Get to know the wedding Pro!

Every week, we shine our spot light on our Bride Club ME vendor club members, allowing our readers to get up close and personal with some of the best wedding vendors in town. Here, you can learn more about the people behind some of the businesses you may hire to help make your wedding day perfect! This week we have the privilege of showcasing Oliver Abraham, Events and Catering Manager, at Desert Palm, Dubai. Oliver provides us with an exclusive insight into hosting weddings at the boutique hotel Desert Palm Retreat, and shares with us what he loves most about his job.

Above: Oliver Abraham, Events and Catering Manager at the Desert Palm Retreat/Dubai

• How long has Desert Palm, Dubai been established, and what makes your hotel different when it comes to hosting weddings?

Desert Palm opened its doors in March 2008, as a boutique retreat, providing a refreshing, avant-garde contrast to the conventional city’s skyscraper hotels. Desert Palm is a unique property,this is of paramount importance for brides-to-be who want their special day to stand out and be memorable. The location of Desert Palm is ideal for UAE weddings. It is located only 20 minutes from the heart of Dubai, but provides a real sanctuary and idyllic oasis which enables the wedding party and guests to experience a retreat outside of the hustle and bustle of the city and yet close enough to make it accessible. We are fortunate to be able to offer bridal groups an array of outdoor event spaces and villas on the retreat’s estate, to accommodate all sizes of weddings. Our Olive Garden is a beautiful outdoor space with a Mediterranean feel that can be transformed into a magical wedding venue.

Above: The Desert Palm, Dubai has an array of outdoor options for your wedding.

For an indoor celebration, we have our Polo Rooms conference centre facility. This can hold up to 300 people. The space can be transformed to feature a stage for the bride, or to incorporate a particular theme, or be subdivided into various spaces to accommodate any diverse need the bridal party might have.

Above: The Desert Palm, Dubai Polo Rooms conference centre facility

Alternatively we have a number of villas which can be transformed for intimate wedding parties. It is not only the venue that a wedding party needs to take into consideration when selecting where they want to hold their wedding. There are added value elements that combine to make the wedding day experience truly exceptional. These include, the backdrop for photographs, the experience of the team working on your event and the facilities and leisure options available to your wedding guests at your chosen venue. There is nothing worse than wedding guests having to hang around for hours without sufficient entertainment or leisure options to keep them amused. With extensive onsite facilities at Desert Palm for the bridal couple and their families to take advantage of, the resort is among the most popular wedding destinations in Dubai. In addition to the beautiful backdrops for photography, including green vistas and the four championship polo fields, Desert Palm provides bridal parties with access to its world class LIME Spa, The Stables Fitness Centre, outdoor swimming pool and a choice of food and beverage options. With the option of upgraded rooms and suites for the bride and groom, as well as special rates at its spacious rooms and suites for out of town guests, Desert Palm can provide all wedding requirements.

• What do you love most about your work?

As event manager, my work is really exciting because  I have the chance to be very creative with ideas and themes especially when it comes to weddings. A wedding ceremony is the most memorable day for every couple, and I love the fact that I get the chance to be a part of creating this memory by offering each couple a unique experience in an unparalleled venue.

• Do you have any excit­ing weddings and events happening at the Desert Palm, Dubai any time soon?

We are always working on new events and weddings in Desert Palm, and have many weddings in the pipeline, each and every wedding being unique and different.  Keeping client privacy in mind I will mention some examples for weddings that are taking place this month. For instance we are hosting a traditional Iranian ceremony for the wedding of Omid & Negaar, an Indian-Irish wedding for Barry & Aditi, and another small bespoke and intimate wedding for Malcon & Gemma, with many more to come.

Above: A real wedding at the Desert Palm, Dubai. Photography credit: Ugly Duckling Photography

Above: A real wedding at the Desert Palm, Dubai. Photography Credit: Ugly Duckling Photography.

• Describe the experience a bride to-be will have when hiring The Desert Palm, Dubai for her wedding?

The bride to-be will ensure an exclusive experience when hiring Desert Palm as her wedding venue. With a professional wedding specialist on hand to provide support throughout the process, brides-to-be and their families can call on a wealth of expertise ranging from catering services, wedding ceremonies and reception requirements, flower arrangements, special seating, entertainment and photography requirements as well as complimentary valet parking for guests. In addition wedding parties have access to Desert Palm’s highly rated culinary and service teams who have received high praise from guests for their food, creativity and attention to detail. With extensive onsite facilities at Desert Palm for the bridal couple and their families to take advantage of, the resort is among the most popular wedding destinations in Dubai.

Above: The terrace of the EPICURE restaurant overlooking stunning views of the polo fields

• How do you manage trust from your clients? After all it is the most important day of their life.

Weddings, like any event are all about understanding the requirements of your client, superb organisational skills, and execution to a high standard. Added to all of the above is an additional factor that should always be at the forefront of any event planners’ mind when planning a wedding and that is, that this is one of the most important days in a woman’s life. As such, the stakes are high. No detail should ever be overlooked and an eagle eye for detail is an absolute must. So too is an ability to remain calm at all times, which instils a sense of confidence in your client.

• Do you have any funny stories about a past wedding or event?

We have had some very creative brides-to-be who have come up with some imaginative wedding themes including a country theme in which we decorated the space with bales of hay. Other brides have taken inspiration from popular movies or fairytales.

• If you could give one piece of advice to expat brides to-be, what would it be?

The main advice that I would give every bride is to keep calm and communicate with the planning team constantly; this will help relief the stress.

• Lastly, why did you choose to list with www.brideclubme.com?

Brideclubme.com is the UAE’s premier online information resource, for UAE based expat brides-to-be with trustworthy directory and a carefully selected number of suppliers. Being listed with this renowned portal will offer Desert Palm further exposure with expat brides to-be as an option for their wedding venues, which is a great opportunity for us.

Thanks Oliver. For more on The Desert Palm, Dubai, check out their Bride Club ME Vendor listing, or head straight to their website.

Keep an eye out for our recorded ‘Get to know the Wedding Pro!’ interviews coming soon on the BrideClubMETV – Youtube channel!