A Chit Chat with Arabia Weddings: Zainab Al Salih of Carousel Weddings and Events
Zainab Al Salih is the founder & MD of Carousel Weddings and Events.
Carousel Weddings and Events is one of the most popular and well-known event and wedding planning companies in the UAE. Carousel’s services include planning and event management, as well as, design and execution.
Zainab is married with 3 sons and has been living in Dubai for 28 years. She holds a degree in Business Administration and started her career off as a banker, until she found "her calling" and started Carousel over 8 years ago.
“Carousel is all about creating dream weddings. It is our mission to help a bride enjoy the most important day of her life. We are a boutique wedding design, planning and even management firm,” Zainab Al Salih says.
We had the chance to ask Zainab Al Salih a few questions and here is what she had to say:
- How did it all start?
I have always loved making people happy. There’s something deeply gratifying about bringing people joy and sharing it with them. So I always knew whatever I did, it needed to give me the opportunity to make people happy, and the opportunity to make a positive impact on people’s lives.
With time, I also began to better understand and appreciate my strengths: an artistic flair, a gift for communicating, and an almost obsessive attention to detail.
I think people are now looking to have a timeless wedding instead of a wedding that is filled with fads that may not look good in a few years
I was also lucky to have people around me who recognized these talents in me, and encouraged me to develop them and apply them. I find it interesting how we can look at ourselves from within and not recognize some of our gifts, and it often takes someone on the outside looking in to help us recognize and appreciate our own qualities. My husband, my friends, my mother – all of them played a key role in encouraging me to do what I am doing today.
- What are the hottest trends in weddings this fall/winter season?
Rich color palettes, using a combination of blooms instead of single flower arrangements, and the return of the traditional grand wedding cake, are all trends that are very big again. I think people are now looking to have a timeless wedding instead of a wedding that is filled with fads that may not look good in a few years. They do not want to have a “what was I thinking moment”. We want to help our couples have truly stylish weddings, and not necessarily trendy or fashionable ones. An idea I love and try to convey to my brides is that fashion is now, style is forever.
Rich color palettes, using a combination of blooms instead of single flower arrangements, and the return of the traditional grand wedding cake, are all trends that are very big again
- What are the 2016 trends that you are looking forward to?
As with so many design trends, we often see old classics coming into vogue again, and new generations rediscovering old trends and reinterpreting them in a modern way. It’s a beautiful way of connecting with the past while looking forward. We have recently seen this happening with weddings. In so many ways, weddings have been somewhat trend proof and have maintained an air of tradition, but actually, especially in the Middle East, traditions are sadly fading over time.
This may now be changing; young Middle Eastern brides, with vague memories and faded pictures, are recalling the classic beauty and elegance of weddings past, and resurrecting some of the old forgotten traditions and design elements and symbols. There is such grace and elegance in being true to who you are, preserving unique traditions, and being proud of what makes each of us, and the cultures we represent, unique, different and beautiful. While love is a fundamental human emotion we all share – how we express it on our wedding day, through symbolism, ceremony, design and traditions can differ substantially across cultures.
We are therefore delighted that one of the emerging trends is a return to tradition, incorporating elements that draw from a couple’s background and culture, thus making their celebration unique and personal in every way. Guests will enjoy seeing and experiencing new cultures through the union of two people, and more often than not, in the multi-cultural city of Dubai, each representing a unique cultural background. Whether it’s Europe, India, Egypt, Morocco or the Gulf, tradition is never out of style.
We are delighted that one of the emerging trends is a return to tradition, incorporating elements that draw from a couple’s background and culture, thus making their celebration unique and personal in every way
- What's your most favorite wedding you planned this year and why?
I can’t really pick one; all my weddings are very close to my heart. Each and every one of them has been unique and special.
- What's your top advice for brides-to-be getting married in the UAE in 2016?
Dream about your big day– its only when they dream about their perfect wedding, that we can then make their dreams come true.
If you are getting married in Dubai, you will find this Weddings in Dubai section very useful, check it out!
