As the countdown to the highly-anticipated Royal Wedding begins, we explore the ins and outs of this historical event…

William and Kate’s Official Engagement pictures were taken by Mario Testino; the venerated photographer has been invited to join the wedding ceremony tomorrow.

The highly-anticipated marriage of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton will take place at Westminster Abbey tomorrow on Friday 29th April 2011. In celebration we explore the ins and outs of this momentous occasion…

WHO WILL MARRY THE COUPLE?

The Dean of Westminster will conduct the service, the Archbishop of Canterbury will marry Prince William and Miss Middleton, and the Bishop of London will give the address. The Archbishop’s and the Dean’s roles are following precedent. The Bishop of London is a personal friend of The Prince of Wales and his family (as well as being Dean of the Chapels Royal). He has known Prince William personally for many years – he confirmed Prince William and officiated at the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Service.

Westminster Abbey in London where the couple will marry tomorrow.

WESTMINSTER ABBEY: THE FACTS

Westminster Abbey, one of Britain’s greatest medieval buildings and among the best-known churches in the world, has a history stretching back over a thousand years. Founded as a Benedictine monastery in the mid-tenth century and with the shrine of its principal royal founder, St Edward the Confessor (died 1066), at its heart, it is also the coronation church where monarchs have been crowned amid great splendour since 1066.

Neither a cathedral nor a parish church, Westminster Abbey was established as a ‘Royal Peculiar’ in 1560 by Queen Elizabeth I. It means that the Abbey is outside the jurisdiction and responsibility of the Church of England and that the Abbey receives no regular funding from the Crown, the Church of England or the government.

The present church, begun by Henry III in 1245 is a treasure house of architectural and artistic achievement on which each succeeding century has left its mark.

Fifteen out of the thirty-nine sovereigns crowned in Westminster Abbey also lie buried within its walls. Many of the significant individuals in British history are remembered here: royalty and aristocracy, clergy and politicians, writers, scientists and musicians. They include Geoffrey Chaucer, Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Dickens, George Frederick Handel and William Gladstone.

Fifteen royal weddings have taken place in Westminster Abbey since King Henry I and Princess Matilda of Scotland married on 11 November 1100. They include HM The Queen and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten (20 November 1947), King George VI and Lady Elizabeth Bowes later to become the Queen Mother (26 April 1923), Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones (6 May 1960), Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson (23 July 1986) and Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips (14 November 1973).

Kate Middleton will walk down an avenue of trees when she enters Westminster Abbey on Friday. Six English field maples and two hornbeams, which are up to 20ft tall, have been installed at the Abbey.

THE ROYAL WEDDING: MINUTE BY MINUTE

A wedding which is being broadcast all over the world to a reported three billion people takes a lot of planning, so what will happen on the actual day? Here is the minute by minute guide…

(NB: All times mentioned are UK time – add 3hrs to get Dubai time)

8.15 -9.45am  The general congregation will arrive at the Great North Door of Westminster Abbey.

From 9.50am  Governors-General and Prime Ministers of Realm Countries, the Diplomatic Corps, and other distinguished guests arrive at     the Abbey.

10.10am The Bridegroom and Prince Henry of Wales leave Clarence House for Westminster Abbey.  They arrive at the Abbey at 10.15am.

10.20am Members of Foreign Royal Families arrive at Westminster Abbey from Buckingham Palace.

10.20am Mrs. Michael (Carole) Middleton and Mr. James Middleton leave the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey.  They arrive at the Abbey at 10.27am.

10.25am Members of the Royal Family (except those listed below) leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey.  They arrive at the Abbey at 10.30am.

10.35am The following Members of the Royal Family leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey.  They arrive at the Abbey at 10.40am:

The Duke of York, Princess Beatrice of York, Princess Eugenie or York, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence

10.38am The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall leave Clarence House for Westminster Abbey.  They arrive at the Abbey at 10.42am.

10.40am The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh leave Buckingham Palace for Westminster Abbey.  They arrive at the Abbey at 10.45am.

10.48am The Bridesmaids and Pages leave the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey.  They arrive at the Abbey at 10.55am.

