Destination Hen Weekend

Aside from my passion for designing and planning extraordinary events (I guess that is why I am in the events industry), my second passion is travelling. I love travelling to exotic countries, learning about different cultures and of course trying out exotic food. Over the past few weeks, I have had a busy travel schedule. I flew off to Dubai for a 3-day business trip and I have recently come back from the US East Coast where I co-ordinated a wedding (more of that to follow soon).

I loved everything about Dubai. The weather was very hot – which may not be ideal for some people- but I have always loved the heat so I had no complaints. The architecture was amazing. There are lots of different architectural styles to see. Some of the finest and most luxurious hotels in the world are located in Dubai and quite a lot of them are located right on the beachfront.

I get a lot of inspirations and ideas from my travels, and I was greatly inspired in Dubai. It is no surprise that there has been a rise in the trend of Dubai destination weddings. From dress designers, to tuxedo rentals, breath taking venues and lovely beach hotels, couples are spoilt for choice in this modern city.

I personally think it is a fantastic city for a weekend Hen getaway. There are loads to do to make it a fun filled weekend for the bride and her friends. The shopping malls offer some of the best retail outlets in the world, with a combination of British and American stores, I felt like a kid let loose in a candy store. Imagine an afternoon of shopping with your friends and a day of pampering and indulgence at one of the luxurious spas. If I had to plan a hen weekend in Dubai, this is what my timetable will look like:

Weekend Hen Party:
Fly out Thursday night (Emirates have late flights from Heathrow and Birmingham) to get in Friday morning.

Friday
Go to the hotel and drop off bags: When making your reservations try to negotiate an early check in with no extra charge if possible.
Freshen up then hit the malls to start your day of shopping. (To make it even more fun, put a time limit on shopping time i.e. say 11am – 5pm, and anyone that isn’t back by the designated time will have to pay for drinks :o)…
Head back to your hotel for a nice afternoon snooze.
Enjoy a lovely dinner in one of the numerous restaurants or in the hotel where you are staying. Be sure to tell them when making your dinner reservations that it is for a hen night. Many hotels are happy to work with your theme.
If you and your party are still rearing to go, you can end the day at one of the multitude of bars and nightclubs.

Saturday
Wake up late and have a late breakfast.
Head out to the spa for a morning of pampering and indulgence
Meet at the reception lobby for an evening desert safari. This is a 6-hour long duration and it includes dinner.
A truly rare experience waits while you watch the sunset over the horizon; depart in the afternoon in four-wheel drive vehicles for a thrilling desert drive through huge golden sand dunes, deep into the heart of the desert. A photo halt at a camel farm and the fabulous view of the sun setting over the desert dunes are some of the memories you will cherish from the desert drive.
Arrive at the desert camp, where a traditional Arabian welcome awaits each of you. Enjoy the true Arabian ambiance, with traditional Arabian carpets, low tables and cushions for comfortable seating.
At the desert camp, experience the camel ride, henna painting, try Arabic costumes or simply enjoy the aromatic Sheesha. Enjoy the splendid buffet dinner with a wide variety of barbecue meats, salads, main-course and deserts. The climax of the evening is the stunning performance under the star-lit sky by the exotic belly dancer.
A dessert safari can be arranged through Dessert Safari Dubai (http://www.desertsafaridubai.com/) or any other dessert tour company.

Sunday
Fly back home exhausted but well worth it :o)…

Note: The price of a short weekend in Dubai will depend on how early you book your tickets and the time of travel. If going during the off peak season, you will be looking to spend for the entire weekend in the region of £500 - £800. Off peak will be a lot more.
Peak Season: October – April
Off Peak Season: May – September (the weather is hot and humid during these months)

Also when planning your trip, you should consider Ramadan.

Orton Garden Open House

Here at Vivienne Tiger, we strongly believe in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and are always looking for ways of doing things differently, to keep up with new trends, to maintain, improve and broaden our knowledge and skills and develop the personal qualities required in our professional lives.

In February 2010, I had the pleasure to attend a 5 day Event Design Workshop in Wilmington North Carolina with another Event planner Ify Oti from Hannah Michael. The wonderful Jennifer Sandy Rose of Salt Harbor Design ran the workshop.

The experience was mind blowing. We met a lot of amazing people all willing to help and show us new ways of doing things. We were given an opportunity to fully participate in the design and brainstorming for the Orton Garden Open House and see the design implemented.

Orton Gardens is a historic landscape designed around the 1735 mansion and colonial rice fields overlooking the Cape Fear River. It contains 20 acres of lawns and formal gardens, as well as 60 acres of fountains, statues, forests, lagoons, old rice fields, and a family cemetery. The garden features tree-lined brick paths and rows of camellias, dogwoods, magnolias, crape-myrtles, annuals, and perennials. The front gates of the property are topped with cement eagles which lead to a dirt path driveway lined with large oak trees draped in Spanish moss that were planted in the 1700s.

Before the actual workshop in Wilmington, we worked together via emails and the internet to develop a design for the Orton Garden Open House. We worked and agreed on a storyboard and created a computerized layout of the ceremony and reception spaces.

When we arrived in Wilmington for the actual workshop, we helped to choose the paper design, colours, flowers and lighting that worked best with our chosen design. I thoroughly enjoyed preparing the flowers and flower arrangements, working on menu cards and escort cards used in the final design.

It was delightful seeing another Event planner at work and I picked up a lot of new management and planning skills. The setting up of the Orton site was very exciting. The weather was lovely and definitely not as cold as England. As always, it was a joy to see all the months of design and planning coming together. We had the opportunity to talk to many other Event professionals from other Event Planners, caterers, photographers, to bakers and bartenders. Millie Holloman of Millie Holloman Photography and her staff took loads of lovely photographs.

5 days went so fast and I came back armed with a lot of knowledge and my creative juices flowing with different ways of providing a design and planning service that is distinct, for my existing and future clients.