A gorgeous beach wedding at Zaya Nurai Island, Abu Dhabi

Tanya and Geert got married on the 6th April 2105 at the gorgeous Zaya Nurai Island, Abu Dhabi. It was the perfect venue for 90 guests who joined the happy couple for a beach front wedding ceremony followed by a lavish wedding reception. If you missed the wedding video you can check it out here. (It really is very lovely)

The wedding dress…
Even though I have hundreds of pins on my Pinterest board under the category of ‘The Dress’, I was still undecided on the style I wanted to go for. On my first wedding dress visit I tried all the various styles I thought I liked but still couldn’t make up my mind. I always thought I wanted a bare shoulder dress but I was surprised with my final selection as it was different from my original idea. It was only when I tried it on that I fell in love with this dress and then you know its the one.

The Grooms Threads… 
As it was an outdoor wedding, I convinced my husband to go for a light grey suit as its less formal than a tuxedo or black suit.

Venue and destination…
When we first visited the island, we thought it was paradise and is probably way over our budget. Although it was still way over our budget, we managed to work it out as it had everything we wanted and more.  A beach wedding that had a magnificent backdrop of the ocean during sunset, dining and dancing under the stars, a private and exclusive feel, great food and drinks and best of all; no restriction on music levels and flexible timing (for the end). We thought it will be a really nice place for our guests to experience since they all made such an effort to make the trip to the UAE.

The Wedding Decor…
The theme was pink with an accent of gold glitter for a romantic summer feel. We also got a little creative and tried to make some of the wedding decor. I made a ‘His & Hers’ montage of our baby picture as “symbols” for the toilet doors.  My best friend is awesome; she made the ribbon photo backdrop, ring pillow and Bride’s & Groom chair cover. We went to the local Souk one weekend and handpicked dates for the wedding favours. It was a really nice personal touch for our guests.


 


Photography…
We briefed our photographers by listing the most important moments of the day. Some of those included; getting ready shots, Chinese tea ceremony, the beach ceremony / table set-ups & decor, family & friends key moments with bride and groom, friends mingling, special moments like the first dance and the cake cutting etc and family portraits.
Before the big day I also shared my pinterest board for some of the style/ moments which we really liked. Overall they did an amazing job and we really love our wedding photos and video.

Memorable moments…
Ours was a destination wedding. We had our civil marriage in Singapore and shortly after, relocated here for Geert’s new job hence,we did not have a chance to plan for a proper wedding celebration in Singapore.
So what better way than to plan one in Abu Dhabi, our new home. Not only is this a central point for both families (Singapore and Belgium), it also gives them the chance to visit us in our new home. This will be the first time we have all our families and close friends (more than 15 nationalities) in one place so this is pretty awesome and very special to us.
Having our wedding at Nurai Island was close to perfection. Its breathtaking setting gave us the dream beach wedding we both wanted. Being in a private island, we have pretty much free play to set-up anyway we want and have the party go on till the wee hours of evening under the stars. Everyone has great memories of the celebration and is still quite blown away with us having our wedding there. The memories we take away from this celebration will be very memorable.

Advice for other couples…
Even if you feel like you can do / plan/ manage everything yourself, it is best to have at least a 3rd person like a planner who can help you execute the event on the day itself. It’s unlikely you’ll have time to ensure everything is where you want it as you probably be stuck in make-up and hair before the ceremony. Even if you have the time, it is more fun to chill out with your girlfriends/ bridesmaids as to have them or yourself running around checking on set-up etc. You just have to trust your planner and enjoy the preparation and moments with your friends and family. Even if the things doesn’t turn out as you imagined or promised, don’t let the small stuff get to you and enjoy the present as they probably won’t even be noticed by the others.
    
Lovely Vendors…
Bridal gown Andree Salon – Romania based fashion house
Jewellery: Slaets & Orsini Antwerp
Shoes: Badgley Mischka
Veil/Headpiece/Hair accessories Andree Salon
Groom’s suit: Kachins Dubai
Groom’s shoes: Prada
Wedding planner: Tesoro Events & Travel
Flowers: Ariel Wedding & Florist
Cake: Magnolia Bakery at Galleria Mall
Venue: Zaya Nurai Island Resort, Abu Dhabi
Stationery (invites, seating cards, wedding program, etc) Designed by a personal friend
Wedding favours: Assorted Premium Dates
Entertainment: Stuart Kennedy – SJ Kennedy Entertainment
Photography & Video:  Goldfish Photography & Video