10.51am The Bride, accompanied by Mr. Michael Middleton, leaves the Goring Hotel for Westminster Abbey.

11.00am The Marriage Service begins.  The Marriage Service will be relayed by audio speakers along the Route.

12.15pm The Carriage Procession of the Bride and Bridegroom with a Captain’s Escort of the Household Cavalry, followed by The Queen’s Procession with a Sovereign’s Escort of the Household Cavalry, leaves Westminster Abbey for Buckingham Palace.

12.30pm The Bride’s Carriage Procession arrives at Buckingham Palace.

12.40pm Members of the Royal Family and Members of Foreign Royal     Families arrive at Buckingham Palace.

From 12.40pm Other guests for the Reception arrive at Buckingham Palace.

1.25pm The Queen and the Bride and Bridegroom, together with their   Families, appear on the Balcony.

1.30pm Fly Past by the Royal Air Force and Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.

WHO ARE THE MEMBERS OF THE WEDDING PARTY?

Miss Philippa Middleton, Miss Catherine Middleton’s sister, will be her Maid of Honour and Prince Harry will be Prince William’s Best Man.

The Bridesmaids and Page Boys will be:
The Lady Louise Windsor, aged 7 – daughter of The Earl and Countess of Wessex; first cousin of Prince William. The Hon. Margarita Armstrong-Jones, aged 8 – daughter of Viscount and Viscountess Linley (née The Hon. Serena Stanhope); second cousin of Prince William. Miss Grace van Cutsem, aged 3 – daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Hugh van Cutsem (née Rose Astor); goddaughter of Prince William. Miss Eliza Lopes, aged 3 – daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Lopes (née Laura Parker Bowles); granddaughter of The Duchess of Cornwall. Master William (Billy) Lowther-Pinkerton, aged 10 – son of Mr. and Mrs. Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton (née Susannah Richards); no relation; son of Prince William and Prince Harry’s Private Secretary. Master Tom Pettifer, aged 8 – son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pettifer (née Alexandra [Tiggy] Legge-Bourke); godson of Prince William.

The Bridesmaids and Pages will perform the traditional role of Bridesmaids and Pages on the day.  They will be with the Bride on the morning of the wedding, accompany her down the aisle and return with the newly married couple up the aisle.  The Bridesmaids and Pages will also have places in the Carriage Procession from the Abbey to Buckingham Palace.

WHO IS LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE INVITED?

The Invitations

 

Around 1,900 people have been invited to the service at Westminster Abbey. Around 650 people have been invited to the lunchtime reception at Buckingham Palace given by The Queen. Around 300 people have been invited to the dinner at Buckingham Palace given by The Prince of Wales.

The invitations were posted in February.  The EIIR on the invitation is die-stamped in gold and then burnished. The text on the invitation is also die-stamped. The edges of the invitation are bevelled then gilded. The invitations were printed by Barnard and Westwood.

Decisions on invitations were made by the couple jointly. They worked with Members of their own Household, and The Queen’s and The Prince of Wales’s Households to draw up the final list.

A rough breakdown of numbers of guests is as follows (this includes spouses):

• The vast majority of guests are drawn from Prince William and Miss Middleton’s Family and Friends – over 1,000
• Over 50 Members of The Royal Family
• Over 40 Members of Foreign Royal Families
• Over 200 Members of Government, Parliament and Diplomatic Corps
• Approximately 80 guests drawn from Prince William’s charities, including some individuals who are not in senior positions, who the Prince has known for some time
• 60 Governors-General and Realm Prime Ministers
• 30 Members of the Defence Services

Members of the British Royal Family
The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Henry of Wales, The Duke of York, Princess Beatrice of York, Princess Eugenie of York, The Earl and Countess of Wessex, The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Timothy Laurence, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Phillips, Miss Zara Phillips with Mr. Mike Tindall, Viscount Linley and Viscountess Linley and The Hon. Charles Armstrong-Jones, The Lady Sarah Chatto and Mr. Daniel Chatto and Master Samuel Chatto and Master Arthur Chatto, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, The Earl and Countess of Ulster, The Lady Davina and Mr. Gary Lewis, Lady Rose and Mr. George Gilman, The Duke and Duchess of Kent, Earl and Countess of St. Andrews, Lord Downpatrick, The Lady Marina-Charlotte Windsor, The Lady Amelia Windsor, The Lord and Lady Nicholas Windsor, The Lady Helen Taylor and Mr. Timothy Taylor, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, The Lord and Lady Frederick Windsor

