DESTINATION WEDDINGS

TRAVELLING BY MOTORCYCLES TO DUBAI

etting to Dubai has really been a trip for Canadians Ruby and Mike. In 2006 they travelled on motorcycle to United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Bulgaria, Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Romania, Hungary, Austria and Germany.

On February 20, 2006, the couple were married in Dubai, (UAE), where they exchanged Titanium wedding rings engraved with the words "Grow old along with me, the best is yet to be. Mo Anam Cara," that will tie them together forever.
 

Ruby bought her dress in Calgary for $180. She was looking for something that didn't need a lot of maintenance and could survive the plane ride. On her wedding day Ruby ironed her dress at the Le Royal Meridien Hotel where they were staying, and she picked up her flowers at a local grocery store for $15 on the way to their ceremony on the beach.

Ruby reports that there are lots of amazing places to have a honeymoon or get married in the Middle East. Her research at the time concluded that only the UAE allowed non Muslims to marry. She suggests that, and Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey are also excellent places to get married.

Before Ruby and Mike left on their honeymoon traveling six months through the Middle East and Eastern Europe on their motorcycles, mostly camping and staying at cheap $12 hotels, they left their wedding clothes with their witness friend to be mailed back to Canada. Instead their friend returned to Calgary for a vacation a few months later and left the package with a friend of the couple.

Ruby was born in Frankfurt am Main-Hoechst, Germany, in 1973 and spent her childhood growing up in Mengerskirchen, before she, her parents and a brother and sister immigrated to Alberta, when she was 16 years old. She graduated from Red Deer College in 1995 in Accounting and Financial Management followed by obtaining a Mechanical Engineering Diploma in 2000. Her passions were motorcycles and traveling to far away places. After receiving her motorcycle license in 1997 she was hooked. She met Mike when she was working for an oil and gas engineering company as a project manager.

Mike was born in Welland, Ontario, and moved with his family to Brandon, Manitoba, when he was four years old. From the time he was about 10 years old until he was 16, he would spend each summer at their family cabin where he spent the days exploring on his dirt bike. He completed his first year of college in Brandon before moving to Winnipeg for the second year. After college he packed up everything that could fit into his 1972 VW minibus and headed to Calgary Alberta.

It took Ruby and Mike a few years to get in the senior positions where they worked as contract consultants and project managers for oil and gas companies. Their goal was to see the entire world. They decided to make financial sacrifices so they could sustain their passions – motorcycling and traveling without going broke. They rented out their 2,500 square foot house for five years and bought a new 1,000 square foot townhouse with a garage just big enough to store their belongings and motorcycles. They went from a two vehicle household to one vehicle and they rarely ate out. They worked and saved for six-to-twelve months and then were back on the road for six-to twelve-months.

How to get married in Dubai
Ruby reported that it is not an easy task to arrange your wedding in a foreign country. They started their research on the internet approximately three months prior to their February 20, 2006 wedding date and came upon the Confetti Abroad wedding organizers (www.confettiabroad.com). The organizers were very professional and worked with them to keep their wedding costs down. Ruby and Mike were looking for the cheapest and simplest wedding possible. No such thing in Dubai.

Legalities
Couples can only be married by a Minister in the United Arab Emirates. The wedding organizer arranged their ceremony to take place at the Le Royal Meridien Hotel.  The minister was Pastor Daniel Splett from the Church of Dubai (The Evangelical Church), from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, who was living in Dubai.

The following documents are required before you can get married:
- One has to participate in a Marriage Preparation Program and a copy of the certificate has to be provided(Ruby and Mike chose the Life & Family Resource Centre in Calgary. The two day course was taught by the Catholic Church).
- Proof that you are free to marry. i.e. Certificate of Divorce.
- Statement of Legal Eligibility for Marriage. (Confetti Abroad set up the appointment with Clyde & Co (Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and ) in downtown Dubai the day before their wedding to sign their Affidavit).
- Information Form for Completion of the Certificate of Marriage

After the ceremony the wedding coordinator will get the Certificate of Marriage translated into Arabic and recorded at the Dubai Courts Inc. Passports are required for the registration of marriages. It took eight days before Ruby and Mike got their passports back. The promised three day turn-around did not occur. During the eight days the marriage certificate was stamped by the Notary of Public, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Canadian Consulate. Their delay was actually caused by the Canadian Consulate.

Cost (in Canadian funds. Full payment of $2,689.83 had to be wired to Confetti Abroad prior to arrival).
$ 600 - Translation and Recording of the Marriage Certificate at the Dubai Courts Inc of Fees and Stamps
$ 300 - Fees for the Pastor to conduct blessing ceremony
$800 - Photographs – included 60-72 photographs on high-resolution digital format during the Church Ceremony and at the hotel. Editing and re-touching, one Sepia and one Black & White special effect.
$1,000 - Service of Wedding Co-ordinator
$287 - Meal at the Le Royal Meridien Hotel
$ 33 - Affidavit
$120 - Marriage Preparation Program (Calgary, AB )
$3,140 TOTAL

THE NEWLYWEDS
For Ruby and Mike, a book and DVD are future projects, but for now they will be on the road travelling for another five to six years. To stay in touch with their travels, visit www.2canadiansonbikes.com.

MIKE’S BIKE: 2005 BMWR1200GS

Accessories include: Jesse Bags, BMW Tank Bag, Touratech Hand Guards, Headlight Guard, oil Cooler Guard, Telilever Guard, Side Stand Base Extension, Wunderlich Engine Protection Bars. Pelican 1500 Computer Case, Garmin Street Pilot GPS; Bought new: July 2004; Current km: 64,000km (40,000 miles).

RUBY’S BIKE: 2004 BMWR1200GS

Accessories include: Touratech Aluminum Bags, Tank Bag c/w Side Bags, Hand Guards, Headlight Guard, oil Cooler Guard, Telilever Guard, Side Stand Base Extension, GPS Mount, Wunderlich Engine Protection Bars. Garmin  GPS maps 76CS; Bought new: June 2004; Current km: 71,000 km (44,375 miles).

From Weddings & Honeymoons, we congratulate the newlyweds on their wedding, wish them safe travelling and thank Ruby for sharing her wedding story. A special thank you also to Financial Post Business who put us in touch with the couple who were featured in their May 2007 issue. In the article, author Kerry Banks mentions that the couple were married in Dubai. Visit www.financialpostbusiness.com.

www.WeddingsHoneymoons.com | May 21, 2007