Weddings are deeply personal, and every couple deserves a space that reflects their story. In Dubai, more venues are moving away from traditional setups, offering open and flexible spaces that allow you to design the day your way.
These blank canvas venues give you the chance to bring your ideas to life. With no fixed décor or furniture in place, you're free to choose every detail; from the style of seating to how the lighting looks as the sun sets.
Whether you’re planning a relaxed garden gathering, a rooftop celebration, or a desert evening under the stars, a non-furnished venue gives you full creative freedom to shape the space as you imagine it.
In this guide, we've put together 20 wedding venues across Dubai that are ideal for custom setups. These are places where thoughtful design, flexible layouts, and personal touches truly shine.
If you’re looking for a space that feels like yours from the moment you walk in, you’re in the right place.
20 Customisable Wedding Venues to Style Your Dream Day
1. Al Maha Desert Resort and Spa
Location: Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve
Setting: Open desert with dune views
Capacity: Up to 100 guests
Al Maha gives you that rare desert backdrop; it’s untouched, quiet, and full of golden tones at sunset. There’s no permanent furniture in place, so you can build the entire setting from scratch. I’d go with a bohemian or minimalist desert theme here, think layered rugs for an aisle, scattered lanterns, and pouffe seating for the ceremony. Use low wooden tables with soft bench seating or cushions for dinner, and add soft string lights or pillar candles to keep the mood calm and warm after dark.
2. Hideout at Al Barari
Location: Al Barari, Dubai
Setting: Tropical garden with deck and water features
Capacity: 80–200 guests
Hideout gives you a leafy, green space surrounded by tall trees and small streams. It suits a relaxed garden wedding. You can place long wooden tables along the main deck with simple folding chairs or benches. Scatter parasols or shade sails between the trees if it’s a day event. Use low ottomans and cushions around the edges for a casual lounge area. A botanical or eco-chic theme with muted greens, soft linen, and cane or rattan textures ties everything together without overpowering the space.
3. Canvas and Wood (Tipi Venue)
Location: Al Quoz 3
Setting: Outdoor tipi tents with natural yard
Capacity: Up to 100 seated guests
Canvas and wood wedding venue gives you a blank outdoor plot with their signature tipi tents. It’s ideal if you want a laid-back, festival-style wedding. I usually set up lounge zones inside the tipis using mix-and-match rugs, ottomans, and low tables. Outside, use reclaimed wood benches or rustic trestle tables for dining, with festoon lights overhead and maybe a food truck or bar trailer nearby. You can even add a dance floor between the tents to bring people together after dinner.
4. Emirates Golf Club
Location: Dubai Marina area
Setting: Lawns with views of the city skyline
Capacity: Up to 250 guests
The large open lawns here make it easy to arrange any kind of wedding. I often suggest a classic layout using round banquet tables spaced around a central dance floor. You can set up a bar along the outer edges and create a soft seating zone using curved sofas or modular seating blocks near the club’s entrance. If you’re planning a night event, go with a clean, monochrome palette and add soft uplighting in key areas. For daytime, stick to whites and neutrals, with pops of greenery to reflect the golf course views.
5. Jumeirah Golf Estates
Location: Near Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road
Setting: Terraces with manicured gardens and golf views
Capacity: Earth Terrace (450), Fire Terrace (150), Ballroom (230)
Jumeirah Golf Estates gives you spacious terraces with natural landscaping. You can create a modern, clean look here with round tables and structured florals or go more romantic with long farmhouse tables and soft linen runners. I love using white and olive green as a base, adding candles or lanterns along the edges. These terraces are ideal for creating walkways or aisle features with lanterns or floral stands. If you expect guests to stay into the evening, uplighting works well on surrounding trees.
6. Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club
Location: Opposite Arabian Ranches
Setting: Open lawns with stables in the background
Capacity: Up to 500 guests
The Polo Club is a classic spot for elegant rustic or countryside-themed weddings. You’ll have lots of open space, so I recommend anchoring the ceremony area with a floral arch or fabric backdrop and placing the seating in curved rows to bring everyone closer. Use dark wooden tables with mismatched chairs or vintage seating to keep the look relaxed but thoughtful. Mobile bars and parasols near the cocktail zone work well too, and lawn games or live musicians fit right into the space.
7. Terra Solis
Location: Dubailand, Exit 29
Setting: Desert resort with a poolside area
Capacity: 150–200 guests
Terra Solis gives you a relaxed desert-luxe backdrop with a large open courtyard. You can arrange your dinner around the pool using a mix of high-top tables and low seating with cushions and rugs. Keep the décor minimal. Focus on soft lighting, natural woods, and warm terracotta tones. For a sunset ceremony, place curved benches or floor cushions facing the palm-lined walkway. A boho or desert-chic theme works best, and you can bring in mobile bar trailers and fire pits for an evening event.