The Lady Gabriella Windsor, Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy, Mr. and Mrs. James Ogilvy, Miss Marina Ogilvy, The Lady Saltoun.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi will attend the royal wedding tomorrow

Members of Foreign Royal Families
The Prince and Princess of the Asturias, The Crown Prince of Bahrain, Prince Philippe and Princess Mathilde of Belgium, The Sultan of Brunei and Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha, King Simeon II and Queen Margarita of the Bulgrarian, The Queen of Denmark, King Constantine and Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes, Crown Prince Pavlos and Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece and Prince Constantine of Greece, Sheikh Ahmad Hmoud Al-Sabah of Kuwait, Prince Seeiso Bereng Seeiso and Princess Mabereng Seeiso of Lesotho, The Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg, The Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Raja Permaisuri Agong of Malaysia, Prince Albert II of Monaco and Miss Charlene Wittstock, Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco, The Crown Prince and Princess of The Netherlands, The King and Queen of Norway, Sayyid Haitham bin Tariq Al Said of Oman, The Emir of The State of Qatar and Sheika Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned, King Michael I of Romania and Crown Princess Margarita, Prince Mohamed bin Nawaf bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia and Princess Fadwa bint Khalid bin Abdullah bin Abdulrahman, The Queen of Spain, The King of Swaziland, The Crown Princess of Sweden and The Duke of Västergötland, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, The King of Tonga, The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Yugoslavia, The Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia.

Other notable guests include David & Victoria Beckham, Sir Elton John, Mario Testino and Guy Ritchie.

Prince William, as President of the Football Association, has met footballer David Beckham on a number of occasions. They recently worked together as Ambassadors of England’s 2018 World Cup Bid.

The following Members of the Royal Family will be seated on the front row (South Lantern), in order starting closest to the Sacrarium:

The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh, The Prince of Wales, The Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Harry.

The following members of the Middleton Family will be seated on the front row (North Lantern), in order starting closest to the Sacrarium:

Mrs. Carole Middleton, Mr. Michael Middleton and Mr. James Middleton. (The remaining places on the front row are still TBC).

The following members of the Spencer Family will be seated on the front row of their block (North Lantern), in order starting closest to the Sacrarium:

The Lady Sarah McCorquodale, Mr. Neil McCorquodale, Mrs. Anne Wake-Walker, The Lord Robert Fellowes, The Lady Jane Fellowes, The Earl Spencer and Miss Karen Gordon.

The Earl of Spencer – Charles Spencer, William’s mother – Diana Princess of Wales brother.

THE ROUTE, CARS AND CARRIAGES

The route between Buckingham Palace and the Abbey goes by The Mall, Horse Guards Road, Horse Guards Parade, through Horse Guards Arch, Whitehall, Parliament Square (the south side) and Broad Sanctuary.  A full map is available at: www.officialroyalwedding2011.org

The additional route from the Goring Hotel to The Mall goes by way of Grosvenor Place, Buckingham Palace Road and Buckingham Gate to The Mall. The Wedding Service will be relayed by audio speakers along the Route.  This is in addition to the screens already announced at Hyde Park and Trafalgar Square.

Miss Middleton and Prince William will travel separately to the wedding service using State Cars from the Royal Mews.

Miss Middleton will travel in a Rolls Royce Phantom VI, accompanied by her father. The Rolls Royce was presented to The Queen in 1978 for her Silver Jubilee by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders.

Prince William will travel in a Bentley, accompanied by Prince Harry. The State Bentleys have been uniquely designed enabling greater use to be made of the vehicle’s interior space. The Bentleys are 6.22 metres long and, at 3.84 meters, their wheelbase is 1.3 metres longer than that of an average family sized saloon.

