Fares & Vitoria
On 29 August 2026, Fares Ghattas and Vitoria celebrated their marriage at the Ghattas Estate in Jiyeh, Lebanon, surrounded by family, friends and guests who had travelled from Lebanon and around the world to share one of the most important nights of their lives.
For all its spectacular details — couture, fireworks, live performances, a mirrored jungle and even a transparent dance floor suspended above a remarkable collection of Japanese koi fish at its heart, the evening was about something much simpler:
Fares and Vitoria getting married.
The couple chose to celebrate their wedding at the Ghattas Estate, making the occasion deeply personal by opening their home rather than selecting a traditional wedding venue.
For Fares, Global CEO of The Luxury Network, the estate represents family, heritage and home. For Vitoria, it became the setting in which a new chapter of their lives would begin together.
They wanted the wedding to be spectacular, but also warm, emotional and unmistakably theirs.
Approximately 400 guests gathered for an evening that began beneath the last light of the Mediterranean sunset and continued late into the night.
And although the scale of the production was extraordinary, the celebration was never conceived simply to impress.
Every element reflected something about the couple: their personalities, their love of nature and beauty, their families, their Lebanese roots and the experience they wanted to share with those closest to them.
A HOME TRANSFORMED
For one extraordinary night, the Ghattas Estate became an entirely different world.
Fares personally conceived the wedding planning and creative direction, developing a Mirrored Jungle concept that combined the existing landscape of the estate with tropical vegetation, reflective architecture, water and dramatic lighting.
The objective was never to hide the character of the property beneath conventional wedding décor.
Instead, the estate itself became the foundation of the design.
Towering palms framed the celebration while Bird of Paradise and lush tropical vegetation appeared throughout the gardens.
Against this organic landscape came the defining architectural element of the wedding:
mirrors.
Mirrored surfaces were incorporated extensively throughout the celebration — across tables, structures and the stage — creating a fascinating dialogue between architecture and nature.
During daylight, the mirrors reflected greenery and sky.
At sunset, they captured the warmth of the fading Mediterranean light.
And after dark, they multiplied candles, illuminated palms, flowers and the movement of hundreds of guests.
The result was constantly changing.
From one perspective, guests saw tropical gardens.
From another, the landscape appeared to continue infinitely through reflection.
Roni Bassil interpreted the botanical jungle chic vision through sculptural floral arrangements mixed with anthurium, bird of paradise,
arica palms and installations integrated throughout the estate rather than simply placed upon it.
Contemporary furniture supplied by Ghorayeb Technotel complemented the mirrored environment, allowing the vegetation, flowers and reflections to remain the protagonists.
The stage itself continued this visual language, using reflective surfaces instead of a conventional backdrop so that the surrounding palms, guests and lighting became part of its architecture.
From ground level, the effect was immersive.
From the sky, its true scale was revealed.
Aerial views transformed the wedding into one enormous composition: gardens, palms, pools, mirrored structures, dining areas, lighting and hundreds of guests appearing together within the landscape of the estate.
It was not simply a venue decorated for a wedding.
For one night, it became a world created for Fares and Vitoria.
WHEN THE MANSION CAME ALIVE
After darkness fell, specially created architectural video mapping transformed the side façade of the Ghattas mansion.
Rather than installing a conventional screen, imagery was projected directly onto the architecture of the house, allowing the existing stone façade, windows and arches to become part of the visual composition.
Botanical imagery inspired by the wedding’s Mirrored Jungle concept travelled across the mansion, visually extending the tropical landscape of the gardens onto the building itself.
Flowers, foliage and points of light appeared across the stonework, while powerful beams of light swept into the night sky above Jiyeh.
The effect blurred the boundary between the permanent architecture of the Ghattas Estate and the temporary world created for the wedding.
The mansion was no longer simply the backdrop to the celebration.
It became part of the show.
From the koi fish moving through the water below to tropical imagery projected across the house and beams of light crossing the sky above, the wedding was conceived on multiple visual levels.
From ground level it felt immersive.
From the sky, its true scale was revealed.
Aerial views transformed the wedding into one enormous composition: the mansion, gardens, palms, pools, mirrored structures, dining areas, projection mapping, lighting and hundreds of guests appearing together within the landscape.
It was not simply a venue decorated for a wedding.
For one night, it became a world created for Fares and Vitoria.
FROM SUNSET TO NIGHT
Guests began arriving from 7:30 PM for the welcome reception.
The experience was designed to unfold gradually.
As guests entered the estate, there was still natural light in the sky. The gardens, tropical installations and mirrored surfaces could be experienced in their daytime form.
