Start 10 to 12 months out. Settle three things before you pay any deposit: where you will be legally married, which guests need a visa, and whether your date clashes with Ramadan. Everything else can be fixed later. Those three cannot. Here is the full Dubai wedding planning checklist, counting back from your wedding day.
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Table of Contents
12 to 10 months before: the decisions that can’t wait
Goal: lock your route, your date and your venue.
Your marriage route
- Decide which of the four routes you are using
Not a UAE resident? Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court is your route. Full detail below - Confirm the requirements with that authority directly. Write the answer down before you look at venues
Your date
- Shortlist two or three dates
- Check each against Ramadan 2027, expected to begin 8 February
- Check against Eid, expected 9 or 10 March
Weather and best months below - Ask your pandit or imam for backup dates
Your guests and events
- Count guests twice: flying in, and already in the UAE
- Write your event list: haldi, mehendi, sangeet, pheras or nikah, reception
- Decide who leads each ritual
- Name one decision-maker per family
Your venue
- Shortlist venues and ask all seven questions below
- Get every answer in writing
- Pay the deposit last, once route and visas are clear
The seven questions to ask every venue
- What is the minimum spend?
- Are outside vendors allowed?
- Is ritual fire permitted?
- What time must the music stop?
- Price with and without taxes?
- Payment and cancellation terms?
- Is the covered backup the same size as the outdoor space?
Move on when: you have a date shortlist, a venue and a confirmed marriage route.
9 to 7 months before: build your dream team
Goal: visas planned, team booked.
Visas
- Split your guest list into three groups: already in the UAE, qualifies for visa on arrival, needs a visa
An Indian passport alone does not qualify. Who qualifies, below
Decide who applies: you, or each guest - Check eligibility on the ICP website, guest by guest
- Send save-the-dates with a visa note
Rooms
- Block hotel rooms
- Ask what happens to unused rooms
Vendors
- Book decor, photographer, caterer and music
- Book your pandit or imam
- Confirm halal, vegetarian and Jain menus
- Get every price and timing in writing
Permits
- Ask the venue which permits apply for drones or live performers, and who files them
- If flying artists in from India, check which visa allows them to perform
Move on when: vendors are booked, the visa plan is agreed and save-the-dates are out.
6 to 4 months before: Invitations and Paperwork
Goal: guests confirmed, paperwork started.
Guests
- Send invitations with a firm RSVP date
- Collect each guest’s passport copy the day they say yes\
- Check six-month validity on every passport
- Remind guests to check UAE rules on their medication
Paperwork
- Start your marriage paperwork
- Reconfirm every vendor and payment date
Looks and food
- Book hair, makeup and mehendi artists
- Fix trial dates
- Order outfits and book fittings
- Taste the menu
Move on when: everyone has replied and you know who still needs a visa.
Need help with guest logistics? →
3 to 2 months before: lock the details
Goal: numbers locked, schedule written.
Publish your newspaper notice if using the Indian Consulate route. It must appear 30 days before the wedding.
- Send final guest numbers to venue and caterer
- Confirm every permit is approved and keep copies
- Confirm your covered backup space
- Finish the room list
- Match every visa’s validity to the guest’s flight home
- Plan airport pick-ups by flight
- Plan transfers to the venue
- Write a minute-by-minute schedule for each event
- Name one person to run the day
Move on when: Venue, Caterer and Vendors all hold the same numbers and timings.
The final month: Almost there
Goal: hand it over and enjoy it.
- Rehearse entries and performances
- Walk the ritual space with your pandit
- Send guests the itinerary and dress codes
- Give elders a one-page schedule in their language
- Put contracts, permits and passport copies in one folder
- Hand passports and rings to one trusted person
- Pay final vendor balances
- Eat breakfast on the wedding day
After the wedding
- Married in the UAE? Get the certificate attested for use in India
- Confirm when photos and video arrive
Done when: everyone knows where to be, and one person owns the schedule.
Three Decisions to Confirm First
Everything above is the what and when. Here is the detail behind the three decisions that shape the rest.
Where can you legally get married?
It depends on whether either of you holds a UAE residence visa.
| Your situation | Your route |
| Neither of you is a UAE resident | Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court |
| One of you has UAE residency | Dubai Civil Court |
| One is Indian with UAE residency | Indian Consulate, Dubai |
Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court is the only court in the UAE with no residency requirement. Tourists and visitors qualify on the same terms as residents, provided both of you are physically present in the UAE on the day. It runs under Abu Dhabi Law No. 14 of 2021, and applications go through the TAMM portal.