State cars are painted in Royal claret livery. The Rolls-Royces and Bentleys do not have registration number plates, since they are State vehicles. On processional occasions, the State cars travel at around nine miles per hour, and sometimes as slow as three miles per hour.

CARRIAGES:

At the end of their wedding service at Westminster Abbey, Prince William and Miss Middleton will travel in the 1902 State Landau along the Processional Route to Buckingham Palace. The route will include Parliament Square, Whitehall, Horse Guards Parade and The Mall. In the event of severely wet weather, the couple will travel in The Glass Coach.

William’s parents, the Prince and Princess of Wales on their wedding day in the 1902 State Landau

The 1902 State Landau was specifically built for King Edward VII in 1902 and was intended to be used at his Coronation. It is the carriage in most general use at the Royal Mews and is usually used by The Queen to meet Foreign Heads of State when they arrive on State Visits to Britain. The Prince of Wales travelled to St Paul’s Cathedral in the 1902 State Landau for his wedding in 1981, returning in it with The Princess of Wales after the service. The Duke and Duchess of York also used it for their return to Buckingham Palace at their wedding in 1986.  The 1902 State Landau is painted in a lighter shade of maroon than the other coaches and richly adorned with gold leaf and upholstered in a crimson satin. It is normally used open, and drawn by six horses.

The Glass Coach carried Lady Diana Spencer, William’s late mother, to her wedding in 1981

The Glass Coach was built in 1881 and was purchased for use at King George V’s Coronation in 1911. The Glass Coach has carried previous Royal brides to their weddings – Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon in 1923, Princess Alexandra in 1963, Princess Anne in 1973, Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 and Miss Sarah Ferguson in 1986.

The Glass Coach was built by A. Peters and Sons, as a sheriff’s town coach before being purchased shortly before King George V’s coronation. It is driven by a coachman from the box seat with two or four horses, has special interior lighting and is known as the Glass Coach on account of its large glass windows.

THE MUSIC

Two choirs, one orchestra and two fanfare teams will perform the music at the Wedding Service of Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton at Westminster Abbey tomorrow, these are…

• The Choir of Westminster Abbey
• The Choir of Her Majesty’s Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace
• The London Chamber Orchestra
• The Fanfare Team from the Central Band of the Royal Air Force
• The State Trumpeters of The Household Cavalry

THE WEDDING CAKE

Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton have chosen Leicestershire-based cake designer, Fiona Cairns to create their wedding cake.  The wedding cake will be a multi-tiered traditional fruit cake.  The cake, which will be decorated with cream and white icing, will have a strong British floral theme using elements of the Joseph Lambeth technique.  Ms. Cairns was chosen for her creative style and beautifully crafted handmade cakes using traditional British ingredients.

THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Prince William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton have selected Hugo Burnand to be the official photographer at their wedding on the 29th April.  Mr Burnand will be take official photographs in the State Apartments at Buckingham Palace following the wedding at Westminster Abbey. He has photographed Prince William a number of times.

Mr Burnand has photographed Prince William privately before and was the official photographer at the wedding of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall in 2005.  He also took the official 60th birthday photograph of The Prince of Wales.

A picture of William’s father, The Prince of Wales taken by Hugo Burnand

Mr Burnand is a well known portrait photographer and has photographed Lucien Freud, Lady Thatcher, Victoria Beckham and John Magnier. He regularly works with Conde Nast Publications including House & Garden Magazine and Tatler.

INSTRUMENT OF CONSENT

The beautifully illuminated Instrument of Consent, which will be sent to the royal newlyweds to keep after next week’s wedding, is signed by the Queen in the top right corner.

Under the terms of the Royal Marriages Act 1772 the Monarch is required to formally approve the marriage of her children and most direct descendents of King George II before their marriage. The formal approval is evidenced by a legal Instrument called an Instrument of Consent.  The process involved is for The Queen to make a formal Declaration of Consent at a meeting of the Privy Council at which she also signs the Instrument of Consent and a Warrant directing the Lord Chancellor to pass that Instrument under (seal with) the Great Seal of the Realm. Her Majesty formally gave her consent to the marriage of Prince William to Catherine Middleton under the 1772 Act by making the Declaration at the meeting of the Privy Council on the 9th February 2011.

