[section title=”The Planning”]
[field title=”Wedding Colors”]white, neutrals, pops of orange, yellow, and pink[/field]
[field title=”Design / Vibe / Vision”]Our wedding vibe? Picture this: Napa Valley, all romantic vibes and vineyards—seriously, who can resist wine country? With Danielle and Carly on board, we were all about keeping it cozy and minimal. We wanted the day to flow smoothly, especially since we planned to separate dinner from the party. Dinner had to be all about intimacy and romance…so, think candlelit tables, lush dahlias (my absolute favorite), and just the right amount of decor. Then, bam! The barn transformed into this disco wonderland for the party. Picture disco balls, funky lighting, and non-stop dancing. The transition from dinner to dancing was spot on. It was like stepping into a whole new world, and honestly, it couldn’t have been more perfect[/field]
[field title=”Proposal Story”]We really didn’t have a typical “proposal” story…I was living in Qatar at the time, he was in LA. I went on a solo/soul searching trip to the US and met him at a friend’s BBQ in LA, I wasn’t in the right headspace to meet someone but he was very persistent in taking me to dinner before leaving the US and I thought why not. Even then, I didn’t make anything of it because there’s an 11 hour time difference between us and we lived very different lives. But he took me by surprise and put in all the effort to make the distance work, we met over the summer (2 months after meeting) and he decided to fly to Qatar for the first time to meet my parents and experience my way of living. Fast forward another 4 months he flew BACK to Qatar to take my father out to dinner and ask him for my hand in marriage.. I had slowly talked my parents into wanting to quit my job and move to the US. My father was on board, he loved Mustafa but my mother on the other hand (for the right reasons) didn’t take it well. Our culture doesn’t allow us to leave our parents’ house until our wedding day. Having only met Mustafa twice, it definitely felt concerning to her…so here I am quitting my job, moving across the world to start a completely new life with someone I met 6 months ago without being formally engaged or married. It was very bold of me to make the move but it felt so right. I also couldn’t live with him unless we were religiously married so a week into landing in LA, we decided to get married on zoom with a sheikh, my parents (from Qatar) and his parents (in Washington DC) all dialed in and that is how we got married (under the condition that we would have a proper wedding celebration with family and friends in the future).
We moved to Vegas and once we settled we started planning our wedding celebration and the rest is history.[/field]
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[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]
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[board_carousel title=”Bridal Portraits”]
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[section title=”The Fashion”]
[field title=”Wedding Gown”]I had my wedding gown custom made in Lebanon with a designer called Esposa. The crazy part about all this was that I couldn’t leave the US (waiting on my green card) so the entirety of the process was done on zoom calls and whatsapp messages. They shipped my wedding dress to me 1 month before wedding day and that was my first fitting! Luckily, it was perfect and I only had to do a few size adjustments in Vegas.
In terms of design, I knew I wanted something original and different where I was able to disassemble parts of the dress and make it seem like I was wearing a completely new dress. So we decided on adding a cape (which was the statement piece along with a super dramatic and long veil) over my actual dress (which was very simple & classy) for my entrance with my father. Once dinner was over and we were ready to party I took the veil and cape off and put my hair down for a completely laid back and simple look. Most importantly, I was able to move around and dance comfortably.[/field]
[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”]none[/field]
[field title=”Groomsman Attire”][/field]
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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]
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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]
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[section title=”The Details”]
[field title=”Food & Drink”]Oh boy. Aside from Stanly Ranch’s breathtaking property, I would say their food was what really drew us towards them. There’s something about a ‘farm to table’ experience that makes it that much more special and intimate. I would urge whoever is reading this to make a trip down to Stanly Ranch and have breakfast/lunch or dinner at Bear (their restaurant). It was definitely the #1 feedback we got from all our guests.
We opted for a family-style dinner, and witnessing everyone passing around the food, bonding over it, and sharing that experience together filled us with such joy and made the moment truly special. The food was IMPECCABLE; fresh, wholesome, delicious and filling. And of course, being in wine country and pairing the foods with delicious wines was the cherry on top. The entire experience was so special and romantic. Just picture 2 long candlelit tables with 100 of your close family & friends on a terrace during sunset![/field]
[field title=”Florals & Decor”]With the venue being so neutral and ranch chic we wanted to bring the fun and playful energy of the couple with the decor. We went with all dahlias in shades of orange, pink, and yellow. We lined the walkway where Yara would make her grand entrance with her father. It was important that this moment had an extra wow factor since there wasn’t a traditional ceremony. Then we cultivated an intimate dining experience with two long tables lined with candles and more of the colorful dahlias. The dance party was super important to the couple and they really wanted there to be a vibe change as guests entered the ballroom. There were disco balls hanging from the ceiling as well as little disco ball trinkets sprinkled thorughout the space. We brought in fun lighting and really set the mood for the late night party. [/field]
[field title=”Wedding Cake”]Stanly Ranch has an amazing in-house pastry team and they designed the most delicious cake. We had it on a table with wheels so it could be brought out easily from being on to display to being cut in front of guests! [/field]
[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”]It definitely wasn’t your typical ceremony. We didn’t have an actual ceremony that was religious/symoblic etc. Because we had already been married and living together for almost a year already it didn’t feel right to have a ceremony. Moreover, ceremonies in our culture typically entails a bridal entrance with the father to the actual dinner/party venue.
I knew I wanted an intimate experience with my father so we decided on a long walk towards the cocktail space where all our guests were/Mustafa was waiting to take over. I would say my walk with my father was definitely the most special, the song we chose was an Arabic song of a father/daughter duo that definitely pulled on my heart strings!
Another favorite would be the fact that it transitioned into an upbeat song after I walked towards Mustafa and we had all our guests gather around us to dance/cheer. It definitely set the tone for the rest of the night. [/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #1″]The property – I haven’t come across a place quite like Stanly Ranch. We really didn’t have to do much in terms of decor because the space itself was breathtaking and I loved the fact that we had 3 days worth of celebrations in different parts of the property, they were so different from one another. Particularly our wedding day where we separated dinner (on the terrace) from the party (inside the barn).[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #2″]Having all my close friends and family from the Middle East fly across the world to Napa (a first for the majority of our guests) to celebrate Mustafa & I. I would say they were the heart & soul of our wedding.[/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #3″]The absolute best planners who made my wedding day so seamless, stress-free and smooth. All the months spent on zoom calls planning this day were executed to a T. I couldn’t tell you a single aspect of it that went wrong. From timelines to decor and setting the mood/ambience to the florals and most importantly the FLOW. They really nailed it and our guests still speak of how smooth the transitions were.[/field]
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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]
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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]
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Photography: Sarah Partain Weddings | Videography: Shutter And Sound | Event Design: Carly Saber Events | Event Planning: Carly Saber Events | Floral Design: Gather and Kin | Makeup: Marlyn Valencia | Hair: Shannon Le | DJ: Sir Edgar | Wedding Venue: The Lodge at Blue Sky | Lighting Production: Got Light | Rentals: Bright Event Rentals