Dubai civil court requires at least one partner to hold a UAE residence visa. Without that, you will be directed to Abu Dhabi.
Indian Consulate, Dubai solemnises and registers marriages under India’s Foreign Marriage Act, 1969, where at least one partner is an Indian citizen holding a UAE residence visa. It requires a newspaper notice published 30 days before the wedding, three witnesses holding UAE residence visas, and a certificate of single status for each of you. It is not available where either partner is Muslim.
The fourth option: register the marriage in India and celebrate in Dubai. Many families do exactly this.
Which months work, and which to avoid
Ramadan and Eid 2027
Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin on Monday 8 February 2027. Eid Al Fitr is expected on 9 or 10 March, with a possible six-day public holiday from 9 to 14 March if Ramadan runs the full 30 days.
Both dates depend on the official moon sighting and can shift by a day. A wedding during Ramadan is possible, but venues set their own rules on music and dining hours. Get the policy in writing.
Best months
November to March. Evening temperatures sit between 14°C and 20°C, comfortable outdoors with no heating or cooling.
| Month | Night temp | Rain |
| November | 19.7°C | 3 mm |
| December | 15.8°C | 10 mm |
| January | 14.1°C | 17 mm |
| February | 15.0°C | 15 mm |
| March | 17.2°C | 16 mm |
November is the strongest month: comfortable nights and the driest of the five.
January to March are the wettest months of the year. Rain is still unlikely on any given day, but keep a covered backup.
October and April work for evening events only. July and August do not work outdoors at all.
Who needs a visa?
Most Indian guests do. An Indian passport alone does not qualify for visa on arrival.
| Guest type | What they need |
| Already in the UAE | Nothing |
| Holds a qualifying visa | Passport plus that visa |
| Everyone else | Tourist visa before travel |
A qualifying visa means a valid visa, residence permit or Green Card from the USA, an EU member state, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore or South Korea. Those guests get 14 days on arrival.
A UK visa or UK residence permit alone no longer qualifies. That changed in 2026.
Check each guest on the ICP website. Do not assume, and do not rely on what worked for someone last year.
Plan it with us
Bring three things to your first call: your date options, your guest split, and your event list.
We handle venues and hotel rates, decor, vendors who know haldi and nikah alike, pandits and imams, Jain and vegetarian menus, and full execution on the day. We will also tell you which legal route fits your situation.
FAQs
How far ahead should you start planning a Dubai wedding?
Ten to twelve months. Venues book quickly in the cooler months, guest visas need lead time, and the Indian Consulate route requires a newspaper notice published 30 days before the wedding.
Can Indian tourists legally get married in Dubai?
Not through Dubai’s civil court, which requires at least one partner to have a UAE residence visa. Couples where neither is a resident use the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court, which has no residency requirement and accepts tourists, as long as both are in the UAE on the day.
Can you get married at the Indian Consulate in Dubai?
Yes, if at least one partner is an Indian citizen with a UAE residence visa. It follows India’s Foreign Marriage Act, 1969, and requires a newspaper notice 30 days in advance, three witnesses with UAE residence visas, and a certificate of single status for each. Not available if either partner is Muslim.
When is Ramadan 2027?
Expected to begin Monday 8 February 2027, with Eid Al Fitr expected 9 or 10 March. Both depend on the moon sighting and can shift by a day.
Can you hold a wedding during Ramadan in Dubai?
Yes, but venues set their own rules on music and dining hours. Get the policy in writing before booking.
Do Indian guests need a visa for Dubai?
Most do. An Indian passport alone does not qualify. The 14-day visa on arrival applies only to those also holding a valid visa, permit or Green Card from the USA, EU, Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore or South Korea. A UK visa alone stopped qualifying in 2026.
What is the best month for a Dubai wedding?
November. Night temperatures around 19.7°C and just 3 mm of average rainfall, the driest of the cool months.
Does it rain in Dubai during wedding season?
Rarely, but January to March are the wettest months, January peaking at 17 mm. Keep a covered backup.
What should you ask a Dubai venue before booking?
Minimum spend, outside vendors, ritual fire, music cut-off time, prices with and without taxes, cancellation terms, and whether the indoor backup matches your outdoor capacity.
