Rimaz and Gabriel were an amazing dream team to work with. Rimaz contacted me about her two-day multicultural Islamic wedding to take place right after New Years of 2015; it was hard to say no to such a fun and unique couple and experience. Lucky us, it was the coldest days of winter but both Rimaz and Gabriel were troopers in getting a few shots done outside. They also did an amazing job planning their whole wedding from many provinces away. It was a fantastic two days filled with dancing, color, tradition and much love!
Rimaz described the planning process, saying, “We initially decided to get married on the first weekend of May, 2015. In October, we decided we actually want to get married in January. With only three months to go, wedding planning was our breakfast! We got a blank orange journal, or what we actually refer to as the Orange Book, and we wrote list after list after list. Our plan was simple; get the long lead and big ticket items out of the way first (Venue, food, photographer, bride’s and groom’s attire, and entertainment) and then allow creativity and the budget to shape the rest. All of our decisions were based on a connection/sense of comfort that we formed with the individuals we worked with. We talked to about 5 photographers in the region. We had one Skype date with Anna and we felt that she was perfect for the job.”
She explains how they decided on the wedding location and venue with a big shout out to Ramada Plaza Calgary: “Getting married in Calgary was a default setting since it is where the bride’s family resides. We looked for places that were architecturally beautiful, convenient in terms of transportation and January weather suitable. We narrowed down our options for venues to the Sheraton and the Ramada hotels by the airport. … Coral at Ramada was very responsive, respectful and showed a great deal of interest in our business, and a desire to be part of our wedding day. That made all the difference.”
What was your favorite part of the two day event?
Rimaz: My favorite part of the whole wedding process is that Gabriel and I did it together with love while having so much fun. My other favorite part was having everyone around a few days before the wedding and all the special moments that were created.
Gabriel: My favorite part was the religious ceremony: listening to the Imam speak on the topic of marriage, give important insights, and enjoying a family dinner afterwards. The other thing I enjoyed was the photo shoot with Anna; particularly, at the Aerospace Museum. More enjoyable than any of the events was the process we went through together.
Rimaz has some great words of advice to pass along: “The best advice we received was “Don’t worry about how to make the wedding happen worry about how to make the marriage last”. Really, make the day about celebrating love, family and friends; the details don’t matter.”
Huge thank you to Crystal of Sujata Photography for her help and assistance!!
Ceremony and reception venue (and caterer): Ramada Plaza Calgary Airport Hotel and Conference Centre / Officiant: Sheikh Jamal / Bridal Attire: David’s Bridal, White by Vera Wang / Groom’s Attire: Men’s Warehouse, Black by Vera Wang / Transportation: Enterprise Car Rental / Singer: DJ Mogga / Keyboardist: Mohamed Zaiada / Hair Stylist: Hair Shapers / Makeup Artist: Salma / Florist: Peggy from Hobby Lobby / Cake: Marcia Valencia from Forever Cakes / Rentals: Party Rental Depot, Nicole Perl of Cultured Pearls Event Rentals, Amy Slater of Down To Their Socks / Other: Corey of Huron Reprographics / Alterations: Maggie of Lord’s Sewing & Alterations
