In the movie “The Wedding Planner,” actress Jennifer Lopez played a wedding planner named Mary, who could turn any wedding into the perfect romantic event. In Alkhobar, Petals of White’s wedding planner, Maria Al-Ashban finds she is regularly faced with a similar challenge — Saudi style of course!
“Young women come to me wanting a Cinderella fantasy wedding party with one small twist,” said Al-Ashban. “They explain that their wedding must be romantic and also amaze their guests. They are all searching for new, incredible elements to incorporate into their occasion. Sometimes I almost despair over how to take their suggestions and turn those ideas into something memorably romantic.”
Al-Ashban described a recent wedding that she planned in which the bride hoped to reproduce a Hawaiian environment inside an Alkhobar ballroom. The bride imagined setting up live full-sized palm trees in the ballroom to create a tropical paradise. Al-Ashban vetoed that plan and instead used a minimum number of artificial palm trees enhanced with fragrant flowers. The young woman was thrilled with the result, but Al-Ashban felt that perhaps the bride could have had a more romantic setting if she had chosen to focus only on the beautiful aspects of the wedding instead of going for the “Wow” factor.
“A wedding reception should not be a competitive event,” Al-Ashban pointed out. “I try to help each bride understand that this is her wedding. It should be planned to make beautiful memories for her, not as a conversation topic for others. I personally think that the most elegant weddings are the ones where everything is white on white. A white dress accented with white pearls. White tablecloths draped with a second cloth of shear white embroidery. White flowers tied with white satin ribbons. The effect created is quite romantic and both the guests and the bride look lovely in such a setting.”
The role of wedding planner is new in the Kingdom and Al-Ashban said that Saudi brides still don’t put all their trust in her to hold the wedding as is typical in Western countries. For example, in the United States, wedding planners make all the arrangements for the wedding from location to flowers to photographers. In Saudi Arabia the wedding planner is typically brought into the picture after the location for the reception has already been chosen. She generally is only responsible for the decoration of the ballroom and helping the bride choose the wedding gown and accessories.
“I’d like to do much more for the families who come for my services,” commented Al-Ashban. “People think that if they go and bargain with the caterers for a better deal on the food then they will pay less, but they won’t. Hotels have a minimum price for a typical wedding buffet. It’s the same with the jewelry, flowers and other accessories. Since hotels and shops want repeat business they will actually either give the clients of a wedding planner a better price or better service because they want the wedding planner to send them business in the future.”
Al-Ashban works within a previously agreed upon budget. The bride and her mother single out the elements of the wedding most important to them so she can decide how to best allocate the available funds. Al-Ashban brings all the wedding gowns from Paris, usually about 20 pieces at a time, each dress unique. Most of the bridal accessories available through her shop are also from France or Italy. While such a procurement policy might sound expensive, Al-Ashban has found that it is more cost effective than having all the wedding requirements made locally.
“The most expensive dress we sell at Petals of White is SR16,000,” said Al-Ashban. “To have the same gown created by a local dressmaking establishment would cost SR25,000 or more and it is impossible to control the quality. Even worse, many dressmakers take in an excessive number of orders during the wedding season, and in some cases don’t deliver the finished dress till the day before the wedding. Just imagine how unhappy the bride becomes worrying if her gown will be ready! Believe me every season there are some fashion disasters sewn and the brides have no option but to wear those awful gowns. With us, the bride can choose the gown well in advance and match it with a wide selection of accessories. We can also provide matching wedding albums, party favors and outfits for the bride’s attendants. Basically, by using the services of a wedding planner it takes a week for the bride to make all the decisions in regards to her wedding and then she can continue on with her life without any stress or interruption until her big day.”
A considerable sum is spent on the wedding reception and Al-Ashban is always searching for ways to add value to the occasion. For example, bouquets created from artificial flowers are a popular item with many brides. These bridal bouquets, which Al-Ashban sourced from Italy, are extremely beautiful and look quite real. They cost slightly more than a fresh flower bouquet but they last for years. Al-Ashban also recommends that the backdrop on the Kosha or seating area for the bride and groom, be a mural painted on canvas. After the reception the mural is framed and may be hung in the couple’s new home.
“Saudi weddings are events for hundreds and sometimes thousands of guests. A wedding planner is essential to pull off such complicated occasions in style, with enjoyment for the bride and her family,” said Al-Ashban. “There is also something special that I do for every bride. Traditionally, Saudi brides attend the wedding reception for just an hour at the end of the night. They spend much of the evening wondering about their own wedding party. That’s why I know how important it is for the bride to stop by when we have finished decorating the ballroom, at about 6:30 on her wedding night. She walks through the room from table to table and has a private look at her imagination turned into reality. It is my greatest reward to see the bride sitting at the front of the ballroom, smiling, aglow with happiness and anticipation of the celebration to come.”
- Arab News Features 12 September 2003
