Massari and Sahar. Photo: Photo Glendale
On December 8, Lebanese-Canadian musician Sari Massari Abboud — lovingly known as Massari by his fans — tied the knot with longtime partner Sahar Golestani in Los Angeles.
The couple, who have known each other for close to a decade now, exchanged vows at LA Banquets in Los Angeles surrounded by family, friends and loved ones from around the world. There to celebrate their milestone moment were the likes of music mogul Wassim Sal Slaiby, former Miss USA Rima Fakih, and Jordanian musician Issam Alnajjar, along with several others from the music world.
With the help of wedding planner Edgar Hay, the couple turned their dreams into reality with a celebration to remember. “We’re so grateful to have someone like Edgar hay, a true artist who was such a key player in putting together this wedding for us… Such an incredible human being,” the share. Below, we take you through the highlights of the ceremony, along with an exclusive look at the very special song the groom presented to his bride on their big day.
A musical wedding full of unexpected performances
Born in Beirut and raised in Canada, Massari has maintained his strong connection with the Middle East, and music has been the very heart of his life journey. So it comes as no surprise that his wedding day was full of musical moments.
To celebrate the newly-weds, Palestinian-Chilean Musician Elyanna, who counts the groom as one of her closest friends, took to the stage for a special performance. Elyanna sang “El Kawn Jani” as Massari and Sahar enjoyed their first dance together as man and wife.
Cutting their multi-tiered wedding cake. Photo: Photo Glendale
The groom shares exclusive details on his surprise performance for his wife
As it turns out, Elyanna wasn’t the only musician guests were able to enjoy at the wedding. To make the day even more memorable, Massari surprised his bride with an emotional performance of his latest song, “Jamalo”, which he wrote for her. The song was written with inputs from Ali Doghan, and produced in collaboration with Kemyst and Majd Fahma. Though he admits he was a tad nervous before the big reveal, it was more than worth it given the occasion. “Being nervous is a natural part of an artist’s career when revealing new music,” Massari tells Vogue Arabia. “I’ve always loved performing, especially when it’s a song that means so much to me and a gift to the woman who means the world to me.”
Literally translating to “her beauty”, “Jamalo” made the perfect wedding gift for Sahar Golestani. And the song has been in the making for a while. “I wrote this song for Sahar in 2020 as the world went into quarantine,” Massari reveals. “We had planned to get married that same year, and to cope with the delays, I turned a negative into a positive by pouring my heart into a song for her. Music has the ability to heal in almost every situation.”
The newlyweds. Photo: Photo Glendale
The journey of the song is just as beautiful as the final result. “The first version of this song was acoustic, with a chord progression played on the piano,” he explains. “It was heartfelt, and I remember the first time she heard it, we both had tears in our eyes. We realized that as long as we had each other, we could overcome anything the world threw at us. We found comfort in believing that whatever is meant to be will be in its right time.”
For Sahar, the moment couldn’t have been more special. “Every time Massari shows me a song he made, I get goosebumps,” she says. “When he told me this one was written for me, I couldn’t help but cry. It was a very emotional moment. Massari has the ability to make me fall in love with him every day.”
A closer look at Sahar Golestani’s beauty look, and how it honored Massari’s Lebanese roots
If you follow Canada-based fashion influencer and jewelry designer Sahar Golestani on Instagram, you may already know that the multihyphenate has a penchant for elevated aesthetics. For her wedding dress, Golestani went with none other than Lebanese designer Yasmin Mallah of Yasmin’s Bridal. The decision, it seems, came from the duo’s immediate feeling of warmth for each other. “I met Yasmin, and we instantly became sisters,” the bride tells Vogue Arabia. “[She] showed me some designs, and I knew I wanted her to make the dress. I gave her all the creative reins and told her to do her thing.” The final result was a romantic pearl white gown with a body-skimming bodice and billowing skirt, completely doused in beadwork. Golestani paired the dress with a matching veil and fresh white tulips to walk down the aisle.
The bride was dressed in Yasmin Mallah. Photo: Photo Glendale
As for her beauty look, Golestani followed the same thought process as she did with her D-Day ensemble, opting to go with someone she shared a personal connection with: celebrity makeup artist Ash K Holm. “It’s an honor to have my best friend do my makeup for my big day,” she elaborated, also highlighting the fact that both the women she worked with for her bridal look come from the same country as her new husband. “I love that I had an entirely Lebanese team getting me ready to marry my Lebanese king, and it’s a bonus that they’re two of my closest friends!”