It reads: “Now know ye that We have consented and do by these Presents signify Our Consent to the contracting of Matrimony between Our Most Dearly Beloved Grandson Prince William Arthur Philip Louis of Wales, K.G. and Our Trusty and Well-beloved Catherine Elizabeth Middleton.”

CHARITY

Prince William and Miss Catherine Middleton have set up a charitable gift fund for those who very generously may wish to donate to charity to help the couple celebrate their wedding.

Having been touched by the goodwill shown them since the announcement of their engagement, Prince William and Miss Middleton have asked that anyone who might wish to give them a wedding gift consider giving instead to a charitable fund. Donations can be made through the website www.royalweddingcharityfund.org which includes a full list of the charities to benefit, personally chosen by Prince William and Miss Middleton.

SOCIAL MEDIA

The range of social media around the event will include the Official Royal Wedding website, the British Monarchy Flickr account, Twitter (@ClarenceHouse), The Royal Channel on YouTube and the British Monarchy Facebook page. This is in line with the Couple’s wishes to make the wedding as accessible as possible for as many people as want to participate.

For the first time, broadcast footage of a royal wedding will be live streamed on The Royal Channel on YouTube (www.youtube.com/theroyalchannel), accompanied by a live multi-media blog put together by St James’s Palace.

The Royal Channel will host a live stream ’gadget’, produced by Google, which will stream the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton live on the day from 10am until 2pm.  This will include the couple’s journey to and from Westminster Abbey, the Wedding Service, balcony appearance and fly past.

WHO IS CATHERINE MIDDLETON?

The future wife of Prince William, Catherine Middleton

Catherine Elizabeth Middleton was born to Michael and Carole Middleton at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading, on 9th January 1982.  Catherine is the eldest of three children.

Catherine was christened at the parish church of St Andrew’s Bradfield in Berkshire on 20th June 1982.

In May 1984, at the age of two, Catherine moved with her family to Amman in Jordan, where her father worked for two and a half years.  Catherine attended a nursery school in Amman from the age of three.

In September 1986, the Middletons returned to their home in West Berkshire, and Catherine started at St Andrew’s School in Pangbourne, where she remained until July 1995.  Catherine went on to Marlborough College in Wiltshire, where she studied Chemistry, Biology and Art at A-level.  Catherine also took part in sport on behalf of the school, playing tennis, hockey and netball and participating in athletics, particularly high jump.  Catherine completed her Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award at Marlborough.

Leaving Marlborough College in July 2000, Catherine undertook a gap year in which she studied at the British Institute in Florence, undertook a Raleigh International programme in Chile, and crewed on Round the World Challenge boats in the Solent.

In 2001, Catherine enrolled at the University of St Andrews, Fife, from where she graduated in 2005 with a 2:1 in History of Art.  Catherine continued with her interest in sport at University, playing hockey for the University team.  Catherine first met Prince William when studying at the University.

Since completing her degree, Catherine has worked for Party Pieces, a company owned and run by her parents.  Alongside her work for the family business, Catherine worked in London as a part-time buyer for the clothing company Jigsaw Junior.

In 2008, Catherine launched First Birthdays, a junior brand to Party Pieces.  Her role within the family business included catalogue design and production, marketing and photography.

Catherine’s hobbies include recreational sports such as hill walking, tennis, swimming, sailing, and the arts such as photography and painting.

JUST FOR FUN

An artist has created a royal wedding portrait of Prince William and Kate Middleton using 11,000 jelly beans. Malcolm West from Hersham, Surrey, spent up to ten hours a day over a period of more than five weeks painstakingly sticking each sweet on to his creation

Artist George Vlosich spent 125 hours creating this portrait of Prince William and Kate Middleton on an Etch a Sketch

Lego models of Prince William and Kate Middleton share a kiss in front of a model of Buckingham Palace in Miniland at Legoland Windsor, Berkshire

Royal fan John Loughrey, from Wandsworth, south London, has been camped outside Westminster Abbey since Monday in order to secure a prime position!

FASHION

WHO WILL DESIGN THE WEDDING DRESS OF THE CENTURY?

