wedding organising |

Hi Julie, please quickly introduce yourself: Where are you from and when did you move to Dubai? Are you married? etc… What is your background? Hi, my name is Julie. I am French and I came to live in Dubai 7 years ago. I got married in Dubai six years ago and we are now living here with Romeo, our little dog (editor’s note: Cavalier King Charles).

I studied Art and Literature in Paris and did some modelling, both of which gave me the opportunity to work in Dubai in the modelling and luxury events industries.

What is JULIE AND ROMEO WEDDINGS? Julie and Romeo Weddings is a wedding organising company: it organises the collaboration of events organisers, koosha (carpenters), lighting specialists, sound and video experts, flower suppliers and entertainment managers. We offer tailor-made experiences to suit our clients’ specifications. We provide them with a 360° solution for their wedding.

When and why did you start JULIE AND ROMEO WEDDINGS? When I arrived in Dubai, I worked in luxury events industry but I wanted to get back to my art background and the wedding was the good combination of coordination, public relations & creativity. I founded JULIE AND ROMEO WEDDINGS in June 2011.

What is unique about JULIE AND ROMEO WEDDINGS? We provide a unique concept for weddings. Each of our designs is unique to our clients! Like an artist painting a canvas, I am here to provide my creativity to the happy couple and make sure that the guests will not leave the party without having learnt something about the couple.

Furthermore, for each wedding, Julie and Romeo Weddings give a percentage of their own profit to charity (MSF). Romeo is the face of this part of our company.

How do you work with the future brides-to-be and grooms? Part of the creation process, which I love the most is meeting the bride and groom in order to understand their personal story; I then create a customised concept reflecting their personalities and cultures. Being close to the bride-to-be is essential to me and I usually end up becoming her confident during the wedding organisation.

What nationalities are your clients usually? Most of my clients are Middle Easterners (Emiratis, Iranians, Lebaneses…) and of course European people too.

What are the specificities of the weddings you organise? Designing Koosha is the most specific part of my work. In the UAE, Koosha is the stage and decor put in place to introduce the engaged couple to the guests. It is also where the wedding ceremony will take place. For Emirati weddings, the bride is alone on stage (with an exclusively female audience) and displays her wedding dress. Everyone must be able to see her (editor’s note: average number of guests: 1000). Every bride should feel like a princess on her special day.

For Iranian weddings, the stage is called sofreh, which is the ceremony area: every detail has a special signification (for example, candelabras are the symbol of fire and energy, large mirror brings light & brightness into the future of the couple…). Audience is shared between male and female guests and the couple sits together in front of sofreh.

What is the average cost of a wedding organized in the UAE? The average cost for a décor depends on the type of wedding you wish to organise. It ranges from AED 20,000 to no limits!!! (laughs)

What are the new trends for 2012/2013 Wedding season? 2012/2013 trends are modern and “épuré” (i.e. uncluttered). Decor with not too many details or simple & elegant ones in contradicton with the tradition.

In your opinion, what are the best ingredients to organize a wonderful wedding? The 5 senses! I believe that each individual has one sense more astute than the others. We believe we should stimulate each guest’s 5 senses in order to make the Wedding an overwhelmingly unforgettable experience for each of them.

What are the common mistakes to avoid when planning your wedding? Ballroom selection. usually, people choose the venue depending on the place’s notoriety. Unfortunately, this doesn’t take into account the reality of logistics and costs.

What is your favorite Wedding memory? When I feel like a member of the couple’s family.

What is your worst Wedding memory? When all the lights went out before the groom’s entrance! Those were the five longest minutes of my life! Luckily for us, we used plan B: lit by candles, we improvised a speech about love bringing light to our hearts… just before the lights came back on! (laughs)

What are the traditional Wedding gifts? For Emirati people, perfumes, jewels, fabrics, incense (…) offered before the Wedding date, usually during the engagement party.

For Iranian people, gifts are usually offered on the day of the Wedding and are very varied (with an European influence).

What is your opinion about an online gift registry service in the UAE (as MyList)? I am certain that Emirati couples would love this service as they are usually looking for suppliers to help them organizing their Wedding. Family of the groom has to offer plenty of gifts to the bride-to-be and would love to get some helpful assistance.

And for any expat couple living in the UAE and getting married, an online gift registry is definitively a must-have!

What is the one piece of advice that you would like to give to our readers that are getting married? It is very important to create a bond with your wedding organiser to make absolutely sure he/she will fulfil your dreams… and listen to your heart!

Watch a video of a wedding organised by Julie and Romeo Weddings: