By Keith Fernandez
Copyright gulfnews
Planning a wedding is no small feat, and for couples in the UAE, the choice of venue often sets the stage for everything that follows. Whether you dream of exchanging vows on a private beach, beneath starlit desert skies or in a grand ballroom overlooking the city, the nation’s hotels and resorts have refined the art of hosting unforgettable celebrations. But with so many options, what should you look for when booking?First, consider the venue spaces themselves. Hotels in the UAE pride themselves on offering a mix of indoor and outdoor settings. That includes intimate lawns and sweeping ballrooms, which means you have the flexibility to tailor their celebration to the season and scale. Ask about capacity and whether the venue can be adapted for multi-day events, rehearsal dinners, or cultural ceremonies.The other big priority is food. UAE diners are used to Michelin-level dishes, so many hotels collaborate with award-winning chefs to offer bespoke menus that reflect heritage and modern tastes. Check whether catering is fully in-house, or if outside options can be arranged to suit dietary requirements. Here, it’s important to ensure that allergies are taken care of – the last thing you want is having to call emergency services on your big day (though, of course, most hotels are equipped to do so)!Local wedding packages often go beyond the day itself, with extras like bridal suite upgrades, honeymoon stays, or discounted room rates for guests. Some properties also offer additional touches such as yacht or helicopter arrivals, desert excursions, or access to spa and leisure facilities for wedding groups.Perhaps most importantly, review the support available. An experienced in-house events team can make all the difference, from liaising with florists and entertainers to choreographing the big entrance. The most successful weddings often come down to seamless planning as much as the setting. The following properties showcase some of the best options in the UAE, each bringing its own luxury flavour to the most important day of your life.InterContinental Dubai Festival CityInterContinental Dubai Festival City offers venues ranging from grand ballrooms for up to 800 guests to terraces overlooking Dubai Creek. Packages include buffet or family-style menus, unlimited soft beverages, a ceremonial five-tier cake, personalised table settings, a sleek black-and-white dance floor, LED screens, and valet parking. Couples also enjoy a honeymoon suite stay, complete with breakfast in bed and a celebratory lunch at Anise.Weddings can be elevated with luxury touches such as yacht arrivals on the Creek, bespoke décor installations and venue buyouts. Multi-day bookings are also possible, to cover additional events. Packages begin at Dh400 per guest for a minimum of 200, with premium inclusions and transparent pricing. A recent highlight was the wedding of Harsha and Rahul, whose multi-venue celebration included a waterfront phera ceremony around the sacred fire, a ballroom reception for 700 guests and a riveting finale that included the Imagine fountain show. Dubaifestivalcityhotels.comTaj Exotica Resort & SpaAt Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, The Palm, Dubai, weddings are designed as unforgettable celebrations, weaving timeless traditions with contemporary luxury. The hotel offers a range of bespoke packages that include venue hire across various spaces, from the glamorous Raia Rooftop Restaurant and Lounge with its panoramic views, to elegant fine dining at Varq, or dreamy beachfront locations where jetty arrivals create grand entrances. .Each celebration is elevated with curated catering menus, expert planning and styling, floral décor, and entertainment. Food is accorded centre stage, with culinary experiences designed by the hotel’s chefs to reflect both heritage and innovation, ensuring every meal is as memorable as the occasion itself, a hotel spokesperson says. Couples may also add unique touches such as multi-day festivities, beach parties, or even jetty arrivals. Among the resort’s recent standout occasions was a multi-day Indian wedding that transformed the property into a destination in itself, complete with themed ceremonies and a grand beachfront finale. Tajhotels.comBab Al Shams Desert Resort & SpaFew settings offer UAE couples a sense of place as the desert, and Bab Al Shams promises an unforgettable canvas for wedding celebrations. Couples can choose from the panoramic Sunset Point, the Bedouin Area, or the cosy Zala Lawn, each backdrop designed to frame a celebration with natural drama.Packages include venue hire, global catering, elegant décor and styling, and add-ons such as a complimentary bridal suite upgrade with in-room breakfast and exclusive guest room rates. Couples may also enhance their wedding with luxury villas or curated experiences such as hot-air balloon rides and starlit dining on the dunes.. Packages start at Dh10,000 and grand celebrations from Dh50,000. The desert sanctuary recently hosted the wedding of social media influencers Nora and Khalid. Babalshams.comJA Resorts, Jebel AliFor a destination wedding right here at home, JA Resorts offers three distinctive properties – JA Beach Hotel, JA Lake View Hotel, and JA Palm Tree Court. The properties are set along 800 metres of private beachfront. There is a wide range of venues within the complex, including ballrooms, rooftop lounges, expansive gardens, and sandy shores, offering couples remarkable flexibility.Wedding packages start from Dh350 per guest and include essentials such as venue hire, banquet setup, a two-tier cake, a couple’s suite and the services of an experienced coordination team. Larger celebrations can expand to full resort buyouts, complete with yacht or helicopter arrivals, curated multi-day itineraries, and menus designed by the celebrated Indian chef Vikas Khanna, whose restaurants have been awarded Michelin stars..The resort’s scale is matched by its ambition. With 795 rooms and suites, award-winning dining, and multiple venues, it can host intimate ceremonies as easily as large-scale, star-studded events. A spokesperson underlines the scale of its events: One recent Iraqi wedding featured performances by Rahma Riad, Ragheb Alama, and Hussam Al Rassam. Jaresortshotels.comRadisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira CreekAs one of Dubai’s most established hotels, Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek has been hosting weddings for over 50 years, and it’s familiar to locals and long-time expat residents alike. Some of the UAE’s most prestigious events ahve been held here. The hotel’s range of fully customisable wedding packages include venue hire, catering, a bridal suite, a complimentary cake, and special room rates for family and friends. Couples also benefit from preferred rates with trusted wedding suppliers, guided by the expertise of a dedicated in-house wedding specialist.. What truly sets the hotel apart is its breadth of experiences. With 16 award-winning restaurants and bars, couples can design bespoke culinary journeys for their guests. For wedding groups, the Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek offers activities such as private cooking classes, beverage and mixology tastings, spa sessions, and guided heritage tours of Old Dubai.Packages start from Dh175 per guest, offering flexibility for different budgets and styles. Standout celebrations include a spectacular three-day VIP Bandhan wedding with Bollywood stars in attendance, alongside multi-generational weddings that highlight the hotel’s enduring place in family histories. Email meetingsandevents@radissonblu.com
