Jeny & Jason's Grand Wedding | Le Méridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre

Name of Bride and Groom: Jeny Rachel John & Jason John Mathews

Date of Wedding: 16 July 2018

Wedding Venue: Le Méridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre

What made you decide on having your wedding Le Meridien Airport Hotel?

The accessibility of the location and proximity of commute seemed convenient for most of the wedding guests, was one of the major factors. We had a guest list of over 1000 people flown in from various parts of the world. We had enquired with a lot of venue providers and there were only a handful who were capable of accommodating 1000+ guests. We had to combine the three Great Ballrooms and the two Falcon Ballrooms and it was done seamlessly and effortlessly by Rania and her team.

Moreover, The Great Ballroom has always been a dreamy location for a wedding with its ambience and architecture making it perfect to host a wedding reception. It had a Grand Bridal Suite, another plus point!

Where did you have your ceremony?

Our ceremonial wedding was held at our Church, St. Thomas Orthodox Cathedral, Dubai (Oud Metha). As we are Orthodox Christians, our wedding ceremony was a religious sacrament and the service was blessed and led by our Bishop H. G. Dr. Abraham Mar Seraphim and assisted by a pack of priests.

We were born and brought up in Dubai and in the very same church and it was just ideal we have our ceremony in the same church we grew up. These kind of opportunities do not come easily as most of the Indian Christian Weddings of NRI’s from Middle East Region takes place back in Kerala, India due to the large families we have to invite and travel issue for aged relatives.

Tell us about the flowers you choose?

The theme was ‘White and Green’. Hence the flowers chosen were a mix of white roses and green flowers at both the locations, the church and the reception.

Tell us about the meal you served your guests. What type and flavor cake did you have at your reception?

We had a wide spread due to the various nationalities of guests we had. The LMD team was so helpful and we curated an interesting menu consisting of various cuisines, catering to all nationalities, such as Indian, Arabic, Asian, and Italian. LMD had a fantastic open kitchen which was really attractive for the guests and also live counters for pastas. The desserts section was massive, and had some of the best desserts – we made sure that the evening was really sweet!

Our wedding cake was one of the most intriguing elements of the event. It was a five layer cake, elegant looking. We showed a sample picture of how we do like it to be and they pulled it off. We had a Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel and a decadent Icing. It was a rich and flavorful cake.

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

Maldives (of course). We stayed at Amari Havodda Maldives. Unrivalled luxury, stunning white-sand beaches, amazing underwater world and the amazing hospitality makes Maldives an obvious romantic and magical destination.

What element(s) did you add to make the wedding uniquely ‘yours’?

We had a logo designed for the wedding which was used wherever possible such as, seals for wedding invites sent out, printed on all stationery elements for bridesmaid proposals, give-away gifts, thank you notes, and so on. The wedding invites were also custom made and personally designed by us.

The wedding giveaways were custom ordered and imported from Ukraine which had a special ‘Thank you’ note included. There was a photo booth stationed at one of the entrances to the reception which had instant photographs from the ceremony and other moments during the day hung up as well as for the many guests to relax and click photos and enjoy the event.

Another integral part of the day is the wedding dress! Tell us about what you chose to wear.

Indeed! As for me, the pre-wedding process was majorly consumed by hunting for that perfect wedding dress. I was lucky to have a lot of people help me out in this process. Personally checked out bridal boutiques. Searched for designs and patterns. I wore a classic white gown with lace work, which was custom made and designed by myself at a bridal boutique from my hometown, Paris Boutique, Kochi. The lace work symbolized elements of nature and greenery thus adapting to the theme of ‘White and Green’

For the reception, I later changed into a traditional Kancheevaram Silk Saree, which was a mix of Dusty Rose and Gold shade, as part of our tradition.

Now that you are married and have had time to reflect on your wedding day, what was your favorite moment?

We all have it. That one moment at a wedding that tugs on to our heartstrings a little and makes us feel with a barrage of emotions. Most people might say it is the first look or the groom’s face while the bride walks down the aisle, but for me it’s something else. It’s the moment the bishop declared us as husband and wife and walked back down the aisle of the church together. There is no other moment throughout the day that tops this joy. This is it. This is the moment we have dreamed about, eagerly anticipating, and were more than ready for. The moment we officially became one and get to begin our journey together. Some couples will cheer, some will just gaze at each other, and others practically run down the aisle together. We held our hands tight and embraced the moment as the walk back down the aisle was just beautiful couple with our own paparazzi moment for the wedding album. It was a very happy way to start our marriage.

Do you have any advice for future brides?

Just go with it! Amidst all the chaos and commotion that surrounds a wedding, ensure to find inner peace. Remember, you only get to do this once (hopefully) and people aren’t really exaggerating when they say that the day goes by in a flash. Try and stop every now and then to take a mental snapshot and soak it all in, savor it, for these are the moments you will vividly remember the most. And don’t forget to love your husband!

If you want to find out more about having your wedding at Le Meridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre have a look at their profile page or call their team on +971 4 217 2618.

Photographs courtesy of Al Thahbya Events.