Wedding industry professionals and divorce lawyers have had their say on the introduction of an online wedding service in Abu Dhabi, with some hailing it as a "clever, modern" innovation.
It was announced this month that couples can get married using the Tamm app for Dh800 ($217) from anywhere in the world. Ceremonies can be held in person or remotely over a secure Webex link.
All parties – including two witnesses and the licensed officiant – are able to join the video call using their smartphone or desktop, with guests also able to join remotely.
The service, launched at the Gitex technology exhibition in Dubai, is to be overseen by the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department. It is available for UAE citizens, residents and visitors.
Welcome move
Rhiannon Downie-Hurst, founder of wedding inspiration platform Bride Club ME, described the introduction of online weddings as “clever, modern and long overdue”.
“For many couples, especially expats juggling cross-border paperwork, this will make the legal side of marriage far simpler and that’s a welcome move,” she told The National.
She believes the initiative could be a boost to the wedding events industry, because it helps to streamline the administration process for couples so they can focus on the experience of getting married.
“I honestly believe this won’t change the way people celebrate weddings,” she added. “Signing documents online doesn’t replace the experience of walking down the aisle, hearing your first-dance song or enjoying good food and entertainment, surrounded by family and friends.”
Ms Downie-Hurst also said the move may fuel an increase in destination weddings in Abu Dhabi. “Paperwork might move online, but weddings will always be about real people, real moments and real emotion – and no app can replace that," she said.
Tasneem Alibhai, founder of a wedding planning and events company, was less enthusiastic about weddings being condensed to "a few clicks".
“For me, this isn’t even about how it affects the wedding industry,” she added. “It’s not that I’m a planner and I want every wedding to be big or elaborate. You can have a small, intimate ceremony and still make it meaningful.”
Divorce concerns
Madeleine Mendy, a divorce lawyer in Dubai, said the move marked a positive step forward for paperless government services, but expressed some concern that it could lead to more divorces among foreign residents.
"Marriage should remain something that people take time and effort to go through,” she told The National. "The institution of marriage is an important one and making it available through two or three ticks on an application takes away from its importance for some people. People must be careful and should attend classes on the importance of marriage and its legal ramifications.”
Since the introduction of Abu Dhabi Law No 14 of 2021 on Civil Marriage, the judicial department has registered at least 43,000 civil marriage contracts, state news agency Wam reported in August.
More than 10,000 civil marriage applications were submitted by foreign residents to the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court in the first half of this year, representing an increase of about 20 per cent compared with the same period in 2024.
Meanwhile, the number of divorces cases heard at the court has increased steadily over the years.
The court has handled more than 1,000 divorce cases involving expatriates of all faiths since it opened.
Typically, divorces at Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court take less than a month to be finalised and only one court session.
Ms Mendy said couples should be wary of "quick and lightly considered marriages" and urged those considering a digital wedding to “take proper legal advice and take the time to inform yourself before making such a big decision".
“For example, if the marriage is later dissolved at the Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court, the husband may be exposed to a division of assets that he would not face in Dubai or in his home jurisdiction,” Ms Mendy said. “It also means there is automatic equal custody of the children upon divorce, which does not happen in Dubai, and which some mothers are not comfortable with.”
To further enhance the process, couples could be required to complete a short course on the legal consequences of marriage "so at least they are aware of what they are signing up for", Ms Mendy said.
