Nadia Hazu and Peter Youssef weren’t quite themselves when they first met—it was at a Halloween party, and Nadia was dressed as a police woman and Peter as an army guy. A mutual friend decided to play Cupid, which was a good thing because both were too shy to approach each other. With the help of the friend, Nadia and Peter started talking, exchanged numbers and later got together for a date.
“We fell in love while enjoying outdoor activities together, vacationing and spending time with each other’s families,” Nadia says
“PETER AND I COULDN’T HAVE BEEN HAPPIER...OUR GUESTS WERE HAVING JUST AS MUCH FUN ON OUR WEDDING DAY AS WE WERE!” NADIA HAZU
Right at midnight on their six-year anniversary, Peter surprised Nadia by getting down on one knee (next to their four-legged fur daughter, of course) and asked her to be his wife. She said yes, and the two began planning their September 2014 nuptials.
With such a large guest list—nearly 400 friends and family members attended—the couple needed a ceremony and reception venue that could accommodate the large crowd without sacrificing the elegant affair they wanted. They chose the Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Los Angeles for their ceremony because of its lovely, traditional architecture and the Beverly Wilshire hotel in Beverly Hills for the reception thanks to its stunning ballroom and fantastic wedding coordinator, Mark Anderson.
Both venues exceeded expectations, with Nadia gushing of her day, “It’s not often you hear a bride say that her wedding day went perfectly and was more than she ever dreamed of, but I can say that wholeheartedly. With the help of all my wedding vendors, my wedding day was truly picture-perfect.”
The traditional Coptic/Syriac Orthodox wedding ceremony went off without a hitch, and the reception—complete with Middle Eastern dancers in honor of the couple’s and their guests’ background—had everyone on the dance floor. The elegant décor in soft, romantic colors by White Lilac Inc. made for a beautiful setting.
The most memorable part of Nadia’s day was during the reception when she and Peter were able to sneak away and take everything in from a distance.
“We walked to the top of the stairs, and as we overlooked the reception we stood there in awe, overjoyed that nearly every one of our guests were out of their seats and on the dance floor with the biggest smiles on their faces, having what looked like the time of their lives,” Nadia says. “In that moment, Peter and I couldn’t have been happier to see that all of our guests were having just as much fun on our wedding day as we were!”Although work keeps them both very busy, Peter and Nadia were able to get away for the three-week European honeymoon they’d dreamed about. They traveled to Ireland, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Germany, Italy and Spain.
“We loved everything about each country in its own unique way,” Nadia says. “Italy was probably our all-around favorite place to visit and we will definitely go back!”
> Written by Allyson Reedy
WEDDING TALENT
Ceremony Location: Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Los Angeles, CA; Reception Location: Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills (A Four Seasons Hotel) Beverly Hills, CA; Event Design and Planner, Linen, Rentals and Lighting: White Lilac, Inc., Costa Mesa, CA; Cake: Royal Cakes, Glendale, CA
