I recently stumbled across a hashtag on Instagram for the wedding of  talented jewelry designer Noor Fares and artist Alexandre Al Khawam, and never have I ever been so inspired while on the ‘gram. In tiny squares scrolling down my iPhone screen I was viewing pure magic, and continued to lurk photos from their dedicated wedding hashtag (#Noormandie) for a good hour or two. I couldn’t believe my eyes, it was just so amazing…and (after further lurking), I realized the wedding I believed to be viewing, was actually just the pre-wedding party they held to welcome guests. To commence the weekend’s celebrations they held an “Arabian Nights” themed pre-wedding party – the sprawling outdoor venue was turned into a vibrant kaleidoscope of color all in theme, and complete with street vendors, flower stalls, traditional costumes, musicians, performers, and more. The streets that lined the outdoor market-esque setup were covered in bright florals and glitter, with lights and pennants cascading above.

In reference to the evening, the beautiful bride said “I am inspired by light, psychadelic colours, dreams, love, friendship, starry nights, spices, scents, flavours, bubbles, textures, sound, mysticism, sacred chants, flowers, fire, and orientalism. We created a village of utopia imagined in our wildest dreams and populated by our favorite people.” Noor Fares, you are a woman of my own heart, what a magical mind you have! I love a themed wedding celebration, and I’m not talking about a “bohemian” or “rustic” or “modern” theme, I’m talking about a real, dream-filled theme that involves more imagination than just a random hodgepodge of Pinterest images for inspiration.

Now, while I know a budget larger than I could imagine was the case here, ideas and inspiration are completely scalable and I truly believe that no matter how much money one has to throw a themed celebration, they can make it happen as long as they are truly inspired, resourceful, and willing to devote their creativity and time into designing their dreams. Dream big and don’t ever let a budget stop you from bringing your dreams to life.

Instagram Image Credits (top to bottom): 1 +2, 5, 7-9 : @alexinnoormandie // 3: @alixduvernoy // 4: @annelisemichelson // 6. @freiha // 10. @noorfares