Confessions of a Real Bride: Mais Kawar
Mais and Haitham met by coincidence at Amideast when Haitham came in for an exam, they then got married on 14 July at the King Hussein Club in Amman - Jordan.
- How did you and Haitham meet?
My Husband and I met through work. He was going to AMIDEAST for an exam, where I used to work at the time.
We talked for a bit and asked for my number in order for us to talk more and get to know each other.
We went out a couple of times, and he introduced me to his family and friends before moving to Dubai.
When he came back to Amman for a visit, he proposed! We got engaged 7 months after, and then got married a year after that.
- When was the wedding held and where?
Our wedding was on Saturday, July 14 at the King Hussein Club in Amman.
- Did you hire a wedding planner or planned your wedding yourself? How was your experience?
We planned everything ourselves. Haitham and I both have a background in events planning, and we have quite a few contacts in the industry.
We managed to coordinate directly with them without having a wedding planner in the middle. We love to do our own thing. It was our wedding after all and we wanted to be involved in every single detail. Whether it was flowers, decorations, the venue set up, table set up, everything, we wanted to be in the know.
We enjoyed our experience and we advise every couple to plan their own wedding as they will truly enjoy the experience.
"Enjoy every single minute of the planning phase!
We really miss it now that it’s all over."
- What is the biggest advice you can give any bride-to-be when planning for her wedding?
Enjoy every single minute of the planning phase! We really miss it now that it’s all over. Those were special days, and they will surely bring back great memories with your spouse, family and friends.
A very important thing you must do is set a budget from the beginning, so that you can plan accordingly and not face any surprises. Ask for different options and price offers before you take your final decision, as this will save you a lot.
Make this day one that people can remember you as a Bride and Groom forever through creative ideas like wedding favors, giveaways, photography, etc.
- Did you pick a certain theme or color scheme? What was it? Did you use it all throughout the wedding?
Our theme for the wedding was using green, white and silver colors in everything; starting from the cards, bridesmaid dresses, flower girl dresses and baskets, to flowers at the church and venue, chocolates, giveaways, car decorations and house decorations.
We wanted every single thing to be customized. Also, Haitham’s brother created a special Arabic logo for us that we used for the cards, on the chocolates and giveaways as well. We also made special customized coasters with our names on all tables.
- Do you recommend specific suppliers you worked with?
We worked with 2 main suppliers for our wedding that we really enjoyed working with. They did their best to make sure our wedding is everything we had ever wanted, and more.
Elias Twal wedding and events services (flowers, entertainment, table set up, floor plan layout and photography) and Raja Kamar (Eventia) for light, sound, DJ, zafeh and furniture.
I loved working with them as they were not dealing with us as just a client but more like a family and were recommending what they felt was good for us within the budget we set.
- What was the most difficult and stressful part of wedding planning?
Planning the wedding without Haitham, as he was in Dubai and I was doing everything myself. But of course my mum and sister supported me in every way and without them, it would have been difficult.
- Do you consider yourself a relaxed bride or more of a bridezilla?
I would have to say both! Sometimes I was so relaxed and other times I would be crazy, crying, screaming, and feeling that nothing will go right.
I lost my voice for almost 10 days before the wedding from stress. However, the last 3 days before the wedding I tried to relax, got a massage, slept well and tried to think that everything will go smooth, which it did.
- Did Arabia Weddings help you in your wedding planning? If so, please explain how?
I used to visit Arabia Weddings to look for ideas and it helped me to check some suppliers and some ideas for decoration and beauty tips.
