Wedding planner, Micheline Diab, travelled the world from a very young age, living in London, Brussels, Paris, New York, and Miami. Currently, Micheline is based in Paris with an office and a house on Lake Como and another office in Beirut, Lebanon. Here we discuss the unique facets of international wedding design, the beauty of Italy and Michelle’s plans for a future all-encompassing wedding venue of her own…
I started my wedding planning career in 2011 after the financial crisis; I got tired of the finance world and wanted to move to a career more focused on design, aesthetics, and something more fun…”
Micheline Diab, Founder, Giritaly
C&B: “Travel and experiencing new things is so important for creativity; what was it that first inspired you to become a wedding planner and what do you believe are your personal strengths?”
MD: “I started my wedding planning career in 2011 when I founded my company, Giritaly, after spending many years travelling around the world planning and organising financial seminars for international banks and law firms. What inspired me is my love of details, aesthetics, design, and my attraction to Italy and its beauty. Coming from the world of numbers helps me evaluate the budget for every event faster and with more scrutiny. I founded Giritaly from a simple suggestion by a friend who asked me to design and plan their wedding in Tuscany, and it all started from there. What really helped me in my career is my wide international exposure, outgoing personality, and strong communication skills…”
C&B: “Which languages are you fluent in and how does this aspect help your work?”
MD: “I’m fluent in English, French, Italian, and, of course, Arabic; I can also manage Spanish. Being fluent in these languages helps greatly in coordinating between international couples and local destination suppliers in different parts of Europe…”
The Giritaly brand has been featured in Amour, DWP, Arabia Weddings, and Style Me Pretty, among others, and our weddings themselves have been featured in more than fifty international magazines and on Instagram pages such as Lebanese Weddings, The Trendy Fashion, ETbilarabi…”
Micheline Diab, Founder, Giritaly
C&B: “Out of all the amazing venues on available around the world, where are most of the weddings you organise staged?”
MD: “We operate all over Europe and the Middle East; we’re an international team of creative wedding planners, engineers, florists, designers, and coordinators, and we adapt to different locations and venues. Frankly, the question of my favourite locations and venues is very difficult for me to answer, however I do have a soft spot for Italy, its food, tastes, and dolce vita style…”
C&B: “Your brand is a specialist in Italy; are there any specific challenges that present themselves when you’re planning a wedding in there?”
MD: “The challenges we can face in Italy are that every corner of Italy is different, and we had a need to understand every culture within Italy to be able to cover and master all of Italy. Working on a project in Naples is not like working in Sicily; working on Lake Como is not like working on Lake Garda; working in Rome is not like working in Tuscany. Every region has its own food, habits, dialect, and ways of reacting and thinking so the art of flexibility and adaptation is what’s needed in our job…”
Our clients come from diverse backgrounds and nationalities; the majority have a Middle Eastern background and live in Europe, the US, the Middle East, and Australia…”
Micheline Diab, Founder, Giritaly
C&B: “In this competitive industry of weddings and events, how do you go about attracting new clients to your company?”
MD: “We attract couples who want a unique twist in their weddings, from cultural influences to special moods. ‘Word of mouth’ is key in our business, and we’ve built strong connections with many couples and their families throughout the years. Trust and flexibility are very important in our business. When you master your job and the destination you are presenting, you can really guide your couple to the right selection of destination, venue, and partner-suppliers for them…”
C&B: “On that subject, which of the many, many service providers required would you say are amongst the most important for your business? Is it the catering or music or lighting or florists or drink suppliers?”
MD: “All service providers are equally important as they complement each other – from the hair and makeup to flower designers, sound and light, every service for every wedding needs to be perfect…”
C&B: “Out of all the weddings Giritaly has planned, which has been the most memorable, and why?”
MD: “There have been many memorable occasions. Among them is a celebrity wedding we planned at Villa Balbianello on Lake Como, which was an amazing experience. Just picture the beauty in this beautiful setup! Another was at Villa Balbiano hosting two hundred people for a three-day extravaganza around Lake Como; it was a challenge to set the number of invitees, their requirements, and all the security around it. Our clients, Ayla and Nicolas’ wedding was also memorable at Castello Odescalchi in Rome, with 220 invitees and a three-day event after the death of the father just a few days before. The Sicilian wedding for our clients Roula and Nicolas was a tropical-themed wedding in the heart of Sicily, blending the island’s natural beauty with a twist of gold and elegance. The vibrant colours and luxurious touches created a stunning, memorable event. This past summer, we worked on a beautiful series of glamorous events, including one in June at Villa Angelina in Sorrento…”
C&B: “The locations are fantastic – we know them well – amongst the most romantic anyone could imagine! Given an open book, what would constitute your dream project?”
MD: “My dream project is to establish a luxurious wedding venue in a high-end location that offers unique and personalised experiences for each couple from diverse cultures. This venue would feature innovative menus and catering, table setups, bespoke decorations, and tailored entertainment options, creating a distinctive and memorable wedding for every client. By focusing on creative design, exceptional customer service, and strong vendor partnerships, my goal is to craft a versatile and elegant space that can adapt to various themes, cultures, and preferences, ensuring that every wedding is as unique as the love story it celebrates. Potential locations include my house in Como, another investment property in Sicily, or another cherished part of Italy…”
WEBSITE: http://www.giritaly.com
