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A "market vendor" charms guests.
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A live donkey and his handler add ambience. Having so much "marketplace" food in front of the animal props required deft handling.
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A snake charmer and her friend say hello to a guest.
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Volunteer hostesses serve as decor on their own.
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An oversize Aladdin's magic lamp adds to the mood; it "smoked" thanks to dry ice.
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Table cards feature an Arabic-style font, as did the invitation.
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The entrance to the cocktail area beckons with plants and fabric in vivid fuchsia and tangerine hues.
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The "hookah lounge" cocktail area features Arabic dancers posing in tableaux.
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A henna artists shows offer her skill in the cocktail area. Fortune-tellers gave guests tales of things to come.
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Another area of the hookah lounge. Tents with ottomans and lounge seating create special spaces.
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A festive tabletop in the cocktail area.
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Wait staff, also attired via eBay.
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The stunning dining room, featuring dramatic swags of fuchsia and tangerine.
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Moroccan lamps add extra detail.
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Gold chiavaris are festooned with hip scarves on the women's chairs; many women later wore them while dancing.
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The lavish tabletop.
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Three different centerpieces alternate on tables.
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And the third centerpiece.
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Moroccan tea glasses serve as water glasses.
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The menu features authentic dishes tweaked to suit Western tastes. It included a trio of mezze salads; b'steeya with spicy stuffed eggplant; lamb with couscous; melon and pomegranate salad; and Sheherazade's dream cake, with mint tea, baklava and Turkish delight candy.
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The orchestra plays authentic instruments including a kanun, a riq and a katem.
