Lila and Mohammed were married on 19th April 2024, in the heart of Andalucia, surrounded by family and friends who had travelled from all over the world to be with them. Their wedding took place at the Palacio de los Córdova in Granada, a city they both feel deeply connected to, not only for its beauty, but for its history and cultural significance.
This was a celebration of love, faith, and identity; Lila, who is Arab and Mexican, and Mohammed, who shares her Muslim faith, wanted a day that reflected their roots as much as their style. From the Arabic music and the Mexican food corner to the keffiyeh on the groom’s shoulder and the sublimely elegant, long-sleeved Aire Barcelona gown, every element felt considered and true to the couple.
With the help of their wedding planner, the incredibly talented Mery Liccardi, they brought together a brilliant team of local suppliers who understood their vision perfectly, creating a wedding that felt both meaningful and effortlessly beautiful.
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Venue & Location
Our venue was Palacio de los Córdova in Granada, Spain. Our family and friends are all over the world, so nowhere made sense. But in another way, Granada made perfect sense. We’re both Muslim and feel incredibly connected to the history of Andalusia, of which Granada is the heart.
We also wanted our decoration choices to reflect our love for our religion. The Alhambra moved us both when we first saw it, and it felt like an homage to the history of our people.
I’m also half Mexican so our venue and location was the perfect cultural mix to represent us, an Arab and Hispanic couple. We couldn’t imagine our wedding being anywhere else the second we considered it. And we wanted our guests to have an experience in the city even beyond our wedding. We were thanked so many times afterwards by our guests for giving a reason to come to this beautiful, majestic, and mystifying city at the most perfect time of year.
Because we chose our venue as an homage to our love for history, we had already decided we wanted the theme of our wedding to be royal. So if you ask me, the balcony at Palacio de los Córdova was was the biggest reason to choose it. We stood on there to greet our guests for dinner like a royal couple. It was incredible!
Mery Liccardi was our wedding planner who knew all the right people to bring our vision to life. She enlisted Granatum Flores for our florals, and Avibo Rentals for our lighting, and Punta y Puncel for our stationery.
The Dress
Aire Barcelona
Both my dress and veil were by Aire Barcelona. Aire was my boutique wedding dress store of choice and the first store I went to – and I was decided on my dress choice, because of how special that experience was. I truly didn’t expect to find it there but the specialist was so committed to helping me narrow down my taste and she found the dress for me. It was sleeveless but I wanted a more classic, timeless look so I added sleeves and eventually had the entire top redone by hand.
I don’t live in Barcelona, but I flew over twice for fittings and each time it was more perfect than the last. My dress was ready to go right before my wedding and right on promised schedule.
The studio believed in my vision and accommodated the request, and without telling them my theme they also came to the conclusion that it was a royal-inspired style. I highly recommended them
My earrings were from Etsy and my fragrance was Gucci’s Winter Spring. My hair and skin oil was by ByBelo.
Rocio Garcia Diaz was my makeup artist and also did my entire face while smiling. It was when I was sitting in her chair that I started to feel nervous and she just smiled the nerves away. She also knew what I wanted with such little explanation (literally five minutes). I hadn’t done a trial but, again, wouldn’t do anything differently, because I wouldn’t change a thing about my look.
My hair was done by Rosa Maria Moleon Navarro, and, again, didn’t do a trial but wouldn’t change a thing because she understood what I wanted in no time. I had wanted something to keep my hair out of my face but I’m a little insecure about my hairline, so she pulled back my hair while keeping my natural part and made waves to have a flowy look with my very simple veil. It came out perfectly.
My shoes were a moment! They were custom made by Zyne, a Morocco-based brand. I designed them myself when I boldly dm’ed them on Instagram to ask if they could possibly do that for me, knowing Moroccan artisans are famous for shoemaking. They responded quickly and sent me over the brochure of shapes, fabrics, and designs.
When they sent me the shoes (in only two weeks!) they also sent over Argan oil to offer a beautiful, light fragrance and suggested I rub my feet with it before putting on the shoes to prevent chafing. It worked!
I loved my dress so dearly. It represented modesty, timeliness, and, elegance. I wanted it to look perfect from every angle, and if you ask me I think it achieved that. The big bow in the back tied it all together because it was on the simpler side, even with a long wide train. The sleeves, bust and waist brought such femininity to the overall look.
Every time I stood sideways, I could see all of these elements, and some of my favourite portrait photos are me simply standing with my dress, where the length, bow, shape and sleeves are all visible. I wouldn’t change anything about my look.
Boda Class picked up Mohammed, who came to my hotel to pick me up completely alone for our first look. We then took a ride from the centre into the Albaicin, where all the streets resemble that of another time and era, in a vintage car.
We were completely alone for the first and only time that day, where it was just us, our nerves and adrenaline running because we had just seen each other, and driving through this beautiful, heartbreakingly beautiful, city.
