Photo: Courtesy of Mouawad
Back in December 2016, Dubai-based fashion and beauty content creator Maram Zbaeda met Chris Maalouf, a renowned Lebanese businessman, on a flight from Dubai to Beirut. As fate would have it, the couple’s four-hour flight turned into a four-and-a-half-year love story.
Photo: Courtesy of Mouawad
By 2018, the couple had landed in front of Paris’s dazzling Eiffel Tower, where Maalouf surprised Zbaeda with a fairy tale proposal. However, the Covid-19 pandemic led to the couple postponing their wedding plans three times. Now, years after their aerial meet-cute, the couple decided to legalize their union during an official ceremony in Dubai on March 19th (while of course respecting appropriate safety measures).
Photo: Courtesy of Mouawad
“2020 was a tough year during which many things changed around the world, and it allowed everyone to appreciate the most important things in life, such as family and loved ones,” say Maalouf and Zbaeda. “Many couples, like us, had to delay their wedding plans and cancel ceremonies. But we believe that hope prevails and love always wins, which is why we decided that a wedding isn’t just about having a party, it’s about starting our life together as a married couple. We hope to encourage other people to do the same.”
Photo: Courtesy of Mouawad
For her special day, Zbaeda was dressed in a bespoke couture gown by Nicolas Jebran and the stunning Dragon Suite by Mouawad Fine Jewelry. The Lebanese jewelry house has enchanted a myriad of esteemed clientele, from celebrities to royalty, with their craftsmanship.
Photo: Courtesy of Mouawad
Mouawad co-guardian Pascal Mouawad says, “Sincere congratulations to Maram and Chris, whose wedding message of hope and love is inspiring. For the occasion, a masterpiece of Mouawad jewelry beautifully complemented the unique personality of the bride while radiating with an extraordinary brilliance.”
The Mouawad Dragon Suite. Photo: Courtesy of Mouawad
Inspired by the mythical majesty of the dragon, the Mouawad Dragon Suite worn by Zbaeda features five deep yellow diamonds taking center stage among a backdrop of hundreds of brilliant white diamonds. The pinnacle of these extraordinary gems lies at the heart of the necklace. Known as the Mouawad Dragon and deemed to be the largest diamond of its type by the Gemological Institute of America, a 54.21 carat round brilliant cut, fancy vivid yellow diamond gracefully steals the show.
Photo: Courtesy of Mouawad
Zbaeda and Maalouf have hinted at possible plans for a full-blown wedding celebration once the situation returns to normal around the world. But until then, all remain stunned by the radiance of the bride, as she said “I do.”
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