The person who came up with the idea and who was the main patron for the festivities was businessman Levon Hayrapetyan, himself a Karabakh native. A flurry of construction work preceded the festival. The courtyards of the Ghazanchetsots Church in Shushi and the Gandzasar Monastery were spruced up and repaired and a new majestic staircase winding down from Stepanakert’s Renaissance Square down to the sports stadium was built. The number of customers flocking to Stepanakert wedding shops increased dramatically, so much so that shop owners scurried to find old gowns and suits since stored away back on display for the young newlyweds.

See also: Karabakh’s  «Big, Fat» Wedding  is one for the Record Books!