Destination Wedding in Tunisia
Dear bride and groom, if you decide to renew your vows in a few years I hope you have room for a few more guests. I know a several SMP staffers that might start lobbying for an invite. We're smitten and there's no going back. Seriously, a bougainvillea drenched courtyard, a beyond perfect dress, a ridiculously gorgeous couple, and it's all captured beautifully by Emm & Clau!!?? Heaven. And it's all right here in the gallery.
From the bride... Karim and I met in 2009 in Al Ain, the oasis city of the United Arab Emirates; Karim is half Tunisian and half Romanian and I am British, South African and Norwegian. Whether it be fate, destiny, or pure luck that brought the most unlikely setting and combination of two people together I am forever thankful for that day, and for Karim’s brilliant charming skills. Five years down the line, a four-year engagement and a French bulldog later, it was time to plan our wedding… The first hurdle we met was deciding where to have the wedding, living in Dubai with family and friends spread over 6 different countries it was a much thought about decision. After much debate and consideration we opted for a destination wedding in Tunisia. With Karim’s family connections to this capital city on the Mediterranean, Tunis was an obvious choice. This exotic location is steeped in history and culture, is well known for its local cuisine and fine wines and most importantly has a fabulous climate for many months of the year. We wanted the whole wedding to reflect not only ourselves but also our different cultures. The search began in February when we flew over to Tunisia to visit some wedding venues and sort out as much as we could within 10 days, as it would be the last trip there before the big day. As luck had it on the first day we found the most idyllic wedding venue; it was perfect in every way. A refurbished farmhouse with rustic charm and stonewalls concealed with creeping bougainvillea, a beautiful open courtyard surrounded by drooping trees. It was honestly everything I had ever dreamt of and we couldn’t believe our luck on finding that Tunisian gem.
Planning started 6 months before the wedding date, and only now do I truly understand why a wedding planner is the essential ingredient to a successful destination wedding. However I was lucky and blessed enough to have a secret wedding planner hidden in my husband combined with the most supportive family who were involved in putting together all the small details that made our wedding picture-perfect. Much of the decorative details were flown over from Dubai, America, Australia and London, including hand made table runners, the cake topper, personalized stamps, straws and our invitations. On the wedding day we were expecting approximately 80 guests. The visitors had started arriving in Tunisia a week before and some stayed on for at least a week after the wedding to make the most of everything the country had to offer. We ran around for the days beforehand catching up with the excited travelers and introducing each other to members of our extended families and intimate friends.
The wedding day: For me one of the most special parts, was seeing all the decorative details come together; I had spent years looking through and collecting wedding magazines, hours on pinterest and wedding blogs; and finally all of the time and effort put into every detail became more than worth it. Our wedding was a truly perfect and magical day; being surrounded by the family and friends we love the most was an overwhelming and beautiful experience that shall never be forgotten.
Planning started 6 months before the wedding date, and only now do I truly understand why a wedding planner is the essential ingredient to a successful destination wedding. However I was lucky and blessed enough to have a secret wedding planner hidden in my husband combined with the most supportive family who were involved in putting together all the small details that made our wedding picture-perfect. Much of the decorative details were flown over from Dubai, America, Australia and London, including hand made table runners, the cake topper, personalized stamps, straws and our invitations. On the wedding day we were expecting approximately 80 guests. The visitors had started arriving in Tunisia a week before and some stayed on for at least a week after the wedding to make the most of everything the country had to offer. We ran around for the days beforehand catching up with the excited travelers and introducing each other to members of our extended families and intimate friends.
The wedding day: For me one of the most special parts, was seeing all the decorative details come together; I had spent years looking through and collecting wedding magazines, hours on pinterest and wedding blogs; and finally all of the time and effort put into every detail became more than worth it. Our wedding was a truly perfect and magical day; being surrounded by the family and friends we love the most was an overwhelming and beautiful experience that shall never be forgotten.