Getting Married in Dubai- Part 2, When?

So the second part to this series of ‘Getting Married in the UAE’ has taken alot longer to come out than I thought it would. Life has been very hectic the last few months, and the summer was full of gorgeous weddings. If you have been following us on our social media accounts then you will have seen some of the pictures of the wedding we attended in Santorini. Right so back to the article, enjoy!

During the wedding season in the UAE prices are the same regardless of the month you get married in, low season (between May and September) can get you discounts on venues, however be warned many vendors do not originate from the UAE and so may travel to their home countries during these ‘summer’ months.

The weekend in the UAE falls on a Friday and Saturday so if you can try and avoid these days as vendors get fully booked. The other days in your home country potentially would be cheaper but as the UAE is a popular tourist and wedding destination generally all other days are the same price. The same also applies with times of ceremonies in the UAE, no discounts are provided regardless of a morning or evening event. If family are flying in then the day of the wedding should be more flexible for bridal parties. Fridays are seen as the holy day for Muslims and Christians alike in the UAE so attempting to get married in one of the churches around the city or even having a vicar come to you will be very hard as religious services are occurring all day.

December is a hugely popular time of the year to get married (especially for those travelling in from the UK where it is extremely cold). Nigerian couples tend to get married in the UAE between October to December so booking flights and accommodation ahead of time is hugely advised as they get full and quick due to the influx of tourists rising dramatically during this period.

If you are wondering when the off peak and therefore cheapest tickets from Nigeria to Dubai are then it’s between the middle of January to March and the middle of September to October. This is from our trusty travel agent based in Dubai who takes care of all flight/hotel and visa applications for our clients.

We all know Nigerians like to party, so why not come to Dubai to do it; couples have wedding activities that sometimes go for days before and after the wedding day. This is perfectly acceptable and Your Day, Our Time are able to help with any wedding related activities (our next blog post will go into more detail on that). Couples do need to be aware of the fact that it is now pretty much impossible to hire out villas for events as the government have clamped down on it; however there are always alternatives to this.

Another thing couples have to bear in mind is that a number of venues are based on hotel premises where guests are staying so noise restrictions apply, meaning employing a wedding planner in Dubai that knows what your requirements are and the venues that can provide it are key.

If you have taken all of this into consideration, you have chosen your date and contacted your wedding planner then the next thing you need to do is think about booking hotels, flights and sending out save the dates. Save The Dates are most effective when sent at least a year in advance to your guests. This gives them ample time to save and reserve any flights/hotels of choice. Save The Dates also do not need to offer information regarding venue (if that has not been decided yet), they just inform your guests of your intention to get married in Dubai and the date/month.

Funmi x