The fashion world is in hot debate as to which designer Ms Middleton has chosen to create her wedding dress. It is almost certain to be a British designer, with most of the fashion pack hedging their bets on Alexander McQueen (now headed by Sarah Burton), Alice Temperley of Temperley London, Sophie Cranston, Vivienne Westwood or Georgina Chapman of Marchesa. Who do you hope will design the future Queen of England’s wedding gown?  Who deserves that crown?

Go and download your free copy of the Official Wedding Programme NOW http://ph1.cerosmedia.com/1B4db9637e64402583.cde

Tune into the @SymphonyTweets twitter tomorrow for live fashion updates ♥

Grazia Style Awards to be hosted by British designer Henry Holland in Dubai!

Grazia Middle East have just announced that this year’s Grazia Style Awards will be hosted by British designer Henry Holland – how exciting!

The ceremony will be held at the new Ritz-Carlton in DIFC on May 4^th 2011.

If you haven’t already done so we would really appreciate it if you could VOTE SYMPHONY for BEST BOUTIQUE. It only takes 3 minutes and you could win some amazing prizes.

We will love you forever ♥

Please vote SYMPHONY for BEST BOUTIQUE at this year’s Grazia Style Awards here

Thank you for your support Symphony Stylers! Fingers & toes crossed for us!!

Music Monday: Fashion by David Bowie, submitted by FINSK designer Julia Lundsten

Fashion by David Bowie, submitted by FINSK designer Julia Lundsten
Which film do you recognise this from? Clue: the main character is called Cher…

The Ara Gallery launches with an elegant and inspiring event

Last night, The Ara Gallery officially launched with an elegant and inspiring event at the striking new gallery, which is located in Downtown Dubai. The inaugural exhibition “Through the Eyes of Africa’s Children” was beautifully presented and the who’s-who of the art world was in attendance, including His Excellency Abdul Rahman Mohammed Nassir Al Owais, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development.

At around 8pm guests were ushered outside to be seated under the watchful eye of the awe-inspring Burj Khalifa and begin the charity auction which was led by Christies auction house. The six local artists that contributed to the inaugural exhibition “Through the Eyes of Africa’s children” kindly donated artworks for the auction – which saw 100% of the money raised going to Habitat for Humanity. The auction raised a whopping 163,500dhs one hundred per cent of which will be donated to Habitat to help the children in Lesotho.

Congratulations to The Ara Gallery team for such an amazing evening and for bringing a spotlight to such an incredible charity and cause.

If you missed out last night don’t worry – on Saturday the 23^rd of April at 4pm The Ara Gallery is putting on an artist tour led by three of the exhibiting artists – Saeed Al Madani, Maryam Al Sayegh and Maryam Al Qassimi.

Saeed Khalifa’s piece, ‘The Nest’ (above), which brought in the highest bid of the evening, 50,000 AED!

For more information about The Ara Gallery visit their lovely new website http://thearagallery.ae/

The Ara Gallery launches TONIGHT with a very special event and boy are we excited!

The Ara Gallery, Downtown Dubai

New art concept The Ara Gallery launches tonight with a very special inaugural exhibition; an event which marries art and philanthropy.

Back in November 2010, The Ara Gallery team sent disposal cameras donated by Kodak ME to underprivileged children in Lesotho, Africa. In partnership with Habitat for Humanity, the children were asked to take pictures of ‘happiness’. For their first exhibition, The Ara Gallery invited six local Emirati artists to translate these photographs taken by the children in Lesotho. Alia Al Shamsi, Maryam Al Sayegh, Maryam Al Qassimi, Khawla Al Marri, Saeed Al Madani and Saeed Khalifa have all captured their favourite child’s image and presented them through varying mediums.

The Ara Gallery will celebrate its grand opening and inaugural exhibition, “Through the Eyes of Africa’s Children”, tonight featuring an art auction for charity which will be lead by Christie’s auction house. One hundred percent of the money raised from this auction will be donated to Habitat for Humanity’s Orphans and Vulnerable Children program in Lesotho. In addition, all artwork purchased from this exhibition will see 2.5% of the retail price donated, in line with Zakat, to the charity.

