Layan and Khalid became husband and wife at Hedsor House, Buckinghamshire on 5th April 2014.
She says: “I can’t remember the exact moment I met Khalid. I was probably 16 years old, but I can’t recall precisely how or when our paths crossed - clearly we weren’t interested in each other at the time! After I finished my gap year, we began messaging and found we really got along.
When we announced our engagement, our mutual friends were shocked - they didn’t expect us to get together. We told our families about a year after we became an item and were engaged soon after.
In Arab culture, once you involve your families it means you’re serious about the person you’re with and it’s assumed you want to tie the knot. What usually happens is the man’s family proposes to the woman’s family, rather than the man to the woman one-on-one. The best part about this was I got to choose my own ring!”
WEDDING FEAST
“The catering was handled by one of Hedsor House’s preferred suppliers, Dehlicious. We trialed several suppliers and found their attention to detail was fantastic, they delivered exactly what we wanted from the simplest of briefs and discussions.
We chose the concept of a formal dinner with plenty of sharing plates, as opposed to single plates or a buffet. Most of the dishes were tweaked to our tastes but it was predominantly traditional Indian cuisine.
We also had personalised cocktails after enjoying several tastings before the day!”
ENTERTAINMENT
We hired a lively Egyptian band to play during drinks and dinner. The band was such a special part of the wedding, creating a Middle Eastern feel to a classic wedding in an old English venue.
PHOTOGRAPHY
"A friend recommended Farah Mirza. She was fantastic and even brought along another photographer for some candid shots. We were happy to rely on her expertise and couldn’t have asked for anyone better."
THE VENUE
“The first thing we booked was the venue, Hedsor House. It was absolutely stunning; we were sold the moment we drove up the winding road to the property. The House is really versatile; a blank canvas that we could decorate as we wished for our Big Day.”
“Our guests were welcomed by classical Arabic music from the balcony while enjoying canapés and cocktails. We also had an Egyptian themed Zaffa procession consisting of musicians and dancers coming down the winding staircase. We left in a beautiful burgundy and Old English White 1955 Rolls Royce Wraith Touring Limo.”
THE BRIDE: Layan Allawi, 25
THE GROOM: Khalid Attia, 29
MARRIED: 5th April 2014
THE VENUE: Hedsor House
PHOTOGRAPHY: Farah Mirza, www.farahmirza.com, +44(0)7825 568 636