Then the sun disappeared.
And the wedding changed with it.
Palms became illuminated.
Candles began glowing across the tables.
Reflections intensified.
The mansion came alive through video mapping.
Beams of light reached into the sky.
The mirrored architecture that had reflected the gardens during the day now captured fragments of colour, light and movement.
Skylight Lebanon, responsible for the evening’s lighting and sound production, helped transform the estate after dark, with light becoming part of the architecture rather than simply a technical necessity.
The transformation prepared guests for the moment everyone had been waiting for.
The entrances.
THE ENTRANCES: TWO MOMENTS, ONE STORY
At approximately 9:00 PM, the atmosphere changed.
Fares’ entrance was conceived as a celebration in itself wearing a made to measure Tom Ford suit.
He entered alongside internationally renowned Lebanese singer Saad Ramadan, whose live performance immediately brought a new energy to the estate.
Joining the entrance were Hayakel Baalbak Dabke, bringing the unmistakable rhythm and movement of Lebanese Dabke into the celebration.
It was joyful, powerful and proudly Lebanese.
Music, dancing and tradition surrounded Fares as he entered among family and friends, many of whom had travelled considerable distances to be there.
Then everything changed.
The energy softened.
The music gave way to anticipation.
And attention turned towards the bride.
For Vitoria’s entrance, Manal Mallat performed a live rendition of “Hallelujah.”
Against the transformed landscape of the Ghattas Estate, Vitoria appeared.
She wore Elie Saab Bridal, embodying the romantic craftsmanship and elegance of one of the most internationally recognised couture houses.
Her gown was complemented by exceptional Graff jewellery.
Her bridal beauty look brought together two celebrated Lebanese talents: Wassim Morkos, who created her hair, and Bassam Fattouh, who created her makeup.
As Manal Mallat’s voice carried across the estate, Vitoria made her way towards Fares.
The contrast between their entrances could not have been more striking.
Fares had entered surrounded by music, Dabke and celebration.
Vitoria arrived through emotion, elegance and the sound of a single voice.
And then they came together.
Fares walked towards his bride and lifted Vitoria and kissed her.
For a moment, the enormous production surrounding them disappeared.
The mirrors.
The tropical landscape.
The lights.
The hundreds of guests.
The months of preparation.
Everything became secondary to the image of Fares holding his bride.
Then the sky erupted.
Fireworks illuminated the Ghattas Estate and the night above Jiyeh as the couple began the celebration together.
Husband and wife.
THE FIRST TASTE OF THE EVENING
The gastronomic experience began before guests ever reached their dinner tables.
For Fares and Vitoria, the welcome reception was designed as the first chapter of the culinary journey rather than simply a waiting period before the main celebration.
A dedicated welcome drinks and canapé experience greeted guests as they arrived at the estate.
The cocktail menu even carried playful references to the newlyweds.
The “Charming Groom” combined a choice of gin or vodka with homemade ginger-mint and lychee syrups, fresh lemon, sparkling water and a finishing layer of red wine.
The “Spicy Ever After” paired tequila or vodka with orange liqueur, homemade mulberry habanero, fresh pomegranate and lemon.
And in a subtle nod to Vitoria’s Brazilian heritage, guests were also served the quintessential Brazilian Caipirinha, made with cachaça, fresh lime and crushed ice.
Alongside the cocktails were fresh juices and traditional refreshments including lemonade with guava, orange with passion fruit, ward and jellab, bringing Brazilian, international and Lebanese influences together from the moment guests arrived.
Moët & Chandon Champagne and an open premium bar completed the drinks experience.
The accompanying canapés set the culinary tone for what would follow: salmon macarons finished with edible gold, Wagyu tartare tartlets with gold dust and edible tuile, and choux aux craquelin with crème fraîche and caviar.
It was the first indication that food would be treated as an integral part of the wedding.
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DINNER WITHIN THE MIRRORED JUNGLE
Following the entrances, guests moved into the formal seated dinner.
A combination of round and long tables had been positioned throughout the transformed estate, surrounded by tropical vegetation, flowers, candlelight and mirrored surfaces.
The tables themselves became part of the landscape.
Reflections allowed flowers, candles and greenery to appear to continue beyond their physical boundaries.
Even the table names were conceived as part of the Mirrored Jungle world.
Rather than traditional numbers, guests discovered names inspired by nature and tropical landscapes — Cedar, Acacia, Cypress, Agave, Oasis, Magnolia, Palm, Azalea, Eden, Blue Macaw, Amazonia, Bird of Paradise, Gardenia, Orchid, Arara, Toucan, Areca, Açaí, Jacaranda and Jasmine.
