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Interview with Zainab Alsalih
Give us a brief overview of your company
Carousel started as a corporate event planning agency , designing and executing some amazing corporate events . One year later , we were asked to plan a wedding for a beautiful multi-cultural couple , and it was a wonderful experience . I loved everything about the experience , and as the saying goes , the rest is history . Over the next several years , Carousel has proudly created some of the most stunning weddings and events in the UAE for brides and clients from across the world . Today , we are also applying our experience and creativity to helping people create stylish , comfortable and functional living environments , through our new venture , called “ Carousel Casa .” The past few months have re-affirmed to all of us the value of family , and the importance of spending quality time with those we love , in beautiful and healthy spaces .
What is it about the wedding and event planning industry that attracted you to it ?
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 a positive impact on people ’ s lives . With time , I also began to better understand and appreciate my natural strengths : an artistic flair , a gift for communicating , and an obsessive attention to detail .
While being a wedding planner seems to have a certain appeal to people , and so many young girls I talk to want to do it , the truth is , it ’ s extremely hard work , and is one of the most stressful careers one can have . Behind the beauty and the joy of the event itself , there is a lot of hard work , stress , and drama . If you can ’ t handle the hard part of it , then you will never get to the best part of it , but when you do , it makes all the hard work so worthwhile . Seeing the joy on the faces of my bride and groom , and the deep sense of gratitude from their families , makes what I do so meaningful , and so gratifying .
I was also lucky to have people around me who recognized these talents in me , and encouraged me to develop 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 friends and my mother all played a key role in encouraging me to do what I am doing today .