How to book a wedding car in Dubai, step by step.

Step 1: Book as soon as the venue is fixed

Wedding season in Dubai follows the weather. From roughly October to April, weekend dates at the popular hotels and venues fill early, and the most requested cars go with them. The simplest rule is to book the wedding car once the venue and date are confirmed: three to six months ahead is comfortable for a peak-season weekend, and two weeks is the practical minimum for any wedding booking.

Early booking also gives you time to settle the details that cause problems when they are rushed: the exact car, the decoration, the timings and the vehicles for everyone else.

Step 2: Choose the car

For most couples the choice is between two Rolls-Royce models. The Ghost is a long, classic saloon that sits low and looks elegant in photographs. The Cullinan is an SUV, taller and more upright, which some brides find easier to step out of gracefully in a full gown. Both have rear-hinged coach doors that open wide, which helps with any dress.

Think about colour too, against the venue, the dress and the photographs you have in mind. Ask for your preference when you request a quote, and make sure the confirmed car and colour are written on it. If you prefer something more understated, an executive sedan is a discreet alternative.

Step 3: Decide how many vehicles you need

The bridal car is the centrepiece, but most weddings need more. Make a simple list of who needs to be where, and when:

• The bride, often with a parent, from the place she gets ready to the ceremony
• The groom and best man, usually earlier and from a different hotel
• Parents and grandparents, who appreciate easy access and air-conditioning while they wait
• The bridal party, often travelling together in a V-Class or Sprinter
• Guests moving between hotels and the venue, if they are not all staying on site

Once you see the list, the convoy usually becomes obvious. A single quote can cover every vehicle on the same timetable; see wedding and event transport for larger guest movements.

Step 4: Write the running order

The running order is the document that makes the day work. For every vehicle it should give the pick-up address and entrance, the time, who travels, where the car goes next and how long it waits. Add the moments that matter for the car itself: the arrival the photographer wants to capture, the stop for portraits on the way, the departure at the end of the night.

Build in margins. Hair and make-up run late more often than traffic does, and a ten-minute buffer at the first pick-up protects everything that follows. If you have a wedding planner, let them own this document and share it with your transport company directly.

Step 5: Check the venue logistics

Every venue has its own arrangements. Hotel ballrooms usually have a covered driveway and a valet team who need to know the car is coming. Beach and garden venues may have a separate arrival point from the main hotel entrance. Desert venues are often reached by a paved road that ends at a car park, with the venue’s own 4x4s for the last stretch. Some private islands, estates and palaces ask for vehicle and driver details days in advance for security.

Ask the venue for its arrival instructions and pass them to your transport company with the running order. A chauffeur who knows the exact stopping point arrives calmly; one who is guessing does not.

Step 6: Agree the decoration

Ribbons are simple and can be fitted on the day. Floral dressing takes planning: the florist needs to know the car’s shape and colour, and some materials are not suitable for paintwork. At Ivory Lane, ribbons are included on request and florist dressing can be arranged at extra cost with at least 72 hours’ notice. Whoever you book with, agree in writing what will be fitted, by whom and when.

Step 7: Think about the heat and the hours

Even in the cooler months, a car waiting in the sun heats up quickly. Ask that the cabin is cooled before each pick-up and that there is chilled water on board. Many weddings here run late into the night, sometimes with separate receptions or several functions across consecutive days, so book enough hours to cover the whole programme, including the final departure. It is easier to agree extra hours in advance than to arrange them at midnight.

Step 8: Confirm the week before

A week before the wedding, send the final running order, the guest names for each vehicle and the venue’s arrival instructions to your transport company, and ask for written confirmation of the cars and timings. Give them a contact for the day who is not the bride or groom: a planner, a sibling or a trusted friend who can answer questions while you are busy getting married. Two days before, check the forecast; summer humidity and the occasional winter shower are both worth planning for.

Weddings with several functions

Many weddings in Dubai include a henna night, a ceremony, a reception and sometimes a farewell brunch, across different venues and days. Treat each function as its own running order, but book them together: a single quote is far easier to track than several, and your transport company can try to keep the same chauffeurs across the days. Note any functions where guests need transport late at night, as those are the hours when taxis are hardest to find.

Budgeting without surprises

Prices vary with the car, the hours and the date, so compare quotes on the same basis: the same car, the same hours and the same inclusions. Ask whether decoration, tolls, parking and waiting are included, and what happens if the reception runs an hour late. A slightly higher quote that includes everything is usually cheaper on the night than a low headline price with extras added afterwards.

Questions to ask any wedding car company

• Is the quote fixed and in writing, and what exactly does it include?
• Which car, model and colour will arrive, and is that written on the quote?
• How many hours are booked, and what is the rate for extra time?
• Are tolls, parking and waiting time included?
• When does the chauffeur receive the running order, and from whom?
• What are the terms for changes and cancellation?

Our own answers are short: a fixed, all-inclusive quote by email, nothing charged until you confirm, and changes free up to 24 hours before pick-up. When you are ready, see our wedding car with driver page or request a quote.

Related: Wedding car with driver · Rolls-Royce · VIP & Events · Guides · Book online