Thinking about getting married in Dubai? If you’re based in Dubai or elsewhere finding a wedding venue can be daunting. It’s the biggest hurdle in the planning process, but once you find that perfect venue everything else will fall into place. (kinda) I’ve recently had an increase in inquiries from couples living in the UK and the first question they ask me is… what’s the cost of a wedding in Dubai? Is it cheaper than getting married at home, wherever that may be?! To be honest, I can’ really answer that question because to plan a wedding in Dubai could cost you a small fortune but it all depends on the details and what you want. Centerpieces could set you back Dhs 350 per table or Dhs 2000 per table. It’s personal preference. BUT I do know that weddings in the UK are not coming out much cheaper unless your a crafty DIY bride and don’t plan to marry in a swanky venue. Like anything, it all comes down to ‘Location Location Location’!
Photo by Maria Sundin.
So what makes Dubai so desirable as a wedding destination?
- The Venues
- The weather
- The hotel packages
- The amazingly talented vendors who make up our UAE wedding industry
- The location
The Venues…
We are seriously spoilt for wedding venues in Dubai. If you’re looking for glamorous indoor ballrooms or beautiful lush outdoor spaces, we have some lovely options here in Dubai. Check out this old blog post for my Top 5 Small Wedding Venues in Dubai. (I’ll be posting a new version of my top 5 very soon)
The Weather…
Yes, it gets really hot here but from October to early April we have beautiful weather with minimal chances of rain and storms. I say minimal because it does happen now and again, and if you’re a serious weather worrier I’d suggest having a plan B or booking a venue with an indoor option as a backup. But generally, we are so lucky. The sun shines daily and that means lots of outdoor pretty weddings at lovely venues.
The Hotel Packages…
Unlike other places in the UK, venues here don’t have a charge for hiring a space, they often have a minimum spend and have food and beverage packages which cover this cost. For example, you could be spending Dhs 400 per head for a 3-4 course dinner. If you have 100 guests attending that’s Dhs 40,000. If you need to spend Dhs 70-80,000 total you’ll soon make that up with canapes, a drinks packages, and late night snacks… the shawarma sandwich stand that rocks up around 11 pm seem to be the ultimate favorite for expat weddings. 😉
The Local Wedding Industry…
This month marks 6 years of MLW. Over the years I’ve seen so many newbies contribute to our amazing industry and we are so lucky to have so many talented people living in Dubai. Like anywhere you’ll always get a few that don’t quite meet ‘industry standards’ but that’s why research, blogs, social media and most of all personal recommendations are so important. If you’re looking for great vendors check out my vendor directory here… and also Bride Club ME. I have to be honest I haven’t updated my list in a while but you’ll soon realise who we love at MLW.
The location – Dubai is in the middle…
Yep… the UAE is literally in the Middle East. If you have guests coming from all over the globe then Dubai makes perfect sense. I’ve worked with soooo many couples who are from all over the globe. Half their guests are flying from Australia, and then the other half are from Europe and so on. It’s awesome and we love it!
Anyway lovelies, I must dash… I hope you’ve found this a little useful. For more wedding advice and inspiration check out the blog… I have over 1200 blogs about Dubai weddings. Use the search bar… 😉
xx
