Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love, what is unique about you and your relationship…
Kareem and I met through my older brother, Josh – they are great friends from medical school. We met specifically when my brother brought Kareem up to Whangarei for a week one summer.
That following year we connected online. My brother was all for it (after a little persuasion). Our first date was Nandos, Courtney place in 2014. Kareem was a house surgeon and I was just a student so anything fancier would’ve been over the top. Living in Wellington this year we have frequented the same ‘restaurant’ multiple times. We both have such an appreciation for well-cooked chicked and peri peri chips. Kareem and I spent four years long distance while I was at dental school in Dunedin, and got married right before I graduated. Kareem and I brought different cultures to the table – Egyptian and Western. Kareem was born in Qatar and grew up in Kuwait till he was eight years old, when his family moved to Whanganui. His parents worked hard to provide him and his brother with good education. I was born in Whangarei and spent my childhood there. I have learnt a lot about Egyptian culture, especially after travelling to Egypt last year. There’s more to it than just the Pyramids. In saying that, the Pyramids are incredible.
Tell us about your special day, was there a specific theme or style? Tell us a little about the setting, the styling and some of your favourite details…
A picturesque spring evening with blooms everywhere in the garden. During the ceremony a floral display hung from the archway. White garden seats at the front. Tantalus is a venue that doesn’t need much in the way of decoration because the lighting and décor speaks for itself. The building almost has a modern, Tuscan feel.
Tell us about your main outfits:
My dress combines comfort, simplicity and elegance. From afar it just looks like a longsleeve white dress but up close you can really appreciate the delicate, handmade sequins. I chose black shoes because I knew I’d be able to wear them again. The starry earrings added that extra glam to the look. Kareem wore a seb worsted dinner suit, satin shawl lapel with a black tie from Working Style. He had a white textured dinner shirt. His shoes were smith black ceremonial patent leather and black Italian socks from working style also. He liked the outfit because of its custom fit, immaculate black, classical nature. Overall we were going for a black tie theme for the wedding.
What were some of the most memorable/unique moments from the day?
The Zaffa. It’s a traditional Egyptian musical march to introduce the bride and groom into the . The guests formed a tunnel for us to walk down while traditional zaffa music played. Kareems’ brother played the ‘tabla’ – an Arabic drum. This procession culminated in a big dance, guests included, with the couple in the centre. For us this took place right after the ceremony and before sitting down for dinner. This set the energetic tone for the night. Speeches. We limited speeches to around five minutes which meant the speeches were shortof very good quality. Granted, we chose people who we knew could speak fairly well. Listening to some of or favourite people speak about you and your spouse was so special. We have them all recorded and watch them back every few months. Dancing. We’re not massive fans of small talk so we’d prefer to dance. We had a DJ and Kareem made a playlist for him. We alternated a few Arabic songs with English. The guests really loved the vibe. We made sure there was a good hour and a half of dancing at the end of the night.
Any advice for other couples planning to spend the rest of their lives together?
Talk about morals, family, religion, careers, life goals (the big stuff) early on. Then there are no surprises later. We’re no experts and have only been together six years but because we did talk about the important things early, we now understand each others’ expectations and know what life will look like together.
Photography and Videography: Grey Area Productions | Ceremony and Reception location: Tantalus Estate, Waiheke | Celebrant: Ravi Mistry | Bride’s gown: Simmons Dress, Juliette Hogan| Bride’s shoes: Juliette Hogan Heels | Groom’s outfit and shoes: Working Style | Rings: Partridge Jewellers | Groom’s Watch: Tissott watch | Bride’s Jewellery: Zoe & Morgan | Makeup: Briar Howard | Hair: Amelia Mowat | Groom’s fragrance: Dior Homme Intense | Bride’s fragrance: Viktor & Rolf | Bridesmaid’s attire: Charmaine Reveley | Groomsmen’s attire: Working Style | On The Day Coordinator: Blume & Darling, Francie | Flora: Muck Floral | Catering and Beverages: Tantalus Estate, Waiheke| Cake: Cakes on Waiheke
