bodice,voluminousskirtand14ft
train.“IcriedwhenI putthedress
onforthefirsttime.It wasa very
emotionalmoment,”saidChristina.
“WhenI sawthedressI immediately
fellinlovewithit.It is soperfect.”
ForElie– who hasdesigned
dressesforroyalbridesincluding
PrincessesStéphanieandClaireof
Luxembourg– creatingthegown
forthewomanwhohadcaptured
hisson’s heart provedtobe a
labouroflove.
“I wasinspiredbywhosheis.We
exchangedideasaboutwhatshe
likesandhowsheimaginedher
dress,”hesaid.“Shegavemea lead
andthentrustedmecompletely.A
bridemustfeellikeherselfandfeel
beautifulinhergown.”
ElieJr,whois director-generalof
his dad’s design house, and
financialconsultantChristinagot
engagedlastyearafterdatingfor
justthreemonths.“Itallwentvery
fast.Wehadnodoubtthatwe’d
foundeachother,”saidthebride.KEEPINGWITHTRADITION
Theyweremarriedina ceremony
conductedbyMaronitePatriarch
BecharaRai,a friendofthefamily,
followingtraditionalLebanese
weddingcustoms.Themotherof
thegroom,Claudine,accompanied
Christinatothechurchandher
fatherwalkedheruptheaisleto
thealtar.A Lebanesechoirsang
beforeandduringtheceremony,
inwhichsimpleengravedgold
weddingringswereexchanged,
withclassicalmusicandsongsfrom
theregionalsoplayed.
“Wewanted to engravethis
moment forever into our
memories,that’swhywechosethis
church,whichis emblematicinthe
Maroniteritual,”saidChristina.
Aftertheservice,aperitifswere
servedandthe6ft-wide,nine-tiered
weddingcake,decoratedwith
365 candles(oneforeveryday‘When I first met Elie,
I said I’d like him to
design my wedding
gown. I hadn’t even
met his son then’
Christinaisaccompaniedbyher father to the altar for the Maronite ceremony (above). Rarely used for
weddings,theBkerkichurchis the seat of Maronite church in Lebanon. Crowns are placed on the couple’s
headsinthereligiousceremony to symbolise that they are now king and queen of their own home (below)s
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