The pandemic has put many big days on hold this year, meaning we haven't been throwing as much confetti in 2020 as we expected. However, it turns out 2019 was quite the year for picture-perfect weddings in Dubai, with one couple's nuptials having just been honoured with two awards. The wedding of Prerna, 24, and Shaun, 26, who tied the knot in the emirate last November, won two gongs at this week's Belief Awards, which were held online. The awards, which honour wedding planners around the globe, look at some of the most spectacular ceremonies held across a year. "For this edition, we had hundreds of entries from 26 different countries. Even though most of these wedding professionals haven’t even had the chance to work this year, they kept the focus and goals for a better future," said Giovana Duailibe, chief executive of Belief Wedding Creators. "At this time, the Belief Awards [are] about giving hope [for] a better future, that this shall pass and that together we are stronger. It is also a great opportunity to inspire couples who are just getting engaged, to give them fire to keep their dreams alive." The Dubai ceremony, which was organised by Rahul Kumar and Arun Bablani of Vivaah Weddings, took home the Wedding Concept trophy at the 13th iteration of the awards. The bride, an assistant film director, and the groom, a businessman, share Indian descent, and planned a weekend full of traditional elements. The lavish, three-day affair took place at Habtoor City in Business Bay, with events spread between the luxury resorts of Hilton, V Hotel and Habtoor Palace. A welcome dinner featured decor inspired by Indian maharajas, with Arabian handicrafts also thrown in the mix, while an intergalactic afterparty transformed the venue into a space station. The second day comprised a poolside mehendi ceremony, during which Prerna received traditional henna designs, and a sangeet ceremony at night, with guests taking to a <em>Grand Budapest Hotel</em>-inspired stage to perform songs and dances. The wedding ceremony, held on the final day, featured a reception laden with red roses and gilded decor, with more than 400 guests in attendance over the weekend. The wedding took a year to plan, Kumar and Bablani revealed. "Prerna and Shaun’s wedding celebration was nothing short of a showcase in every possible way," they said. "Overall, the three-day celebration was a delight to watch as guests would wait anxiously and in anticipation of the next theme to be revealed."
