Eid for my hairdo. I was so happy with their work, they did an excellent job! I hadn’t asked for anything specific, just wanted to look like myself. And I loved the result. 

After a long and tiring search for the perfect wedding dress, I chose an elegant gown from Esposa. I was very impressed with Esposa’s team, who were very helpful and professional. They made my shopping experience delightful and one of the best out of all the bridal stores I went to. After trying way too many dresses, I finally found the one I had always dreamt of.

Since it was a winter wedding, I had to get some bridal fur, along with the veil and some hair accessories to replace the veil with as the night went along.

I got two bouquets: one for the morning and one for the evening. They were simple and elegant. I’ve always been a fan of white and especially on my wedding day, I made them all white!

I really wanted to be super comfortable so I can enjoy my day to the max – so I traded heels in for ballerinas! But by the end of the night, my feet still hurt anyway…

We had two themes, a romantic theme for the day… 

And a winter wonderland for the night… starting off with a white vintage Cinderella carriage!

 

Special winter effects with the flowers and decor…

Tablecloths which leave the impression that snow is falling..

I was so impressed with my wedding planner! I had only met with him twice: the first time to explain the theme, and the second time to choose the centerpieces, the music and some other details. The rest was all a big surprise, a surprise that brought me tears of joy.

Since it was December and only a few days before Christmas, we decided to give away real Christmas trees to our guests. It was really touching to visit some of our guests years later and find those trees still there, all grown up!

One of the best parts of planning a wedding is choosing the menu and tasting the food! Having your wedding in a hotel means you’ll have to choose one of the hotel’s menus.  Luckily their buffet was rich, diverse and generous. It’s so important to choose food that the majority likes. The food is half the experience at weddings – if people don’t like the food, they won’t enjoy the party! 

For entertainment, we had a live band, whose passion and excitement brought so much life to the party. Best part of the band was the saxophonist, who really jazzed up the night! 

My husband and I had separate entrances into the ballroom. For my husband’s entrance, we chose a traditional dabke group, which was cultural and entertaining. For my entrance, I had a group of ballet dancers, which brought a dreamy element to the night. 

Behind the scenes, I walked down a long stairway to meet my father, who would enter with me. 

I can’t say I wasn’t nervous. But I kept my cool and tried to enjoy every minute of my special day. My advice to brides to be: keep it simple, don’t stress and enjoy yourself as much as you can. Remember that marriage isn’t about the ceremony, it’s about constant love and care.

If you want any more information or tips for a winter wedding in Lebanon, please don’t hesitate to ask! 

Sincerely,
Rara