Her work simply transports you into another world! Zainab Alsalih, the founder of Carousel manages to keep her clients completely satisfied and happy with her services all these years of her career. Her company Carousel Weddings & Events has proudly created some of the most stunning weddings over the past 9 years. Her company offers a variety of services such as design and execution, flowers, entertainment, photography and video, invitations, stationery, tents, cakes, favors and gifts. Her passion, creativity and talent in combination with a team of remarkable professionals, who work together, create weddings that are simply unforgettable! Today, we are super excited to share with you an interview of this gifted woman to get to know her better!
How did you get into wedding planning?
I have always loved making people happy. There’s something deeply gratifying about bringing people joy and sharing it with them, so I always knew whatever I did, it needed to give me the opportunity to make people happy, and the opportunity to make a positive impact on people’s lives.
With time, I also began to better understand and appreciate what my natural strengths: an artistic flair, a gift for communicating, and an obsessive attention to detail. I was also lucky to have people around me who recognized these talents in me and encouraged me to develop them and apply them. I find it interesting how we can look at ourselves from within and not recognize some of our gifts, and it often takes someone on the outside looking in, to help us recognize and appreciate our own strengths. My husband, my mother and my friends all played a key role in encouraging me to do what I am doing today.
In the end, I combined aspiration with aptitude, and then followed a path, one small step at a time. Looking back, it is indeed true that a journey of a thousand miles, starts with one step…
What do brides need to keep in mind for their wedding day?
This is the happiest day of your life, and you need to allow yourself to enjoy it, and make it a celebration of joy, and not a source of stress.
Tell us about a wedding trend you are excited about at the moment?
Destination weddings. Younger generations have a greater sense of adventure and want to make the wedding not merely a means to an end (i.e. getting married) – but a cause to celebrate, to travel, to be with family and friends, and to have fun.
What’s is the motto you live by professionally?
Do it with passion, or not at all.
What do you still want to achieve professionally?
I want to be able to continue to serve as a positive role model, and to support, mentor and inspire young women in business. I want to write a couple of books, and I want to have the opportunity to share my knowledge and my experiences with as many people as possible.
Who has influenced you the most in your career?
I have been lucky to have so many positive role models, and mentors. My late grandmother instilled in me a desire to seek perfection, my mother instilled in me a sense of independence and confidence, and my husband has been a constant mentor and advisor throughout this journey.
If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Do the best you can do, all the time, and then accept the outcome, whatever it may be. Sometimes, you just have to let things be.
What book are you reading at the moment?
I started reading Michelle Obama’s book, but am just too busy to get through it. I’m hoping I can finish it over the holidays this summer.
Which social media platform do you prefer?
Instagram, for sure.
What is the best advice you received about social media?
Engagement is key. Don’t just post material for the sake of posting, and to get maximum “likes,” but do so to engage with your followers, and make them part of the process. Use it to inspire and be inspired.
Social media is an amazing source of inspiration, and I get good advice and amazing thoughts and inspiration daily. I also get some great laughs. There are a lot of funny people out there, and I do feel laughter is great for the soul.
What is the greatest lesson you have learned in your job?
Take care of people. Whether it’s your clients, your employees, your vendors, your partners. Treat everyone with kindness and be fair. Life is like a Carousel, and what goes around, comes around (and now you know how we came up with our name)!
Who inspires you?
I am always insured by my brides. Their joy, their excitement, their hope for the future, their love. This is what truly continues to inspire me and make what I do so meaningful and gratifying.
One moment, one person or project that marked your career?
My first wedding. It allowed me to transition from a corporate event planner to a wedding planner. I didn’t seek this couple out, they found me, and forever changed my life.
Complete the phrase: -I can’t work without my…..
Team. I have the greatest team in the world, and I can’t imagine doing anything without them.
If you weren’t a wedding planner you would be …
A baker. For sure. In fact, I might still do so one day…
Are there any trends that you especially love?
Young couples mixing old traditions, with new.
Which is the personal touch that IS ALWAYS present at weddings you design and plan?
I name each of my weddings, using specific details from the wedding, the theme, the couples, their background, etc.
What’s the most spectacular wedding you have ever put together?
After 10 years of doing this, it is impossible to name one. It’s a bit like asking me which of my 3 sons I love the most. Impossible to answer.
What has been your favorite celebrity wedding?
I loved Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel’s wedding. It was a beautiful wedding, at a beautiful venue which I visited, in Puglia, Italy, and most of all, it looked like they really enjoyed themselves.
Any exciting new projects you are planning in the near future?
Yes! I can’t say too much yet, but stay tuned…
