A Glamorous Wedding At Chateau Rweiss, Chnaniir, Lebanon

When Maria Boustany applied for a job at a wedding venue—Lebanon’s esteemed Chateau Rweiss—she had no idea she’d be hosting her own wedding there to one of its owners, Issam Abi Nasr. But that’s how fairy tales work, and how this one begins.

Maria became the venue’s PR manager, which gave her plenty of opportunities to work with Issam in the castle (yes, castle). He admired her work ethic and intelligence, and Maria admired everything about him. “I was secretly in love with everything related to him,” Maria reveals. Eventually their mutual love wasn’t so secret, and on a house-hunting trip, Issam proposed.

“It was a complete surprise,” Maria says. In the master bedroom of one of the most beautiful homes she had ever seen, Issam got down on his knee and presented her with a tiny house and key, telling her that it was their new house.

Their wedding was fairy tale-perfect, and it was only fitting that the theme was “Once upon a time” and that the big event was held at the Chateau Rweiss. “It was where we fell in love,” Maria says. “And where we got tired for seven years of planning other people’s weddings!”

Every detail of the wedding was breathtaking and memorable, beginning with the stunning church ceremony. Maria couldn’t believe how magical the setting was, with the church positively dripping with white and green flowers. It exceeded all of her expectations, and from the moment she stepped out of the car, tears started flowing.

“I ran down the aisle straight into the arms of my future husband, who was standing at the altar,” Maria says of that unforgettable moment.

The reception at Chateau Rweiss was equally impressive, where décor included two hundred and fifty chandeliers seemingly floating in the air and a larger than life cake suspended above the dance floor. Following that “Once upon a time,” fairy tale theme, elegant clockwork played an important role in the design, from clock towers to roman numeral seating cards to a custom clock-face dance floor.

A highlight for the couple, as well as their guests, was the emotional homage to the groom’s father— a movie showing his efforts building the amazing castle that would become a premier wedding destination in Lebanon.

Another crowd pleaser was the entertainment—ballerinas danced in the sky, fireworks lit up the darkness, and dancers performed dazzling choreography. It’s no wonder that the party raged on until dawn.

“Every single moment, corner and detail was memorable,” Maria says. “It was beyond perfection.”

After such a magical wedding, an indulgent honeymoon was a must. The couple chose three very different locales for their trip: Cuba, Cancun and Paris. They appreciated Cuba’s raw and genuine feel, the luxury and white-sand beaches of Cancun and loved seeing snow-covered Paris in winter. Maria says it was a very intimate, lovely way to kick off married life.