She’s dreamt up a number of wedding dresses for excited brides-to-be, and now, Razan Alazzouni finally got the chance to design her own. “Whenever I thought of my future wedding dress, I always wanted one that was timeless,” reveals the Saudi designer to Vogue.me. “I wanted to look back at the photos in 20 years and not think that my gown was seasonal or following a trend.” So who better to create her wedding dress than the one person who knows exactly what she wants – herself. “The dress directly identified with my personality. It was a true reflection of myself,” she notes. The design was minimal and classic, featuring a strapless neckline, and an A-frame skirt with a sculpted waist. She wore it with a long, embroidered veil that once belonged to her mother.
Alazzouni, who tied the knot with Sulaiman Al Mukhaizeem in a breathtaking Beirut ceremony in September, had her heart set on something that was comfortable yet elegant, and easy to move in. So she had the idea of foregoing a jipon underskirt in favor of layers of tulle and a simple top. The anchor of the dress was her mother’s old wedding veil, which she describes as her something borrowed. The veil also served as her starting point early on in the process of creating. “I had to commission over 30 meters of lace to be made in a factory in France. But because of how my mother’s veil aged, and how old the lace was, it was impossible to get the exact match. That’s why my dress had three different colors of lace blended together,” the newlywed explains. “Once we had the lace, I worked on developing the embroidery I thought would best compliment it. I wanted the embroidery and beading to represent a garden, which brings to mind to setting of the wedding. I intended for it to be light and flirtatious to resemble the movement of a butterfly’s wings or a bird’s feathers being ruffled in slow motion; it was all about nature and my love for all the elements.”
The designer topped it all off by stitching the first-ever label made for her eponymous brand in 2008 and the brand’s new label inside the gown as her something old and something new. “I loved seeing both labels under each other. It filled me with pride and gave me goosebumps to see how much we developed in the past years.” The striking gown was complimented by custom-made, crystal-embellished, slingback pumps from Rene Caovilla, and a pair of earrings and a bracelet designed to complement her engagement ring.
When it came to the actual ceremony, Alazzouni and Al Mukhaizeem exchanged vows in Beirut’s opulent manor, Sursock Palace. The designer’s wedding planner transformed the extravagant mansion into a fairytale garden, equipped with larger-than-life birdcage centerpieces, fireworks, ballet dancers, and an elegant tiered cake.
Reflecting back on her big day, Alazzouni admits: “The most important thing is not your dress, your make up, your jewelry, or where you get married. The best part of my wedding was how humbling it felt to be surrounded by so many people who loved me and were genuinely happy to share this special occasion with me. It’s so overwhelming! That feeling is the best gift you can ever receive.”
In the gallery above, Razan Alazzouni gives Vogue Arabia a digital tour of her fairytale Beirut nuptials.
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