Meet the lady behind couples’ happiness

CAIRO – 5 November 2017: A person’s wedding night is the one where everyone serves on them hand and foot to fulfill every wish and dream they had to make this night as perfect as they want it to be.

That’s exactly why choosing the right wedding planner who understands your needs and dreams and can bring them all to reality is the first step in ensuring a night to remember. Sally El Torgoman has been one of the biggest names in the world of wedding planning, establishing herself as one of the most reliable, efficient and resourceful planners in the country with 15 years of experience in spreading joy among couples and their friends and families.

Torgoman started her career first in interior design for two years then shifted to wedding planning. “I started my career as a wedding planner directly after I got divorced,” she says; adding that she didn’t want the constraints of an office job.

“I thought it would be easier to work as a wedding planner, but I was wrong, it is a very time-consuming job and extremely hectic too, but I didn’t ever regret this career shift because wedding planning is simply my passion,” Torgoman elaborated.

With most weddings taking place over weekends, Torgoman realizes how her work affects her social life and explains why she can’t plan her annual schedule like everyone because she might have to plan a wedding at any point.

“I forget all my fatigue because my job’s rewards are much greater, the self-satisfaction I get from helping a couple make their wedding night unforgettable and unbelievable is really priceless,” she adds.

But it’s not always rainbows and butterflies when dealing with as many clients as Torgoman does. It is as unpredictable as you would expect it to be; planning weddings that is. Bad weather, a small error in the lighting system or any other unintentional human errors are enough to hinder her clients’ happiness.

“There was this wedding that I will never, ever forget; it was an outdoor wedding in the garden of one of those five-star hotels. It was supposed to begin at 1 p.m. At that time, the temperature was about 50 degrees and it was a dusty day,” she recounts.

“The bride first refused all our attempts to convince her to move the wedding from the garden to the ballroom. After two hours, she was finally convinced but by then the flowers had all withered because of the weather.” She adds that the final image of the wedding wasn’t up to her standards and reputation and she took all the blame for it, despite it all being out of her hands. She adds that this is all a part of the bill she pays as a wedding planner.

Although forces of nature and other unlikely events are some of the things that hinder her work, she emphasizes that one of the things that make her job worthwhile is the moment when the couple admire and appreciate the efforts she exerts to make their wedding night an amazing one. “Most of the couples I planned their weddings for became my friends, they even recommend me to their friends,” she says.

“Feeling that the bride and bride groom are happier on their wedding day because of my work is indescribable.”

She recounted one of her most memorable weddings; one that was Marilyn Monroe-themed with red and yellow stage lights and a small budget that she prides herself in being able to accomplish all her clients’ dreams with.

“The attendees were dazzled by the atmosphere,” Torgoman recalls.

In addition to her work with couples, Torgoman has worked on various set ups for small and big screens, including series like “Adam and Gamila,” “Vertigo” and “Mowaten X” (Citizen X) and movies like “Bobos,” “Da’wet Farah” (Wedding Invitation) and “A’az As’hab” (Dearest Friends). She explains that working on sets taught her how to showcase the good and hide the bad on set to make things look pretty for the cameras, adding that she learned how to control viewers’ eyes and direct their attention to where she wants it to be.

“I learned to use my eyes as a camera, and how to narrow large spaces and vice versa.”

“Bobos” film was one of the biggest tests in her life, she says. “The production manager told me that they will not pay me until the superstar Adel Imam, the leading actor in the film, comes and approves my work,” she recounts. “I waited eagerly until he came and he was very nice with me and praised my work, I was so proud of myself at that moment.”

Torgoman believes a bride shouldn’t follow any trend for her wedding, but should rather make her own trend based on her taste and what she likes. She recommends a Hawaiian vibe for a summer wedding, mixing colored feathers, flowers, crystals, candles and chandeliers.

“Two or three years ago, all the brides used to prefer natural flowers, but now, most of them prefer artificial flowers because they are more practical, cheaper and create a grander look,” she explains.