Wedding time! Next stop: Dubai

Dubai has long established itself as a premier wedding locale. Statistics published by leading wedding fair The Bride Show late last year only supported this when it revealed that 40 per cent of the 2,410 respondents surveyed preferred to host their big day here. But recent trends are seeing it fashion itself as a wildly popular choice for destination weddings as well. Wedding planners and photographers have noted a definite spike in the number of such requests over the last few years and you only need to Google the words 'Destination Wedding Dubai' to be hit by scores of hotels vying for your attention with their 'match made in heaven' offerings, tailored for 'wedding tourists'.

"The interest in Dubai as a wedding destination has doubled over the years and it is very popular now for couples to contact us and plan an entire wedding over Skype," reveals Clare Ebbs, managing partner of Dubai-based wedding concierge service, Aghareed, which oversees about 30 weddings a year on average. "In fact, 50 per cent of our business comes from organising destination weddings now."
Events director Tasneem Alibhai says their UAE-based event management company Eventive coordinates 4-5 large-scale weddings a year - with couples coming in from the UK, Africa and especially India ("since it is nearby and there are fewer visa issues"). Dubai is a very cosmopolitan city that offers luxury and great hospitality, she explains of the trend. "Locations like the Burj Khalifa, Burj al Arab and The Palm are iconic, if you're looking for something really special. The city makes for a wonderful backdrop for photographers, whether they use the coastline or the spectacular architecture - and it's also a great excuse for your friends and family to have a mini holiday. What's not to love?"
The UAE's wedding industry is a robust one, conservatively valued at about $1.2 billion per year, with approximately 15,000 ceremonies taking place here every year. Industry experts peg October to April as the busiest months, with requests for destination weddings coming in from as far off places as Canada and the US. Apparently, all you need is high-speed Internet!
Joelle Clute, founder of the blog 'My Lovely Wedding', talks of a wedding she styled last December for a couple from Sweden. "We planned everything by email and
Whatsapp and met only a few days before the big day. To date, it's one of my favourite weddings because they trusted me so much. I was given a lot of creative freedom and it really paid off!"
Location, location
In Clare's experience, couples that live abroad but want to host their wedding here usually have a connection to Dubai. "They either have family here, have visited the city many times in the past or got engaged here, and so want to come back to celebrate that special day." Destination weddings are usually a lot more intimate, she adds, but are a pleasure to organise, as all - or most - of the guests will be flying over, resulting in celebrations being spread across the week, instead of just for a day.
Depending on where the couples are from, Joelle says the order of the day can be very different. "Green outdoor venues overlooking the beach are some of the most popular with couples here. Venues like The Address Montgomerie and The Ritz-Carlton JBR remain favourites in Dubai."
Clare agrees that the preference is for ceremonies conducted out in the open. "For destination weddings, it is more likely to be held outside, on the beach or in a private venue with gardens," she says. "We work very closely with the Jumeirah Group as they have some beautiful 'hidden gem' locations and access to the beach, pool and gardens - everything that a Western bride is likely to want. Clients are also reaching out a bit further now to places like Saadiyat Island and Yas Island. The Yas Links Golf Academy, for example, is fantastic as the required minimum spend is low and dancing can continue till the early hours."
In terms of budgets, Tasneem says clients spend anywhere from Dh100,000 to millions - and the industry is "only growing bigger" with couples everywhere wanting nothing but the best on D-day. "A good wedding at a five-star beach property for about 150-200 people can start from US$30,000 onwards. Throw in entertainment, décor, sound and lights, and a good budget to have would be upwards of US$50,000. Of course, everything depends on how much attention to detail the couple desires."
Whether they choose to come in three to six months early to start the planning or last minute ("as late as three weeks before the day!"), the entrepreneur says the practice of completely entrusting the wedding planning to a third party is becoming increasingly de rigeur. "It's possible because, in this industry, we believe in long-term relationships. Listening to and understanding clients' needs is our number one priority. Once we've established that trust, everything else falls into place and it becomes easy for clients to leave everything to us."
karen@khaleejtimes.com