If you’re getting married in the UAE and looking to go all-out, there’s plenty of venues to suit any ultra-lavish wedding vision! From palatial landmarks to Dubai’s iconic skyscrapers, here are the five most unique and opulent venues in the UAE.
1. Emirates Palace (Mandarin Oriental), Abu Dhabi
Key Details
- 85 hectares of landscaped gardens
- Private beach
- Suits include whirlpools and butler service
- Can seat 2,000+
Luxury highlight: The Palace famously has a gold-tinted helicopter available for bridal transport.
If ever a venue looked like a storybook palace, it’s Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. It features grand Arabic architecture with gold-leaf domes, crystal chandeliers, and a private white-sand beach. Many notable weddings have taken place here: from Bollywood heiresses to Middle Eastern royalty, with single and multi-day celebrations being the norm. Lavish Indian weddings are also a favourite for the venue.
2. Jumeirah Burj Al Arab, Dubai
Key Details:
- Choreographed firework displays to select
- Bespoke menu options from Michelin-starred chefs
- Luxury suites
- Iconic location
Luxury highlight: The hotel offers a $55,000 “wedding in the sky” package that turns the rooftop helipad into a spectacular ceremony venue, 212m above the Arabian Gulf, including arrival by private helicopter or Rolls-Royce and a dedicated wedding architect to plan every detail.
Dubai’s Burj Al Arab is often dubbed the world’s first “seven-star” hotel, and it’s an architectural icon shaped like a sail, synonymous with extravagance. With its lavish Al Falak Ballroom (inspired by an 18th-century Viennese opera house) and the Assawan Amphitheatre for outdoor receptions under the stars, celebrities and VIPs alike have all chosen Burj Al Arab for intimate weddings or proposals.
3. Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah, Ras Al Khaimah
Key Details:
- Beachfront
- Garden seats up to 400 guests
- Cocktail hour at the sunset beach lounge
- Ballroom up to 400 guests
- On-site wedding spa packages
Luxury highlight: The Peacock Alley venue is a tiered, private function room with a stunning twin staircase for grand entrances or stage backdrops.
The Waldorf Astoria in Ras Al Khaimah offers beachfront luxury in the quieter northern emirates, often at a scale that surprises visitors. Set between desert dunes and the Arabian Sea, it is styled like a mix of Arabian palace and Manhattan art-deco skyscraper.
The hotel’s dedicated events team is used to handling complex festivities, from mehendi by the pool to a grand baraat procession on the beach (sometimes with the groom arriving on a camel). The Waldorf RAK is also favoured for Emirati royal family events and high-profile Arab weddings, thanks to its privacy and palatial vibes.
4. Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara, Liwa Desert
Key Details:
- Castle among the sand dunes
- Royal Pavillion Villas with private pools and butler service
- Award-winning Anantara Spa on-site
- Bespoke cocktails from a mixologist
- Up to 300 guests indoors
Luxury highlight: This resort is so committed to weddings that it even has an in-house South Asian Wedding Specialist and allows full resort buyouts for multi-day festivities.
For those seeking a truly unique and intimate luxury venue, Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort is tucked in Abu Dhabi’s Empty Quarter (Rub’ al Khali). It was designed to resemble an Arabian fortress with high walls, courtyards, fire-lit torch paths, and Bedouin-style tents.
Couples can exchange vows on a dune at sunset, host a banquet under the stars in an oasis camp setting, or use the elegant ballroom that opens to panoramic desert views. One recent celebration here saw the groom’s baraat cross the sand dunes on camelback and a grand reception in the courtyard with lanterns and a live Arabesque orchestra.
Check out their wedding brochure here.
5. Atlantis The Royal, Dubai (Palm Jumeirah)
Key Details:
- 90m infinity sky deck
- Custom wedding cakes
- Personalised menus from world-renowned chefs
- Skyline views in the heart of Dubai
Luxury highlight: The fire and water fountain show can be synchronised with with your reception entrance.
For an ultra-modern take on luxury, Atlantis The Royal is Dubai’s newest star venue that opened after a three-day launch event in 2023 on Palm Jumeirah island. This resort became world-famous even before hosting its first wedding, with Beyoncé reportedly being paid over $24 million to perform at the hotel’s exclusive launch event, an invitation-only affair for VIP guests.
For weddings, Atlantis The Royal has numerous glamorous venues including grand ballrooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and the Emerald Sky Garden terraces overlooking the Palm and Dubai skyline. Its bridal suite, dubbed ‘The Royal Mansion’ is a 4-bedroom 1,128 sqm penthouse with its own infinity pool that starts at a reported $100,000 per night.
Hosting your nuptials at these venues in the UAE means pushing the limits of luxury, but will undoubtedly create memories to last a lifetime on your big day.
