The first Indian wedding at Disneyland Paris, WeddingSutra reported in October 2019, brought more than 300 guests from around the world to the resort, and the planner credited with it was Vivaah Weddings, a Dubai company led by owner and founder Arun Bablani. Vivaah says the venue was privatised for the occasion. The company plans South Asian and cross cultural weddings in the United Arab Emirates and abroad, and that programme, run across several locations in the resort, is a documented example of its work.
From a midnight ceremony to a lakeside wedding
The couple were Anisha and Varun. WeddingSutra lists a welcome lunch at Newport Bay Hotel, where most guests stayed, then an evening light and special effects show on Disney Castle and a themed dinner at Aladdin’s Agrabah Café. The civil ceremony followed at midnight in front of the castle, with a Princess Fountain show customised for the couple, and the night closed at The Lucky Nugget, a Wild West Sheriff Town theme.
The next morning began with a baraat, the groom’s procession. Disney entertainers joined it, and Juggy D led Varun in a classic Cadillac. The wedding ceremony took place on the pier of Newport Bay Hotel, overlooking the lake, and the reception, themed Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, was held at Walt Disney Studio 1. WeddingSutra reports that Vivaah conceived, planned and managed the wedding with the Disneyland Paris teams. The entertainment mixed Disney parade artists with traditional drummers and Bhangra music, and the planners were quoted saying the Disney teams “love to tell a story in the most magical manner”.
A Dubai wedding in three functions
The same publication documents a smaller case closer to home. Vickie and Neel married at The Ritz Carlton on Jumeirah Beach Road in Dubai, and Vivaah is credited as the planner. The sangeet was held outdoors with Arabic themed decoration, belly dancers, an Arabic band, a henna artist and a bangle making station. The ceremony, outdoors at sunset on the beach, combined Gujarati and Punjabi rituals, and the reception followed in a ballroom with a live red carpet and a band. WeddingSutra reports that the couple chose Dubai for a beach setting, good weather and varied food.
Vivaah lists among its services sangeet skit show direction, artist management, light and sound production and live streaming, alongside venue selection and guest accommodation.
The method: a timeline sheet and up to 100 vendors
Vivaah begins by listening to the couple’s vision, the must haves and the budget, then builds a timeline sheet covering every essential element, with room left for personal touches. It says a wedding can involve up to 100 vendors, all coordinated by the team, which introduces suppliers matched to the couple’s wishes. Couples who have already chosen their own vendors, local or international, can keep them, and Vivaah says it will coordinate and manage them.
Arun Bablani says he stays involved from beginning to end, while a dedicated team handles day to day progress and reporting. Vivaah calls its team women run, and its services include celebrations before the wedding, such as bachelor and bachelorette parties.
Planning in the emirates
Vivaah is based in Dubai and plans across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Ajman and Fujairah. It places Ras Al Khaimah about 45 km from Dubai, with desert and modern cityscapes, and calls Fujairah, which lies between the Hajar Mountains and the Indian Ocean, one of the fastest growing wedding destinations in the UAE. Vivaah calls itself multi award winning but names no awards in its accolades section.
Vivaah recommends engaging a planner at least 6 to 10 months before the wedding. Its fee is a single professional fee set for each wedding after the team has heard the wishes and budget, so it is quoted on request and there is no published rate. Guest liaison and RSVP management are an optional extra. For private weddings the team says it follows privacy protocols and carefully written contracts, and it says its contracts include force majeure clauses, with help on vendor flexibility and refunds where eligible.
Vivaah suits couples planning several events over several days, with guests travelling and families who want a sangeet and a baraat treated as events in their own right. Settle early which venues and suppliers it already knows in your chosen emirate, and read its contract terms on postponement and refunds. Read the Vivaah Weddings profile, the Vivaah Weddings magazine issue, browse wedding planners or weddings in the United Arab Emirates. Ready to plan? Check your date with Vivaah Weddings.
