At some point while planning an event in Dubai, most people end up scrolling decor ideas late at night. Everything looks incredible. Flower ceilings. Custom stages. Furniture you didn’t know existed.
Then the quotes arrive. Reality kicks in fast.
Event styling in Dubai can swing wildly in cost. You can keep it simple or go all out. What matters most isn’t how much you spend. It’s where you spend it.
At Sona Vista Events, we spend a lot of time helping clients decide what’s actually worth paying for. Some details shape the whole room. Others barely register once guests arrive. Here’s how we break it down.
Where to spend your budget
These elements define how the space feels the moment guests walk in.
Lighting
If you invest in one thing, make it lighting.
Most hotel ballrooms rely on flat, yellow overhead lights. They work for conferences, not for events meant to feel special.
We usually add warm wall lighting and focused lights on tables. The change is immediate. Walls look richer. Florals photograph better. Even simple decor feels more considered.
Lighting affects everything else in the room, which is why it’s rarely a waste of money.
Chairs
Chairs take up more visual space than people realize. A room with 150 guests has 150 chairs. If they look dated, the whole setup feels tired.
Standard hotel chairs, especially with loose covers, can drag a room down. Upgrading to clean, modern seating lifts the space right away. The layout feels sharper and more deliberate, even if nothing else changes.
The entrance and photo moment
First impressions matter.
Guests slow down at the entrance. They take photos. They meet people there. That’s where your decor works hardest.
We often focus floral budgets on this one area. An arch, a feature wall, or a simple statement sign does more here than spreading flowers thin across the room. Guests notice it. Photos circulate. The tone is set before anyone sits down.
Where you can usually save
These are areas where reducing spend rarely affects the guest experience.
The cake
Tall cakes look great in photos, but they don’t need to be fully real.
Most large cakes use a single real tier for cutting. The rest is built for height. Desserts come from the kitchen separately. Guests never know the difference, and the savings can be significant.
Flowers placed out of reach
Fresh flowers in Dubai cost more than many people expect. Importing adds up quickly.
We usually reserve fresh blooms for tables, where guests can see and smell them. For ceiling installations or tall structures, high-quality artificial flowers work well. From a distance, most guests won’t notice the difference.
Guest favors
Small favors sound nice in theory. In practice, many get left behind.
We clear venues every weekend, and favors are often the first things abandoned. Most guests prefer good food or a relaxed end to the night over a keepsake they didn’t ask for.
If you’re choosing between favors and a better menu, choose the menu.
Printed menus
Printed menus have a short life span. They’re glanced at once, then forgotten.
Sharing a few menus per table works fine. Some clients skip them altogether and use a small QR code instead. It keeps tables cleaner and cuts printing costs without affecting the experience.
A smarter way to style your event
A polished event doesn’t need an unlimited budget. It needs focus.
Spend where the eye goes. Save where it doesn’t. That balance is what makes an event feel considered rather than crowded.
At Sona Vista Events, we help clients plan event styling in Dubai that looks refined without wasting budget on details guests barely notice.
If you want help shaping your decor budget or deciding what’s worth it for your event, we’re happy to talk it through and keep things realistic.
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