RADIANT BY DESIGN

Lebanese designer Elie Saab is renowned for bridal couture, so when his son Celio proposed to Jordanian Zein Qutami, his creativity went into overdrive to produce her dazzling gown

- SOPHIE HAMILTON

Fairytale fantasy met high fashion when Celio Saab, son of the esteemed designer Elie Saab, married his beautiful bride, Zein Qutami, in a spectacular three-day celebration in the heart of Lebanon.

More than 1,000 guests attended the nuptials on 18 July, including Nehmat Aoun, the first lady of Lebanon, the Spanish model Nieves Álvarez, the singer Balqees and the fashion icons Karen Wazen, Nathalie Fanj and Nour Arida.

Elie Saab has previously designed gowns for Princess Beatrice, Princess Charlene of Monaco, Angelina Jolie and Beyoncé, and the 28-year-old Jordanian bride spoke of how honoured she was that he created her bridal look.

“I trusted Mr Saab completely,” she tells HELLO! in our exclusive interview.

Wearing fine jewels, including a Chopard tiara, and a custom-made embroidered silk wedding dress with sleeves embellished with 1,500 iridescent sequins, Zein looked breathtaking.

DESIGN INSPIRATION

"When designing her dress – as with every bridal gown - her style inspired me and naturally guided me toward what would truly suit her," Elie says of creating his daughter-in-law’s gown, which took about 800 hours to make.

"We had a few conversations and exchanges about her tastes and what she liked. Of course she had ideas, but she simply allowed my creativity to flow. For her, it was natural to trust me."

Celio, who looked dashing in a bespoke Zegna suit, recalls his emotions when he first saw his bride: “A quiet wave of calm excitement. In that instant, the whole room seemed to fade and it felt as though time slowed down.”