RIYADH: Saudi newlyweds Abdulaziz Khashogji and Amirah Al-Bassam tied the knot in style as the first-ever couple to have their “zaffa,” or wedding entrance, on Jeddah’s F1 circuit.
“Both of us have unconventional ideas when it comes to our lifestyles,” the 32-year-old groom told Arab News.
“The shoot and the location were both iconic and really special; we’re both so grateful we made our night as special as our relationship,” 26-year-old bride added.
Last week, the newlyweds made their first entrance as husband and wife on a red 2024 Ferrari Roma Spider waving to their guests and driving across the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, famed as the fastest and longest street circuit in F1 at 6.175 km.
When approaching the planning of their reception and entrance, the couple’s vision was simple, with a slogan of “less is more.”
“I proposed the venue and Amirah thought it would be cool to just have a simple wedding dinner that was iconic. Adding the Ferrari for our entrance was the touch that made it extra special,” Khashogji said.
Photos and videos of the unique wedding reception circulated on social media over the weekend, with many commenters showing interest and excitement over the extraordinary Saudi wedding entrance.
When asked how the idea of the F1 wedding photo shoot came about, Al-Bassam said: “Given that the wedding reception was at the circuit, and my husband is a car and motorsport fanatic, it would have been rude not to,” she said.
“His lifelong passion is Formula 1 and his favorite manufacturer is Ferrari, so we had to do the shoot in a Ferrari at the F1 track,” she added.
“A new benchmark for wedding venues has been set, and it’ll be a tough one to follow.”
Zaid Khashogji, Relative