The Ara Gallery’s opening will be inaugurated by His Excellency Abdul Rahman Mohammed Nassir Al Owais, Minister of Culture, Youth and Community Development.

Tonight’s event is open to the public and starts at 7pm, for more information please RSVP here

See you there!

The Ara Gallery

Burj Plaza, Emaar Boulevard

April 21 st, 7-10pm

www.facebook.com/thearagallery

Our Last Days as Children, Alia Al Shamsi

Untold Story. Saeed Madani

Home, Khawla Al Marri

Our Festi-Besti’s from Coachella 2011

Take a look at some of our favourite festival ensembles from this year’s Coachella Music Festival in LA which closed on Monday…

Cute Embellishment: Alexa Chung
Photo Credit: Cara Stricker for vogue.com

Maxi lengths, low waists: Amira
Photo Credit: Cara Stricker for vogue.com

Embroidery, denim and fluorescent orange: Camilla Belle

Lace, white and maxi: all of the best ingredients for a festival outfit!

Old-School Satchel: Dorothea Barth Jorgensen
Photo Credit: Cara Stricker for vogue.com

Leather and Lace: Harley Viera-Newton
Photo Credit: Cara Stricker for vogue.com

Americana: Kate Bosworth

Polka dots: Kelly Osbourne
Photo Credit: Cara Stricker for vogue.com

Felt floppy hat & sheer oversized blouse: Lily Adicoff
Photo Credit: Cara Stricker for vogue.com

Big Bow Headscarf: Luna White
Photo Credit: Cara Stricker for vogue.com

Summery shirts: Phillip Lim
Photo Credit: Cara Stricker for vogue.com

Statement sunnies: Simone Van Werkhoven
Photo Credit: Cara Stricker for vogue.com

Céline Womenswear SS11: Kanye West

Lace and Stripes: Whitney Port

Music Monday

Forget You by Cee Lo Green. Submitted by Rupert Sanderson.

Belle Sauvage Spring/Summer 2011 at Symphony

Belle Sauvage is a new addition to Symphony for Spring/Summer 2011. Since establishing the Belle Sauvage label in 2008 the brand has secured a growing celebrity fan base and can count Kelly Osbourne, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Fergie, and The Ting Tings as fans. Virginia Ferreira and Christian Neuman, the design duo behind Belle Sauvage have come to be known for the slick combination of Chris’ vivid digital prints and Virginia’s sharp, imaginative silhouettes. Prints this season are inspired by American abstract expressionism paying reference to artists such as Frank Stella and Jeff Koons., and silhouettes pay homage to Brutalism in architecture and structure. A diverse colour palette ranging from lively yellows and reds through to cool blue and purple tones bring prints alive continuing the bold Belle Sauvage trademark aesthetic.

Belle Sauvage Spring/Summer 2011 collection is new in at Symphony, Ground Floor Fashion Avenue, The Dubai Mall, T: 04 330 8050 now! ♥

Whitney Port presents her life-changing journey from Dubai to Liberia at The 2nd Annual FACE Africa Gala

On Saturday, March 26th, FACE Africa hosted their 2nd Annual Clean Water Benefit Gala at The Taj Hotel in Boston. Over 200 guests attended the event which was being held to raise awareness and funds for their clean water initiatives in Liberia. The program included a remark from Honorary Chair of the evening M. Nathaniel Barnes, followed by a video presentation about Whitney Port and her family’s involvement with FACE Africa and their recent humanitarian trip to Liberia which we, at Symphony, were honoured to be a part of. Port said a few words regarding her involvement with FACE Africa and her dedication to continue supporting the organization’s projects in Liberia. The event raised a total of $75,000 thanks to the generosity of the guests, sponsors and other community-spirited people and companies who all contributed.

Back in October Symphony sponsored Whitney Port’s trip to Liberia in aid of FACE Africa. Watch this eye-opening video which follows Whitney’s trip to Dubai and Africa. We are so honoured to have been a part of this wonderful project and amazing charity.

Feeling inspired? Want to help? Please donate to this worthwhile cause here: http://www.faceafrica.org/donate ♥

Music Monday

Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) by Arcade Fire. Submitted by Chris Benz.