Every detail reinforced the identity of the wedding.
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A DINNER BETWEEN LEBANON AND BRAZIL
The seated dinner represented the second chapter of the culinary experience.
Fares and Vitoria deliberately moved away from the conventional formula of a large Lebanese wedding buffet in favour of a formal multi-course seated dinner.
Socrate Catering delivered the evening’s catering in collaboration with internationally recognised food artist Chef Omar Sartawi, bringing together precision in service with a more creative approach to presentation.
Guests began with a marinated salmon, quinoa and avocado salad with raspberry coulis.
The second course brought a French influence through berlingots aux cèpes, accompanied by truffle sauce and Parmesan foam.
But the main course carried a particularly personal connection to the bride.
For the wedding, Brazilian picanha was flown especially from Brazil to Lebanon for the night, bringing an authentic taste of Vitoria’s home country to the tables of the Ghattas Estate.
Prepared sous vide, the picanha was served with vegetable purée, demi-glace and chimichurri oil.
It was more than a premium ingredient.
For a wedding bringing together two families and two backgrounds, flying the meat from Brazil specifically for the celebration allowed Vitoria’s heritage to become part of the experience shared with every guest.
The menu therefore travelled, in its own way, between the couple’s worlds — international in execution, Lebanese in hospitality and with a meaningful taste of Brazil at its heart.
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A DESSERT ROOM OF ITS OWN
The culinary experience did not end with the seated dinner.
Instead of serving a single plated dessert, an extensive dessert buffet was created, giving guests another experience to discover as the evening progressed.
The selection moved between European pâtisserie, contemporary sweets and traditional Lebanese flavours.
Cakes and entremets included fraisier, Sacher, red velvet and chocolate cakes, alongside fruit tarts, lemon cloud, chocolate halawa and biscuit with raha.
Verrines, mouhalabiyeh with apricot, meghli, aïch saraya, macarons and a chocolate-dipped kol w chokor pyramid added further variety.
Traditional Arabic desserts included halawet el-jebn, maamoul pistachio, liwa almond, knefeh bil-jibn, karabij with natef and kashta pistachio ice cream, alongside other sweets, fruit and chocolate creations.
In keeping with the scale of the evening, dessert became less a final course than another destination within the wedding.
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THE SECRET BENEATH THE DANCE FLOOR
At the centre of the Ghattas Estate was something no event company could have brought to the wedding or something that have been ever done in any event.
It was already part of the home.
The koi pond.
The large circular pond houses Fares’ private collection of Japanese koi, carefully developed over time and containing remarkable specimens in shades of white, red, orange, yellow and gold.
For the wedding, there was a decision to make.
Cover the pond and forget about it for the evening.
Or make it part of the story.
Fares chose the latter.
A specially engineered transparent dance floor was constructed above the pond, allowing the koi to remain visible beneath the guests.
During dinner, the water became a living visual feature.
Later, when the celebration moved onto the dance floor, flashes of colour appeared beneath guests’ feet as the koi moved through the illuminated water.
Only after discovering the feature did many understand how extraordinary the collection itself was.
Built over time from carefully selected Japanese koi, the private collection is valued at more than US$500,000.
Yet its monetary value was not what made the idea special.
These were not fish brought into a venue as decoration.
They belonged there.
The pond was part of the couple’s home before the wedding and would remain there long after it.
By incorporating it into the celebration rather than hiding it, something genuinely personal became one of the most extraordinary visual elements of the night.
And then it became a dance floor.
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ART IN MOTION
One of the night’s most spectacular moments unfolded around the koi pond after Fares & Vitoria first dance, a brazilian samba show!
Followed by, the internationally acclaimed Lebanese dance NA Productions company curating a special performance inspired by Mayyas.
Their choreography unfolded around the circular pond and transparent dance floor.
The dancers moved around the water.
The koi moved beneath them.
Mirrors multiplied the movement.
The palms and tropical vegetation surrounded them.
And theatrical lighting transformed the entire scene.
For several minutes, dance, water, nature, architecture and reflection became one composition.
It was impossible to separate the performance from its surroundings.
And that was precisely what made it memorable.
It could only have happened there.
At the Ghattas Estate.
At Fares and Vitoria’s wedding.
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MUSIC, TRADITION AND CELEBRATION
Entertainment remained woven throughout the night rather than appearing as a succession of isolated performances.
NA Entertainment contributed to the evening’s entertainment programme and the progression of the celebration.
Saad Ramadan, who had already accompanied Fares’ entrance, later brought his energy back to the wedding through his live performance.
