With magnificent chandeliers lighting the venue and elaborate flower arrangements throughout the ceiling, the ceremony looked majestic
Shower of flower petals, an after-event concert, a 4-tier wedding cake and a star-studded guest list - the recipe for a big fat Indian wedding. And UAE residents got a taste of an extravagant ceremony and one of the biggest wedding events of the year in Abu Dhabi over the weekend.
Leading entrepreneur and managing director of Lulu group MA Yusuff Ali's niece Dr Fahima Ashraf Ali, got married in a ceremony held at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. The bride's father Ashraf Ali MA, is MA Yusuff Ali's younger brother.
Minister of State for Tolerance Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan graced the wedding festivities. Malayalam actors Mammootty, Mohanlal, Tovino Thomas, Kunjacko Boban, Asif Ali, Jayaram Dileep, Kavya Madhavan and Aparna Balamurali were some of the names on the star-studded guest list that included more than 1,000 people. Several business and community leaders were also in attendance.
The wedding looked majestic, with magnificent pendants and chandeliers lighting the venue and elaborate flower arrangements throughout the ceiling. The banquet was a seated affair, with food being brought out on trolleys to each table. A flower arrangement and swing at the venue with the couple's initials provided guests with an Instagrammable spot
Dr Fahima looked gorgeous sporting only diamond jewellery, dressed in a blush pink, heavily-embroidered lehenga (long traditional skirt) with intricate beadwork. She was ushered onto the stage under a canopy of flowers by nine flower girls, who were all dressed in cream dresses with a flower.
Her husband, Mubeen Musthafa, looked dapper in a beige sherwani (long coat), complete with a turban and belt. During the wedding ceremony, a rain of rose petals were showered on the couple.
The wedding ended after four days of festivities that saw Dr Fahima's friends and families perform elaborate dance routines. On the day of the mehendi, the theme was mirror work. The sangeeth night, which was made special with an all-night concert by artist Stebin Ben, had a theme of shades of blue. Dr Fahima was dressed in a dreamy light blue lehenga with mirrorwork on this day.
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Nasreen Abdulla is a Special Correspondent covering food, tech and human interest stories. When not challenged by deadlines, you’ll find her pulling off submissions on the jiu jitsu mats.