A Dubai Elopement on the Beach with Camels

Let me start off by telling you this was a dream come true for me; flying out to Dubai, being this couple’s elopement photographer, and riding camels on the beach. With major Middle Eastern roots in me, I was crying and dancing on the phone with the couple when I was asked to be their Dubai photographer.  

Keep on scrolling to read and SEE why R +N decided to throw their big wedding plans away and elope…

They DITCHED all of their big wedding plans. The bride had been dreaming of their wedding their whole life and how they put it, “Within 2 short months, I had my venue, florist, photographer, dress, hair and makeup, photobooth, llamas, ALL my decor, and more. I mean it was going to be out of this world awesome…” Soon they realized how less of it became about the two of them and their story, and more about what everyone else wanted for them. They had the help of a wedding planner which relieved tasks off their plate, but still found that they would not be in pure wedding day bliss.

During all of the wedding planning, their family announced they would be vacationing in Dubai that summer. They made the suggestion that they should elope while they were there and with slight hesitation they said, “Que the, ‘Wow that’s not a bad idea, I’ll consider it. The thought of losing all of my deposits were gut wrenching, however, the overall cost of the wedding was going to be more than losing all the deposits plus our trip.”  Suddenly this did not seem like a bad idea whatsoever, especially when the groom was completely on board and said, “Yes!! This will be so much better for us.” 

I had originally taken their portraits on a snowy day in downtown Chicago. It was a challenging session due to the fact there was a blizzard that morning, but we had the best time ever and created some amazing photos (check them out here). I will never forget that day, especially since they secretly bought her engagement ring together. I surely did not expect 5 months later to be on the phone planning a Dubai itinerary with them.

From there they decided to elope and have a court house wedding where they live in Texas! Two weeks later, Dubai would be the perfect setting for their professional post-elopement portraits, all while still getting the camel-filled wedding they bride had always dreamed of. This is where I (Amanda) come into the picture as their photographer. I got to capture their adventures from a beach session for the bride’s bachelorette festivities under the Burj Al Arab, to a pool side session of the couple at Jumeirah Emirates hotel, and of course to see the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa.

When July rolled by, we hopped on a 16-hour flight together and I sat in excitement for the unknown. I had always wanted to be somewhere I could not only practice my Arabic language skills, but also feel connected to my family’s culture. No, my family is not from Dubai specifically, but it was a connection one way or another. 

One morning, we got up super early for their styled elopement day, did their first look, and headed to the beach to see the famous “camel guy” and alas his beaut camels. The bride explains the excitement of that morning so well,

 “As soon as the camels were in sight we all started running to them. Everyone was smiling ear to ear, we rode the camels to our photo spot... yes in my dress! It was the most incredible experience. I felt like I was in a wonderland, and I was the queen or something which is so goofy and funny, but seriously I was riding a camel with my husband, in Dubai, while my family is walking next to us, and a photographer is following behind taking photos. The photo shoot flew by, but I soaked in every moment.” 

It might have been consistently 110 degrees that whole morning, but we had a spectacular time creating beautiful moments, ART, and memories we’ll never forget. You could just feel this was THEIR day for THEM…it was so perfectly and imperfectly tailored for them. It was personal and I think that’s what your wedding should be all about. You shouldn’t rely on photos to tell you what happened on your wedding day, instead they should compliment the memories you hold from that day. It is hard to keep ahold of memories of a wedding day that from the get-go was not about you, but about pleasing others. This is why eloping is SO WORTH IT.

I love the bride’s words here: 

“Under different circumstances I am sure I would have gone through with my original plan of a big wedding, but I do not regret doing what I did. It was completely different than I would’ve ever imagined my wedding, but it was perfect for me, my husband, and our situation. If any of you are contemplating an elopement, or small wedding vs. a big wedding, make your pros and cons list. That was a big help in making my decision. Also, only talk to non-biased people, and your partner; everyone has opinions but for this day, you and your fiancé are the only ones that matter. Once your mind is made, run with your decision and never look back. I wish all you brides out there a happy, stress free, exciting time planning your wedding.”