Few industries are more intense, bustling, and dynamic than the fashion industry where this couple has made a name for themselves, redefining style in the opulent and ultimately modern Middle East. Ghina, the lovely bride pictured below, is the Fashion Director for ELLE Arab World, while the dashing groom, Tarek, works in fashion publishing. With their high-powered careers, it’s a wonder that these two charming people could fit in time for a courtship—and the fact that they did is a testament to the power love has to redefine our priorities.
When it came time to wed, Ghina and Tarek decided (perhaps unsurprisingly) that it was also time to completely change gears and leave the hectic pace and elaborate spectacle of the fashion world behind for a little while. Planning a small Lebanese intimate wedding in Cyprus, the couple chose to focus on reconnecting with close family and friends rather than inviting a lengthy list of acquaintances and other industry professionals. However, while this celebration, with its tender exchange of vows and private family dinner at the picturesque Londa Hotel (a hidden gem of a venue on the Limassol Coast) may look humble at first glance, what this urban style wedding lacked in pageantry, it made up for in stunning attention to detail. If you look closely at the flowers, presentation, and decorations, you will see that each and every detail has been lovingly thought out.
For Ghina and Tarek, getting married was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to break away from the hustle and bustle, to leave behind the pressure and stress of professional life and focus on celebrating family, friends, and each other. Though this marriage celebration was as jovial and energised as any other that I’ve photographed, like the calm azure beaches of the Limassol Coast below, it was also a calm, rejuvenating space; here, there was time for the spirit to simply breathe. In private moments, both with each other and with their loved ones, this couple was able to savour a sense of the profound.
As one gazes upon the images below, it’s almost possible to feel Ghina and Tarek’s bliss, to imagine them both recollecting times past and dreaming sacred dreams of a better future—one made infinitely richer and more full by the love they have chosen to eternally unite.
