Coming Together

Paul Jonna, Acting Editor in Chief

Our annual wedding guide is one of our most highly anticipated issues of the year. Readers look forward to hearing about the latest trends coming to a wedding near them. 

This year, writer Bianca Kasawdish caught up with event planners extraordinaire, Lawrence Yaldo and Andrew Keina, co-founders of Top That Table. For over 15 years, Lawrence and Andy have been creating and pulling off celebratory events that rival A list celebrity parties.  

While Chaldean weddings are known for their grandeur and sometimes over the top styles, Yaldo and Keina explained that this wedding season is all about keeping it simple; less is more, they explained.

Agreeing with the “less is more” sentiment this wedding season is Jonathan Elias, who is better known as the Pastry Guru. Featured on the Food Network’s Halloween Baking Championship, Elias knows a thing or two about cakes. With several years of cake making for weddings under his belt, the Pastry Guru is noticing a move in the direction of simple and sophisticated themes.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Zaffet Joseph Entertainment company believes “more is more” when it comes to the age old and beloved zaffa. Joseph Toma, who grew up with a passion for entertaining, took the zaffa we typically see at Chaldean weddings and amplified it. Instead of one drummer, Toma created a team of dancing drummers to make the zaffa entrance unforgettable. 

Aside from all being prominent players in the wedding industry, there is a common thread that ties all these vendors together: it’s all about the coming together of the bride and groom to celebrate their union as one.

While they each have their own ideas of what trends are going to be more or less popular, these industry professionals are committed to working with engaged couples in making their dream wedding a reality.

This thread is not just common among wedding industry professionals, but is actually a common thread that ties the Chaldean community together as a whole. From Iraq to the United States, the Chaldean community has faced adversity and challenges, but our community has always banded together to ensure the long-term progression of our culture.  

It does not matter where in the world we are, our community understands the importance of unity. This unity is not specific to our community, though. We have only been able to thrive because we understand the importance of extending a hand across communities to build meaningful lasting relationships to benefit each community in which we live. 

Paul Jonna
Acting Editor in Chief