It felt like the whole city was ours and that we were truly royals heading to our historic, beautiful venue. When we arrived, the driver honked to let the whole wedding know we entered, and all our guests came rushing to greet us while we were still in the car.
I am smiling ear to ear writing this. One of my favourite photos as a bride is me sitting in the car, which my mom (a high school teacher) shows to her students all the time. They tell her I look like a princess. People on the streets clapped and cheered for us, shouting ‘Viva Los Novios!’ over and over and over!
My father walked me down the aisle to the sound of Babylone, Zina. It’s a sad song in Arabic, believe it or not. The singer asks, beautiful, where did you go? I had listened to it for years before we were ever living in the same place.
We had already gotten married before the wedding, so we gave speeches and we asked our fathers to prepare speeches as well. Then we had a short tribute to typical Islamic marriages, in which our fathers hold hands to offer their blessings and approval for our marriage in front of everyone.
We wrote our own. Our vows made tributes to our religion, our people, our history, and our commitment to freedom across the Arab world and anywhere else there is oppression. We spoke about Palestine, and how we thought of them as we married.
We are very similar in how much our lives are centered around justice and righteousness, guided by our religion, Islam.
Mohammed spoke about the need to always move forward, and I spoke about how, as our religion says, I am committed to us in this lifetime and the next. On an ode to the end of our long distance days, I wrote: “In this new step in our lives, I hope we continue to dream, knowing there is nothing that can stop us as long as Allah willed us to be together and Alhamdulila (thank God) so far, nothing has, not even the size of this planet.”
Photography & Videography
Mohammed was keen on an editorial, documentarian style and Valeria Pitarresi’s photography is so candid and still so emotional and moving. After speaking with her, we knew our personalities were a fit, and that she would have fun with our eccentric personalities.
Valeria was so responsive and easy to talk to, and has now become a dear friend. We share in our humanity-loving perspectives and we appreciate how much she appreciated our culture. She is extraordinary, and anyone would be lucky to book her.
Our videographer Lola Montalvez is such good energy to have around. I’ve never heard of a videographer with a constant smile on her face throughout an entire wedding. Everytime I looked over, she offered me compliments and aw’s and just made me feel so special as her bride.
How They Met
We met in our travels, but we didn’t live in the same country for nearly our entire time knowing each other. We got engaged in New York City, my hometown, in February 2022, so a little under two years before our wedding.
Mohammed wore a custom made suit created by a specialist in Doha in Qatar, with a shirt by Boggi Milano and Ferragamo shoes. His fragrance was Henry Jacques.
The Reception
During the cocktail hour, we had an Arabic food corner and a Mexican food corner. For the Mexican corner, we used a gorgeous hand-sewn tablecloth that my mom got for me from our hometown in Puebla. It was so special, and so typical because she got it from the marketplace. We used local artisans.
We gave out olive oil, which Andalusia (and Spain for that matter) is famous for. Mery would know the website or the type, and we have many photos of them, because they were beautiful. We received rave reviews for them, and we still have two bottles as mementos.
Words of Wedded Wisdom
The day was perfect and I wouldn’t change a thing. But I would have maybe planned the day of events more strictly so we weren’t rushing when we were late (and we’re Arab so of course we were). I wish I could have added more décor and more lighting, but I also think the venue shined beautifully on its own.
If you’re planning a destination wedding, hire a wedding planner. Someone you can be brutally honest with so you can build that trust fast and from afar, and someone who, in response to that, sees you, comforts you, and understands you. I would have been lost without Mery. We adored her.
And just as a bride, be selfish. Of any time in your life where you can give yourself permission to be selfish, it’s now. Ask for what you want, stick to it, and think about you and your partner’s comfort first, foremost, and only.
In the evening, we played Palestinian dabke music while waving kuffiyehs to bring people into the dancefloor.
From The Wedding Planner
L&M’s wedding was a fusion of Egyptian Muslim traditions and the rich Andalusian heritage of Granada. All the guests who traveled to this city from different countries around the world experienced a unique and unforgettable event, which will remain engraved in their hearts not only for its beauty but also for the deep symbolism and connection that everyone shared.
The wedding took place in one of the most emblematic venues of the city: a historic and elegant palace overlooking the Alhambra, one of the most visited monuments in Spain. The decor, with Arabic elements and fruit blended with the surroundings, created a romantic atmosphere and highlighting the essence of the city.
For the reception, the couple wanted to merge Mexican food, as a tribute to the bride’s heritage, with Arabic and local cuisine.
One of the most important elements was undoubtedly the music. During the appetizers, a group of Arabic music enlivened that moment in which the couple and all the wedding guests sang and danced non-stop.
But during dinner, the delicate and sweet sound of the Buzuk created a more relaxed atmosphere, in which everyone enjoyed an evening under the stars.
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