A destination wedding in Dubai
My brother in law married in November 2024, and I thought I'd share at the time, but as life goes, unpleasant things happen (as I alluded to in my 2024 life lesson). It took me a while to adjust and the post I was supposed to share at the end of 2024, has made it to the 2025 March's edition of my blog. Welcome!
Now that I'm done with a sombre preamble, this Indian-Pakistani wedding in Dubai was simply beautiful. My brother in law of mere 24 years of age, married his love in a spectacular fashion. Asian weddings have a way of being opulent, even those which try to be modest. Something about the vibrancy of colours, traditions and ceremonies makes them feel ever so grand as was the case with my cousin's wedding.
We stayed at The Taj where most of the events took place, the main reception being the only one at The Atlantis. I don’t unfortunately have any picture from The Atlantis other than the odd one or two; the events were back-to-back and by the time we got to the reception, I was beyond shattered. Throw two little boys in the mix…the rest you can guess.
There is a bigger idea here around marriage (vs weddings) and the coming together of two lives and two families, even. In particularly within the South Asian culture, a marriage is not to be taken lightly and yet ironically, for something which is treated with such sacredness, there is very little education or skill sharing around this lifelong promise such as: how to choose to marry, how to sustain it, grow from it and build a whole new life from it.
I suppose we should leave the bigger questions for another time. For now, a small indulgence into the colours and details of this destination wedding in Dubai…
The Welcome Dinner
The first night upon arrival, both sides of the families were brought together to kick off the celebrations over a dinner, live music and dancing. In lead up to this, guests were welcomed with a hamper filled with sentimental goodies from the bride side as well as a welcome lunch. The attention to detail was my kind of forte; from personalised ribbons, luggage tags, and prayer books, beautiful little touches making the whole experience ever so memorable.
The Welcome Dinner
The first night upon arrival, both sides of the families were brought together to kick off the celebrations over a dinner, live music and dancing. In lead up to this, guests were welcomed with a hamper filled with sentimental goodies from the bride side as well as a welcome lunch. The attention to detail was my kind of forte; from personalised ribbons, luggage tags, and prayer books, beautiful little touches making the whole experience ever so memorable.
The Haldi
Known as the ‘turmeric’ ceremony. Traditionally, you would apply the haldi all over the bride (and groom) but the contemporary approach is just symbolic; a dab of haldi on your palm followed by a big party. Taking place out in the Dubai heat, it was scenic, colourful and fun, showcasing all sorts of beautiful yellow and antique golden hues.
The Sangeet
…or ‘The Mehndi’ as referred to in Pakistani culture (‘Sangeet’ is the Indian reference). Traditionally, this ceremony would be the day the bride would put on mehndi (henna) on her hands. But again, the contemporary spin is showing up with mehndi already on your hands and…having a big party with choreographed dances. This is also the event in which I dangerously splurged on my dream dress from none other than the Indian designer Abhinav Mishra, known for his vibrant colours and sparkling mirror work. And by mirror work I mean little mirrors are quite literally cut and sewn into the dresses, making it weigh a tonne…making you look and feel like a modern day maharani.
The Nikkah
The Islamic ceremony required to be wed. Historically, it is an exchange of consent followed by a signature to seal the deal. However, in recent years (mainly thanks to social media) a new ritual has emerged where the bride and groom sit opposite each other parted by a floral curtain in between. This was my favourite event; the decor and whole feeling of the afternoon was like something straight out of a movie (and my own imagination). I especially loved how my sister-in-law chose to wear red to contrast everyone else wore white. Traditional wedding attire is red at the reception and white for Nikkah but she swapped her colours around, a detail which I absolutely loved. Both dresses were from none other than Sabysachi. A favourite detail so close to my heart was the room decorated with fresh jasmine which perfumed the air, a scent which turns my head, and my heart, every time.
The Ruqsati
This event refers to the departure of the bride from her own home, to officially starting a new one with her husband (‘departure’ is what ‘ruqsat’ quite literally translates as). This wedding event at The Atlantis ballroom was mysterious and moody. Though stunningly decorated, the room was far too big to the point of feeling empty (and it most definitely wasn't empty). Nonetheless, a regal way to dine.
The Walima
This is the reception, last of all the wedding events and from a religious standpoint, it's supposed to be a simple dinner hosted by the man’s side of the family. But as with everything, it can become a grand affair. All the wedding events were big, loud and lively so the walima was a stepchange being intimate and relaxed. This is also an event which I wasn’t able to capture as much imagery; to start, it kicked off with my little Laith of 18 months vomiting all over his own, and my husband’s, suit. That’s weddings post-babies for you.
Destination weddings are becoming more common, have we Londoners worn out the grey cosmopolitan landscape? Just as lifestyle (and quality of life) is informed by the city and the culture you're living in, as are weddings. The kind of ceremony and celebration you'll have in London will inevitably differ from the one in Positano, Bali or Kyoto. Evidently it’s European weddings in contrast to the rest of the world.
Grand or modest, or neither at all, for me, as always, it's just about the detail and creating moments which make you feel happy and aligned with who you are. Between you and I…that's absolutely nothing what Pakistani or Indian weddings are about! Though the next generation are trying hard to change this and make it more about love than (just) showmanship. Here’s looking forward to new beginnings.
Styling life…
