Private 'quiet proposals' gain favour among couples, with Dubai a popular setting
Couples are increasingly choosing marriage proposals with no audience, and Dubai's private venues and cooler winter months are drawing them, according to a proposal planner.
A growing number of couples want a private proposal with no crowd, while still wanting photographs to remember the moment. A jewellery retailer's survey found 83 per cent of people would prefer a private proposal, and a wedding industry trends report found 40 per cent of engaged couples said moments staged to go viral were no longer wanted.
Dubai is becoming a popular setting because privacy can be arranged there, with options such as private pool villas, yachts, desert setups after visiting hours and rooftop terraces reserved for a single table. November to February is peak engagement season, and it coincides with the city's cooler months. The same trends report found 22 per cent of proposers popped the question while travelling.
Ankur Bagga, founder of a Dubai proposal-planning firm, advises choosing privacy before a scenic backdrop, hiding the photographer rather than skipping them, arranging the ring early and booking popular weekend sunset slots well in advance. He said a quiet proposal needs as much planning as a public one, with the effort going into details that only one person will notice.