8. Nas House
Location: Al Barsha 1
Setting: Villa garden with pool and guest rooms
Capacity: Up to 200 guests
Nas House feels like hosting a wedding in a private villa. The garden gives you space for both a ceremony and reception. Try placing the ceremony arch near the pool, then transform the lawn with mixed seating, long tables on one side, soft poufs and armchairs near the edges. You can create a cocktail zone with umbrella bars or vintage van-style service counters. I’d go for a tropical or laid-back luxury theme here, with palm leaves, white drapes, and soft lighting wrapped around trees.
9. Gallery 7/40, Palm Jumeirah
Location: Palm West Beach
Setting: Modern art venue with indoor and beachfront access
Capacity: 100–150 guests
This space is ideal for a modern, minimal wedding. The architecture does most of the work, so you don’t need much extra. I often use modular seating and cocktail tables with sharp lines and neutral tones. Keep floral arrangements low and sleek, think dried palms or monochrome blooms. You can run a simple aisle between two open rows of chairs, or use a central sculpture as a backdrop. It suits contemporary couples looking for an art-focused venue that feels different from a hotel.
10. Mala Yachts / Stealth Yacht
Location: Dubai Marina or Business Bay
Setting: Onboard a private yacht
Capacity: 20–100 guests depending on yacht
Yachts offer a unique setting, but space is tight, so you need to be smart with layout. I usually suggest low tables with built-in seating where possible, or soft lounge seating around the deck edges. A central aisle works well for ceremonies, followed by sunset drinks and canapés. Stick with clean, nautical-inspired colours like white, navy, and sand. Keep florals compact and wind-resistant. LED candles and string lights add warmth without clutter. This setup works best for small weddings or after-parties.
11. The Boat by Address
Location: Dubai Creek Harbour
Style: Floating deck on the water
Capacity: Up to 50 guests
You get a calm, open deck surrounded by water and skyline views. It’s best for a small, peaceful wedding. Use the place for the ceremony at the front, using a light wooden arch and a few floor arrangements to keep the space open. Set chairs in two neat rows, close together so everything feels connected. For dinner, keep the tables compact and use white or pale-toned furniture. Add soft lighting, maybe candles in hurricane jars or portable lanterns, and let the setting do the rest.
12. Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
Location: Deira
Style: Garden lawn with water and skyline backdrop
Capacity: 200–300 guests
Use the lawn’s water view as the focal point for your ceremony. Anchor the aisle with lanterns or floral stands, and place guest seating in straight lines facing the creek. Set long dining tables in rows across the lawn, and add parasols or sail shades for daytime comfort. A contemporary garden theme works well here, mixing white furniture with soft green foliage and neutral-toned tableware. Create a central lounge using modular sofas, side tables, and a portable bar cart.
13. Al Seef Heritage Hotel
Location: Dubai Creek
Style: Traditional courtyard with local charm
Capacity: 100–150 guests
Courtyards at this venue lend themselves to regional-inspired styling. Place the ceremony under a fabric-draped arch with woven lanterns and rustic florals. Majlis-style lounges or low dining tables work beautifully for cocktail hour. For dinner, use wooden tables and clay pots or brass vases with simple blooms. Warm ambient lighting, such as pillar candles and antique-style lanterns, enhances the textured stone surroundings and keeps the focus on the heritage feel.
14. Emirates Sports Hotel – Outdoor Garden
Location: Dubai Sports City
Style: Large open-air lawn
Capacity: Up to 1,500 guests
For larger weddings, divide the space into clear sections. Position the ceremony stage at one end, framed with arches or vertical floral towers. Use long tables in rows or clusters for dinner seating, leaving wide walkways to avoid congestion. Decorate with natural wood finishes, greenery runners, and hanging lights above tables. Lounges work well in the corners with relaxed seating, large rugs, and side tables for drinks and desserts. Structure the layout to create balance and flow across the entire lawn.
15. Lapita, Dubai Parks and Resorts
Location: Dubai Parks
Style: Tropical resort garden
Capacity: 200–250 guests
With its Polynesian theme, this venue suits a tropical-inspired design. Choose bold flowers, banana leaves, and rattan or bamboo furniture to match the architecture. The ceremony setup works well near the pool or garden pathway, framed by palm fronds and colourful floral accents. Dining tables can be laid out in long formations with patterned runners, coloured glassware, and fresh fruit as centrepieces. Add woven fans or floral garlands for a playful but polished finish.
