Unique Destination Wedding Inspiration on a Private Island in Abu Dhabi

Today’s wedding shoot is a true gem and one that I hope will really inspire you to think outside the box, not only when choosing your wedding details, but also your destination. Zaya Nurai Island is one of the hottest spots right now for a luxury, relaxing break away from the city. It is a private island that is just a 12-minute boat ride from Abu Dhabi.

Couture Events teamed up with a very creative group of vendors to showcase their work in two different villas on Nurai Island — The Water Villa and The Estate Villa. Both venues are gorgeous but have very different vibes, so Firenza Flora created two different designs using the same flowers. I love how they mixed and matched colors to create something different and unexpected.

Although it was hard to choose, my favorite detail was the gold sign that hung above the table at The Estate Villa – it read “It Was Always You“. Not only is it a unique touch but so meaningful and made for some gorgeous photos.

I asked the team to tell us more about their inspiration, so here they are in their own words, along with the beautiful images captured by Studio K. Enjoy!

Zaya Nurai Island Water Villa

“For the water villa, we used this amazing decking area that felt like you were in the sea. I had seen this one image trending on Pinterest of hanging roses. It was gorgeous and inspired me for the design. I had to use this idea but make it our own. I found some flower color combinations online and put together the design on paper.”

This tablescape was mainly about the centerpiece. We wanted this to stand out and be the focal point. From the initial inspiration image, our talented floristry team suggested we do a doughnut shape as we were using a drone to video the setup and it would look interesting from the sky.

As the centerpiece was high, I wanted to add in some texture, which we did through the table cloth. I then found blue accessories that brought out the color of the berries in the flowers. Ewalls created beautiful laser cut, engraved name tags that matched the charger plate that we chose. The look came together perfectly. It was very windy so the hanging flowers swayed in the wind and the video is breathtaking.

Zaya Nurai Island Estate Villa

This set up was meant to look more like an intimate event so we used one long table and the florals from the first shoot were transformed into a long and low runner and we had lots of beautiful accessories to enrich the table.

We played with the wording ‘It was always you’. This idea came from Ewalls as they are very clever adding little touches to the table. The sign was attached to the gazebo and hung just above the table. This created something totally different and unique that we have not yet seen in the market. We were very excited to see this photo as it was incredibly difficult to achieve on a windy day.

The table cloth was chosen as a deep red to match the burgundy flowers and we had stunning laser cut name places that were a script of the guest’s first name. We chose a blush pink napkin to bring out the pink accents in the flowers and complimented the overall look by adding in gold accessories, which included drinking goblets and a variety of candle holders.