Behind the Scenes with Bride Club ME

Hello bride clubbers! Rio here, with another monthly round up of our activities behind the scenes at BCME. It’s been a pretty emotional month for me – not only was it my own wedding blessing anniversary on 22 November, but we also celebrated two years since our www.brideclubme.com launched in November 2012.

Time has flown by so quickly and I’m so excited for what lies ahead in 2015. In addition to the anniversaries, November saw us getting festive with Lovely Styling. Our mini Christmas-styled shoot will be published on 1 December, so keep your eyes peeled. Here, I talk you through last month’s fun-filled activities.

First blessing anniversary

Last year, I married my husband at an electric outdoor ceremony at the beautiful Desert Palm Retreat in Dubai. I say ‘electric’ because it took place during a thunderstorm. Initially, I was panicking at the thought of rain and lightning during our outdoor wedding, but it worked out fine. The storm added to the event and, thanks to the quick thinking of the venue and our on-the-day coordinator, none of the set-up was ruined. It really was the most amazing day and I am so thankful for the blessings we received.

Above: Image from my wedding by Goldfish Photography & Video

I feel pretty rubbish to reveal that on my first wedding blessing anniversary, just like on my first legal wedding anniversary, I was working! I know, I know! But I did make plans with the hubby to celebrate in advance and celebrate we did. We spent an awesome day out with Platinum Heritage, experiencing their top-end desert safari, finishing with a delicious three-course meal among the sand dunes overlooking an oasis.

Above: Image via Desert Weddings

I’ll be bringing you more on that soon, plus an added bonus post on Platinum Heritage’s wedding division, Desert Weddings, and all they offer for an intimate and authentic desert ceremony in the UAE. The day after, we made a road trip down to the Kempinski Hotel in Ajman and partied the night away at a tropical-themed gala dinner – a fabulous weekend all round!

Bride Club ME’s second anniversary

Continuing on the anniversary theme, I cannot believe how quickly time has flow by since Bride Club ME was launched two years ago, and I am so proud of everything we have achieved in that time. In order to really mark the occasion, I’m organising an industry event in December and will post all the pictures and juicy details in January. I also received a surprise delivery from Eclair, Dubai, wishing us a happy anniversary – So sweet, literally!

Above (bottom): Image by Enchante Studios

It’s going to be fabulous and I look forward to letting my hair down with all those who have supported our website for the past two years. A huge thank you in advance to Mylist.ae, who are the official event sponsors.

A festive-styled shoot

What happens when two Christmas-obsessed bloggers unite? A festive-styled shoot, of course! A few weeks ago, I met with Joelle over at My Lovely Wedding and Lovely Styling to discuss an exciting project we are partnering on next year. While chatting, we both expressed our excitement at our Christmas plans and came up with an idea to work together on a festive-inspired shoot.

Above: Images by Enchante Studios, Dubai

The objective was to create two tablescape set-ups that could be easily replicated at home or used for a festive wedding dinner. Log onto www.brideclubme.com on 1 December to see the full shoot.

The best of last month’s BCME features

It’s a fast-paced life in Dubai and while we are sure many of you regularly log onto Bride Club ME every month, in this section I will highlight my personal favourite posts, just in case you missed any.

♡ Under the moonlight – a Halloween-inspired wedding: Be inspired by one of the most unique wedding set-ups we’ve seen in Dubai. This wedding, planned by Fabulous Day Weddings & Events, was not only beautiful but creative too. We absolutely loved the tipi too.

♡ A chat with the Pink Pamper Package WINNER, Aileen Ante: Earlier last month, we spoke to bride-to-be Aileen Ante, a breast cancer survivor and winner of Aghareed’s Pink Pamper package. Aileen tells us about her wedding plans, beating breast cancer and her Pink Pamper experience.

♡ Introducing Filmatography: If you’re looking for a top-notch wedding videographer for your special day, check out our latest incredibly talented wedding vendor to be listed in our vendor club.

♡ Meet Exquisite Events: For those searching for a planner, this vendor should definitely be on your bucket list. Exquisite Events is making waves in the UAE wedding industry, having recently executed the country’s first winter wonderland wedding, featuring an indoor snow blizzard and lifelike icicles. We are delighted to welcome Exquisite Events into the BCME vendor club.

♡ Wedding colour scheme of the month – festive: As you’ve probably gathered, I’m a big fan of Christmas and when you combine both weddings and Christmas, I’m in visual heaven! Check out our festive colour scheme – it’s perfect for a festive winter wedding.

♡ Get to know the wedding pro! Mennat from Cloud 9 Weddings & Events: We get up close and personal with one of our favourite Abu Dhabi based wedding planners.

I’ll be back towards the end of next month, to bid you all a merry Christmas and happy new year before I jet off to the pearl of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka, for some much-needed R&R. I’ll post our next monthly round-up in January and, of course, bring you the low down on all that is fabulous about weddings in Sri Lanka. In the meantime, I wish you all the best on your wedding planning journey.

With Love