MAB Weddings: Simay & Josh

Our April MAB Wedding Highlight is back in DC, but with a couple that had to do some of the planning after moving out of state to Colorado. MAB Bride Simay and her husband Josh created a chic and magical wedding that blended two distinct cultures with the help of Laura Held from Ida Rose Events.

What made you decide on your venue?

We knew we wanted a venue in DC, the city where we met, and a venue that spoke for itself without having to add a lot of extra decor. We got engaged in Paris and when we visited the Anderson House we knew it was the one. We didn’t even tour any other venue. Anderson House is effortlessly beautiful and makes you feel like you are transported to another place, like Paris. It is truly one of the most magical venues in the city.

What was the best part of wedding planning?

The best part was planning an event that was uniquely ours and ours only. We had so many special moments sprinkled into the design and the day-of that were for important to us. Our wedding was the coming together of two cultures (Turkish and American) so we were sure to add aspects that highlighted my Turkish heritage. I think we challenged the catering team a little with those unique requests and they handled it all with grace and excellence. Another example of decor that was uniquely ours is that we made our escort display out of luggage tags because we love traveling and the tags were also the wedding favors for our guests. Since then we have traveled many places with family and friends who attended our wedding and seeing our luggage tags on their bags brings us so much joy.

What was the hardest part?

The pandemic. We had to reschedule our wedding from May 2021 to October 2021. It was worth the wait but the process of rescheduling all the vendors and finding a date that worked for all of them was an incredibly stressful process. We couldn’t have done it without our wedding planner, Laura Held.

How was planning your wedding in DC from Colorado?

We started the process while we were living in DC but moved to Denver soon after. It was important to us that we had a wedding planner we trusted because she was our eyes on site.

You’ve had to deal with a lot of uncertainty because of COVID-19. What helped you handle the stress of not knowing how it might impact your wedding?

The number one thing that absolutely helped relieve stress was having a wedding planner who I trusted to help us navigate through this unique time and who I knew would ensure it would be the most perfect day for us when the time came. Laura Held and her team deserve all the credit!

If you can pick one, what was your favorite moment from your wedding day?

My favorite moment was our first dance. I really wanted to dance to a traditional, difficult, and intimate Turkish folk dance but I had never done it before and it was not like I could find a Turkish dance teacher in Denver to help us. So my husband and I learned the dance by watching YouTube videos and practicing together. I was very proud and happy to show a piece of my culture to our friends and family. Props to my husband, Josh, for his willingness to learn and for impressing our guests!

What is one thing you couldn’t do without at your wedding? From planning, a special feature at your wedding, or while getting ready?

Having a team of vendors who understood our vision and collectively brought it to life. I especially would not have given up the touches of Turkish culture that we embedded into our wedding. Having a planner and a caterer who respected the cultural intricacies, and who had to figure out some unconventional tactics to serve Turkish Raki and Turkish coffee, was key.

What made you choose Makeup By Ana B/MAB Artistry to be your HMU team?

I had seen MAB tagged in many of the weddings I liked while searching for inspo on IG and I just liked how MAB consistently made brides’ look naturally beautiful and glowy. I first worked with Uzma for my engagement photoshoot and I was absolutely in love with the dewy makeup she did for me. I knew we were going to vibe well through this process!

What advice do you have for other brides?

My advice for couples planning a wedding is to think of what truly matters to them and focus on featuring those things on their wedding day. This day is about you and your relationship so your wedding should be the highlight of the things that matter to you. Three more things: get yourself a wedding planner you vibe with because it is absolutely worth it, interview/meet with vendors before choosing and booking them, and find a venue that does not need a lot of dressing up to be beautiful.