An Experience of a Lifetime with Platinum Heritage – Desert Weddings
Written by on January 27, 2015.
Tagged under: Platinum Heritage, Review, anniversary ideas, desert weddings, proposal ideas dubai, weddings in the desert
An Experience of a Lifetime with Platinum Heritage
Late last year, I met some of the team over at Platinum Heritage, in particular Racheal who heads up the wedding division, Desert Weddings. I often receive emails from brides who are looking for a unique venue they can transform into their dream outdoor wedding space, so when I heard about the launch of Desert Weddings by Platinum Heritage, I could not contain my excitement.
Desert Weddings offers several options for those who want something different from the usual hotel ballroom or beach wedding. These include having your ceremony among the Arabian Desert sand dunes in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve and celebrating your nuptials on a property belonging to a member of the royal family.
Alternatively, you can opt for their beautiful Bedouin camp, a unique spot that uses natural materials to replicate the heritage of the land. Lastly, and my personal favourite, is the private oasis in the desert, which is a magical place for an intimate ceremony or reception; fire torches and candle bags create a breathtaking backdrop at this spectacular location.
Luckily for me, my hubby and I were invited to experience a Platinum Heritage site tour firsthand, on the occasion of our first wedding blessing anniversary. Here, I talk you through our day, which ended with a fabulous dinner at one of their key wedding ceremony venues (all photo’s take on my camera).
The Experience
Adam and I were picked up promptly by our guide for the day, Mohammed Boraik, in a charmingly classic Mercedes G-Wagon – much prettier than your standard 4×4. We then drove for approximately 40 minutes to the meeting point on the Sheikh’s family land. Mohammed dressed Adam and I up in traditional headscarfs to protect our hair from the sand, and once we were all set, we were shown Platinum Heritage’s range of classic Mercedes-Benz G-Wagons, one of which featured in one of our real wedding features earlier this month.
We then headed off over the sand dunes for a relaxing ride to the conservation reserve, where we saw a variety of fascinating desert flora and fauna as well as some exotic wildlife, including the beautiful Arabian Oryx. Hovering high above our heads, we noticed a small drone, which we found out was part of the camera crew filming us; later we received a mini video and pictures from our day. Nice touch.
As the sun set, we were treated to the most magnificent private, interactive falconry demonstration, with a resident falconer for a prominent local family – one of the world’s leading trainers. During the exclusive experience, the history of falconry in the region was explained to us, and we learnt about ancient and modern training techniques. The falconer swung the bait and we watched the regal bird swoop at an almighty speed to catch the lure – really quite amazing to witness. The demonstration ended with some delicious canapés and Arabic coffee, to whet our appetites before heading off to dinner.
Awaiting us after the falconry show was a herd of camels adorned in brightly coloured shrugs and accessories (if that’s what you call their garb!). I gave the camel ride a miss, but Adam hopped on and enjoyed the slow but eventful jaunt to the secluded private dinner set-up, nestled inside the exclusive grounds of the royal desert retreat. Lit by candles and outdoor torch lanterns, the whole area looked so pretty in the dark, and in the centre there was a small oasis. Ah, so romantic – perfect for a desert proposal perhaps?
Once we became acquainted with our immediate surroundings we were led to our private table made out of an antique Arabic wooden door. Our evening meal was cooked on a live ceramic fire stove and consisted of 5-6 courses, including delicious Arabic Mezzes. After dinner, while sitting inside a private Majlis complete with silk carpets and soft, fluffy cushions, we enjoyed the evening’s entertainment, provided by a belly dancer and henna artist. We ended the evening relaxing under the stars with aromatic shisha pipes and coffee and a parting gift from the Platinum Heritage team.
The full experience gave me just a small taster of what a romantic wedding ceremony with Desert Weddings – Platinum Heritage would be like, and I also definitely recommend the experience if you are celebrating an anniversary or are planning on popping the big question to your loved one. The team and our guide Mohammed were knowledgeable, professional and great fun too!
If you fancy a day/evening out with Platinum Heritage, check out their website. If you’d like to know more about holding a wedding among the sand dunes, visit: www.desert-weddings.com.
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