16. The Secret Garden, Jumeirah
Location: Jumeirah 3
Style: Boutique garden in a private villa setting
Capacity: 120–150 guests
A private garden surrounded by trees and greenery, this venue has a cosy and secluded feel. Ceremony setups look beautiful under the canopy of mature trees or along the edge of the lawn, framed by a floral arch. Seating works well in curved rows or U-shape, creating intimacy. For the reception, long wooden tables arranged side by side with pastel florals and soft runners create a relaxed, romantic look. Layering rugs and adding small vintage-style lounges or tea tables on the lawn can enhance the overall flow.
17. Bab Al Shams Desert Resort
Location: Al Qudra Road
Style: Courtyard and rooftop spaces with desert views
Capacity: Up to 250 guests
With traditional Arabian architecture and views of the dunes, Bab Al Shams offers a timeless desert setting. A courtyard or rooftop space works best for ceremonies, especially around sunset. Use patterned carpets for the aisle and soft-toned florals in terracotta, sand, or blush. Benches or pouffes keep the setup grounded and warm. Dinner tables arranged around the courtyard edge or in a square work well for flow and conversation.
18. Dubai Opera Garden
Location: Downtown Dubai
Style: Central lawn with Burj Khalifa backdrop
Capacity: 300–400 guests
This location offers dramatic skyline views and an open green canvas. The best setup places the ceremony along the edge facing the Burj Khalifa, using a clean arch or a row of floral pillars to frame the view. Keep guest seating symmetrical and low-profile to avoid blocking sightlines. A modern theme with neutral colours, metallics, and black or white accents fits well. Long dinner tables in parallel rows across the lawn create visual structure, while a compact lounge and bar area near the back allows for smooth transitions.
19. The Farm, Al Barari
Location: Al Barari
Style: Botanical garden with water features
Capacity: 80–100 guests
Set within one of Dubai’s greenest communities, The Farm provides a peaceful garden atmosphere with wooden paths and ponds. The ceremony looks best near the water, using a floral arch and simple wooden chairs or benches. Long tables beneath tree canopies work well for dinner. A natural theme fits best, using potted herbs, linen napkins, wooden chargers, and soft lighting. Keep décor light and airy to let the garden shine. Add a small lounge area with rattan chairs or a bench swing for photo moments.
20. Anantara The Palm – Beach Deck
Location: Palm Jumeirah
Style: Beachfront timber platform
Capacity: Up to 120 seated
This beachfront deck offers uninterrupted sea views and a clean space for custom styling. A canopy or sailcloth arch at the front of the platform creates a beautiful frame for vows. Seating should stay light, use white wooden chairs or bamboo-style seats in neat rows. For dinner, align long wooden tables down the centre with driftwood-style runners and soft candlelight. A beach-chic theme works well with soft blues, creams, and natural textures. Low furniture and lantern lighting enhance the relaxed, coastal setting without blocking the view.
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of wedding venues allow you to bring your own furniture and styling?
Venues that don’t come pre-furnished or have minimal built-in décor usually allow full creative freedom. These are often called “blank canvas” or dry-hire venues. Outdoor lawns, rooftops, gardens, and private villas are common options. Always confirm with the venue if third-party suppliers like furniture rental companies are allowed, and whether setup times are flexible.
How far in advance should I book a wedding venue in Dubai?
It’s best to book your venue at least 9 to 12 months before your wedding date, especially if you’re planning during the peak season between October and April. Early bookings give you better availability, especially for unique outdoor or customisable venues. Booking early also helps with scheduling suppliers, styling plans, and furniture rentals without rushing.
Do outdoor wedding venues in the UAE need a separate setup plan?
Yes. Outdoor venues often require a full layout plan, since there’s usually no fixed furniture or structure. You’ll need to consider seating, lighting, shade, and walkways. At Desert River, our team can visit your chosen venue and recommend the right layout and rental items based on guest count, time of day, and overall theme. We help you plan where furniture, parasols, bars, and lounge zones work best to ensure smooth flow and comfort.
What should I ask at a venue before confirming it for a styled wedding?
Ask if the venue allows external furniture, how early you can access the space for setup, and whether they provide power supply for lighting or entertainment. Also check if they have backup options for bad weather, especially for outdoor spaces. Clarify any rules around décor or delivery times, as these details affect how your styling and rental setup come together.
Can I rent all the furniture and décor from one place for my wedding?
Yes. At Desert River, we provide complete event furniture rentals for weddings in Dubai and across the UAE. Our range includes lounge seating, dining tables, lighting, parasols, bars, accessories, and even food trucks or party vehicles. We support both planners and couples directly and handle everything from delivery to full setup. You can visit our showroom or schedule a venue visit with our team to plan your wedding layout in detail.