Celebrating in the Capital
Wedding in Abu Dhabi
In Abu Dhabi the court and the celebration can share a city. On the civil route we arrange, you marry at the Civil Family Court, then celebrate on an island, along the Corniche or out in the desert.
Our Civil Route
The Civil Family Court, next to Zayed Sports City.
- Civil Ceremony at the Court
- Islands, Corniche, Desert
- Guests Welcome at the Court
- Photographer Offered
The Court and the Celebration
Planning a Wedding in Abu Dhabi — the Court and the Celebration
A wedding in Abu Dhabi has two parts. On the route we arrange, the marriage in law is a brief civil ceremony at the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court. The court confirms the date, or on our express route you choose the date and the hour. The celebration is yours to place: on a beach, in a ballroom on the water, in the desert. Because the court stands in the city, both parts belong to one trip.
The legal ceremony at the Abu Dhabi courtWhere to Celebrate
Where to Hold Your Wedding Celebration in Abu Dhabi
Three settings, each with its own pace. The hotels named below are examples of each setting, described from their own pages. For the day itself we introduce people from our network, and the choice stays yours.
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Saadiyat Island
Beaches on the Gulf, a few minutes from the city and the Saadiyat Cultural District. The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, for one, has a beachfront lawn for vows of your own, and a ballroom with a terrace for the dinner.
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The Corniche
The city’s waterfront, and its most formal register. Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental stands at the western end of the Corniche, with gardens, terraces, a private beach and a ballroom, a short drive from the court.
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The Desert at Liwa
The edge of the Empty Quarter, roughly two and a half to three hours’ drive from the city. Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara holds weddings on a garden terrace, in its Camp Al Ara’a events area and in a ballroom. At that distance the celebration becomes a stay.
The Days Themselves
Marrying at the Court and Celebrating the Same Weekend
The court holds ceremonies on weekday mornings: Monday to Thursday from 9am to 1.30pm and on Fridays until 11am, in half-hour slots. That leaves the afternoon for portraits and the evening for the celebration, and the hotels on the Corniche and on Saadiyat Island are a short drive away. A Friday ceremony keeps the whole weekend free.
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You Choose the Hour
On our express route you choose the date and time of the ceremony within the court’s opening hours, so the celebration can be planned first. Once your papers are in order, it completes in 1–2 working days.
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On the Regular Route
The court sets the date and time itself and does its best to accommodate the one you ask for. Book the venue once it has confirmed the date, which in our experience comes about three months ahead; the court is closed on public holidays.
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Guests Beside You
Family and friends can come to the court and take photographs on their phones; professional cameras are not allowed inside. A provider runs a photography studio in the Civil Marriage Section under an agreement with the court.
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Portraits Afterwards
Once you leave the court, the light and the setting are yours. For the portraits and the celebration, we offer you a photographer who suits your day.
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From the Court to the Evening
Our own chauffeur can take you to the court and on to the celebration, so the drive between the two is one less thing to arrange.
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The Desert as a Stay
A desert celebration is planned around the long drive to Liwa: the ceremony in town in the morning, the journey out, and a night in the desert for everyone.
Season
The Months for an Outdoor Wedding in Abu Dhabi
For vows of your own on Saadiyat’s beaches or a dinner in the desert at Liwa, the season is the cooler half of the year. Abu Dhabi’s tourism office counts November to April as the most pleasant months, and June to August as the hottest. In the summer heat the celebration moves indoors, to a ballroom on the water. Ramadan is expected to begin in early February 2027, subject to the sighting of the moon, and the court’s ceremony times may vary that month.
Month by month, for a wedding in the UAEYour Guests
Bringing Your Guests to Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi has its own international airport, and the larger hotels on the Corniche and on Saadiyat Island hold the wedding and the guests under one roof. Three things are worth sending your guests as soon as the date is fixed.
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Flying In
Zayed International Airport, formerly Abu Dhabi International, serves the city directly. Guests who land in Dubai continue by road, an hour and a half to two hours to Abu Dhabi.
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Staying Close
Book rooms where you celebrate, or close by. In the desert, staying over is the practical choice: the drive back to the city is too long for the same night.
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Their Passports
Entry rules follow each guest’s passport and are listed on the UAE government’s portal, u.ae: some receive a visa on arrival, others apply ahead. Visas are not something we arrange, so point your guests to it with the save-the-date.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Couples Ask About a Wedding in Abu Dhabi
01 Is Abu Dhabi or Dubai better for a wedding?
02 Can we marry at the court and celebrate the same evening?
03 How is a wedding in Abu Dhabi priced?
04 Can we hold the whole wedding in the desert?
Not sure which setting suits you?
Tell us the month you have in mind, roughly how many guests, and whether you picture Saadiyat, the Corniche or Liwa. We tell you what fits the season and the court’s weekday hours.
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The Next Step
Tell Us the Setting and the Month
Send us where you would like to celebrate, when, and roughly how many guests. We reply within 48 hours with the route for the ceremony and how its date fits your venue.