Traditional Lebanese elements introduced through Balbach Dabke sat naturally alongside contemporary entertainment, while Hayakel Baalbak, Samba show, Manal Mallat and Joe Ashkar each brought a completely different artistic character to the evening.
The Mirrored Jungle changed once more.
What guests had first discovered as an elegant reception beneath the setting sun had become a late-night celebration surrounded by tropical vegetation, reflected light, music and movement.
And at its centre, the transparent floor above the koi pond became the dance floor.
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11:30 PM — FIRE IN THE SKY
At approximately 11:30 PM, attention returned to Fares and Vitoria for another defining moment.
The cake cutting.
As the newlyweds cut their 4 meters height hand made wedding cake, the sky above the Ghattas Estate once again erupted into fireworks.
From ground level, the spectacle was dramatic.
From above, it was extraordinary.
The illuminated estate appeared beneath the fireworks: palms and gardens glowing, mirrored surfaces catching the light, the mansion transformed through projection, hundreds of guests surrounding the couple and the Mediterranean landscape stretching beyond.
It became one of the defining aerial images of the wedding.
And with the formal moments complete, the night moved fully into celebration.
Guests filled the dance floor.
Music continued.
And the party carried on late into the night with the singing of Joe Ashkar.
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THE GROOM WHO CREATED HIS OWN WEDDING
Behind the wedding was an unusual creative dynamic.
The groom was also its planner and creative director.
As Global CEO of The Luxury Network, Fares has spent much of his professional life within the international luxury industry, surrounded by exceptional brands, hotels, designers, experiences and events.
Yet when it came to his own wedding, the objective was not to reproduce something he had seen elsewhere.
It was to create something specifically for himself and Vitoria.
Fares personally conceived and oversaw the wedding planning and creative concept.
The Mirrored Jungle.
The transformation of the estate.
The mirrored architecture.
The tropical landscape.
The stage.
The architectural video mapping.
The lighting philosophy.
The guest journey.
The entertainment.
The gastronomic details.
And the decision to transform his koi pond into a transparent dance floor.
The smallest details were considered alongside the largest installations.
But an idea of this scale required an extensive team to bring it to life.
Cheyenne Feghali, together with Arts Crafters LB, led the wedding coordination and production, translating the concept into an event capable of welcoming approximately 400 guests within a private residence.
For one evening, a family estate needed to function with the complexity of a major event venue while never losing the intimacy of being someone’s home.
That balance became one of the wedding’s defining achievements.
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WHEN THE LAST FIREWORK FADED
There are many images that will remain from Fares and Vitoria’s wedding.
Guests arriving to Champagne, cocktails and canapés as the sun began to set and the hanging musicians on the walls.
Fares entering alongside Saad Ramadan, surrounded by Dabke and celebration.
The anticipation before Vitoria appeared.
Manal Mallat singing “Hallelujah” as the bride made her entrance.
Vitoria walking through the estate in Elie Saab and Graff.
Fares lifting his bride into his arms.
The sky exploding in fireworks above them.
Hundreds of guests dining between palms, flowers, candles and mirrors.
Brazilian picanha, flown from Vitoria’s home country especially for the wedding, being served beneath the Lebanese night sky.
The stone façade of the family mansion transformed into a moving canvas of tropical imagery.
Beams of light crossing the sky above Jiyeh.
Mayyas performing around the illuminated koi pond.
Saad Ramadan bringing guests to their feet.
Japanese koi moving beneath the transparent dance floor.
The newlyweds cutting their cake beneath another sky filled with fireworks.
And the aerial view of the Ghattas Estate glowing in the darkness.
But ultimately, the flowers, mirrors, gastronomy, projections, performances and fireworks were never the reason for the celebration.
Fares and Vitoria were.
The wedding marked the beginning of their marriage and the joining of two families, celebrated in a place already filled with family history.
That is perhaps why the Ghattas Estate mattered so much.
When the final guest eventually left, the temporary world created for the wedding began to disappear.
The flowers would be removed.
The production would come down.
The mirrors would disappear.
The projections would go dark.
The stage would be dismantled.
The fireworks had already faded into the night.
But the house remained.
The gardens remained.
The koi continued swimming through the water.
And what remained above all was the memory of the night Fares and Vitoria were married there.
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Photography & Cinematography
Shades Production — @Shadesproduction
Info@hishamsaba.com
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FARES & VITORIA
29 AUGUST 2026 · THE GHATTAS ESTATE · JIYEH, LEBANON
One home. Two families. One extraordinary night — and the beginning of a lifetime together.