How to Pick Your Dream Wedding Venue

Hello my beautiful friends!

Surely, you’ve been imagining and dreaming about this momentous day for as long as you can recall, and now, it’s finally coming true: it’s time to prepare for your wedding in Dubai! One of your first tasks is picking the right venue for your wedding. This is critical as the venue is the backdrop for the entire occasion. Below are some tips you can use to help you find that perfect location for your wedding:

Finalise what kind of venue you’re looking for.

Traditional receptions like golf clubs or hotels rule the wedding industry and with set packages, they’re experts at handling weddings; however, there are a number of non-traditional receptions available out there too, including but not limited to theatres, art galleries, museums and restaurants. So don’t just limit choices to the typical venues.

List your priorities.

When deciding on the venue, you need to consider these important points:

Budget – the last thing you will want to do is spending a hefty amount on a splendid venue and then having to economise on other things for the wedding.
Guest list – determine the number of people you are planning to invite and know if the venue can hold such number.
Distance – as it’s a destination wedding guests will probably be in a location where they are all close to each other. So either take this into consideration when choosing your wedding venue or provide transportation. Guests typically do not expect to travel more than 30 minutes from their hotel to venue so bear this is mind.
Weather – take into consideration all things prior to choosing the type of wedding you want and the venue. If you are thinking of bringing a family and sundry over for your wedding, it is vital that you consider the weather. The UAE can get very hot so outdoor weddings aren’t always possible. Read our blog (Getting Married in the UAE- when?) for more information on this
Closing time – different venues have their policies regarding how long the wedding can go. Just make sure that you know about their curfew hours. Some wedding venues if having an outdoor reception have volume restrictions e.g. no music after 11 PM.

3. Visit the wedding venues.

After making a list of your prospect venues, you can begin visiting them. When assessing these venues, make sure to take note of every detail such as how clean is the bathroom, the route your guests will take, check if there is sufficient heating/air conditioning, and the locations of power sockets for your DJ, entertainment etc. Ask to see the bridal suite, any changing rooms available to you on the day and guestrooms.

Choosing your venue

After visiting all your options and deciding on the venue ask for a full itemisation of all the costs on a detailed list that displays what is and isn’t included. Take note if the VAT and service fees are included or not in the total price.

Signing on the dotted line

Once you receive the contract from your venue make sure you read it thoroughly and you are happy with everything. Important things to take note of are:

Deposit and Final payment dates
Benefits/Inclusions
Cancellation fees
Minimum number of guests required

Before signing there is always room for negotiation, but once signed you are bound by the terms and conditions.

Always remember that having an experienced wedding planner in Dubai can aid you in going through all of these crucial matters. They will also be able to advise you on appropriate venues for your budget and number of guests.