A Styled Shoot In Dubai, With The Arabian Academy of Wedding Planning

Back in February, the UAE wedding industry saw an exciting addition in the form of the launch of the Arabian Academy of Wedding Planning, an initiative that has global presence already, with campuses in Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean and the UK.  The academy holds monthly webinar tutorials for students across a variety of time zones, and all tutors work in the industry and have first-hand experiences to share. Having followed the Academy’s success globally, Bride Club ME were delighted to have been approached by the Academy’s founder, Kylie Carlson, to advise on the UAE academy launch, and for our Founder and Editor-In-Chief, Rhiannon Downie-Hurst, to become a founding advisory board panel member.

Having accepted the honour, Rhiannon then began the task of recommending a number of our vendor club members to assist Kylie and the Academy with their very own styled shoot in Dubai, served to provide pretty images for their official UAE website and launch.

After receiving their brief, and to help bring the shoot to life, Rhiannon called upon the creative talents of wedding planners and BCME listed vendors, Jive Events, who helped to style and pull together the final shoot, captured in the images below. Featuring luxurious shades of pink, gold and, of course, the iconic Dubai skyline that we all know and love, this shoot is the perfect combination of the style of the Academy of Wedding and Event Planning (with their signature ‘&’) and a twist of Arabian flair. The desserts look like an absolute dream, and there’s plenty of inspiration for brides-to-be who are planning a pink and gold themed wedding.

Below, we hear from Zeina and Katia of Jive Events, who describe how they turned the Academy’s visual brief into a reality. Following on are some of our favourite images from the shoot. Enjoy!

A Note from The Stylists

Above: Katia Enkiri and Zeina Abou Jamra, co-founders of Jive Events

When we first heard that the International Academy of Wedding and Event Planning was launching its Arabian campus we were very excited and looking forward to meeting their team.

A few days later, we received an email from Rio, founder of Bride Club ME, about the styled shoot and whether Jive Events was interested in taking part. Of course, we were extremely excited and eager to start the project. It was a nice opportunity to be creative, while also maintaining the brand essence of the academy and utilising their colours and brand elements.

The colours we used, based on the Academy’s brief, were shades of pink, gold and chalkboard black, while the brand elements that were incorporated into the shoot were the ampersand, chalkboard and books.

The shoot involved a lot of DIY projects, from using paint sprays to glitter and crafting paper. The aim was to ensure that all the elements used were in line with the theme and colours, and that everything was coherent, giving the same look and feel. Our aim was to demonstrate a rich, opulent, glittery and classy tablespace. This feel had to be reflected in everything we used, including the location, which showcases Dubai’s Skyline, the richness of the flowers, the choice of plates and cutleries, etc. … 

We enjoyed working on this shoot, especially with all the talented vendors involved. A big thanks to all of them for making this collaboration a success!

The Little Pink Book

Co-organised by: Rhiannon at Bride Club ME / Stylists & Co-organisers: Zeina & Katia of Jive Events / Venue: Kempinski The Palm / Photographer: Joem Aldea Photography / Stationery: Creative Box / Caligraphy drink stirrers and gold sign: The Party. Flowers: Firenze Flora / Cake: Gourmelicious / Popcorn and donuts: Sunny’s POP / Furniture: Innovative Hiring / DIY décor elements: Jive Events / Drink Stirrers, Quotes, & Ampersands: The Rustic Bead

Looking for more styled shoot inspiration? Click here.