Visit Official Blog - Spanish Wedding Planner

Honeymoon in Spain - five reasons why it’s a great idea!

Friday, 12 June 2015 00:00

Photo credit: www.honeymoonbeat.com

You´ve come out to Spain for your special day so why make things complicated- stay on for your honeymoon and save time money and stress. See below for five good reasons to have your honeymoon in Spain:

1) Save money. Let´s face it getting married is not cheap. By the time you have paid for your dress, ceremony, music, flights and food and drink for your special day you have usually spent a considerable sum on money. One of the great ways you can save in the long run is by combining your Big Day with your Big holiday - your honeymoon. You can save on flights by staying on in Spain instead of flying back home and off again to a different destination and hotels and venues will often offer special deals for honeymooning couples if you’ve held the wedding there.

2) Save hassle. If you´ve already hired a wedding planner for your Big Day, tap into her expertise and wisdom by asking her to help with your honeymoon too. You can save time and find great deals by asking your wedding planner to help book all or parts of your Spanish honeymoon meaning you have less worry and organisation and more time to enjoy yourselves!

3) Find out more about the area you got married in. The chances are that one of the main reasons you got married in Spain was because you wanted sunshine on your wedding day. There is much more to Spain than just blue skies and tapas though. Staying on after your wedding can give you a chance to explore the history and culture of the area where you got married. There are world famous monuments such as the Alhambra in Granada but also fascinating museums, gardens, ruins, caves and castles. Finding out more can give your decision to marry in Spain a additional depth and meaning and even more memories too!

4) Find out more about a completely different area of Spain. Now you´re in Spain it´s much easier to go further afield and not only explore the area where you married but completely different parts of Spain too. Visit the incredible cities of Madrid and Barcelona, explore historic Toledo, take off walking in the Alpujjaran mountains or get away from it all in Asturias’ incredible countryside. You´be surprised how diverse Spain is!

5) Banish logistical headaches! You and your loved one are in Spain - so stay in Spain. Instead of flying back, unpacking and repacking for a different honeymoon stay on and get a chance to completely unwind and spend time the one you love. After all that´s why you got married….

Help! What kind of wedding ceremony do I want?

Friday, 05 June 2015 00:00

Photo credit: Bob Long

You want to get married in the sun and you love the idea of a relaxed, fun day in Spain soaking up the sun, marrying the one you love and giving your friends and family a holiday into the bargain. You know the kind of venue you like - be it hotel, villa, restaurant or beach bar - but then get stuck on the ceremony. This is not unusual as there is often confusion about the types of ceremony possible for couples marrying here in Spain. In this week's blog therefore we are looking at all the possibilities for your Big Day.

Traditional Catholic ceremony
Possible if one or both of you are Catholic.* Catholic weddings have the advantage of being legally binding providing you do the paperwork required as we can then register them civilly. They are less flexible than blessings however as they must take place in a consecrated Catholic church and the ceremony is the set marriage ceremony for Catholic weddings.

*NB: This applies if you are from Europe. US and Canadian residents and citizens need a civil ceremony in their home country even if they are both Catholic.

Wedding blessing
The blessing ceremony can take place in any location of your choosing and is usually followed by the celebration at the same venue with family and friends. Blessing ceremonies look and sound the same as a "normal" ceremony so your guests will not know it is not legally binding unless you wish to tell them. Many couples actually feel this is the real ceremony in that it is the personal and meaningful commitment to each other while the registry office ceremony was a formality which does not have the same emotional power.

The ceremony can take any of the following forms:

Humanist/Secular - no mention of God or religion, simply about your personal commitment to each other.
Interfaith - a ceremony combining elements of a religious faith with secular and personal traditions and readings.
Christian - the ceremony can follow a traditional Christian format eg: Church of England or be more broadly Christian and incorporate prayers and readings of your choosing.

Other faith ceremonies such as Jewish and Muslim can also be celebrated but are not legally binding so a civil ceremony in your home country or country of residence is also needed to legalise your marriage.

Civil ceremony
If one or both of you are resident in Spain and have been resident for two or more years then it should be possible for you to have a legally binding civil ceremony. This type of civil ceremony is usually conducted at the town hall (Ayuntamiento) in the area in which you are resident. As the legal civil ceremony is usually fairly short (10 - 15 minutes) and quite impersonal most couples also choose to have a Wedding Blessing and celebration.

Remember it’s your day and the ceremony is a vital part of this so it is worth considering the options carefully so you and your loved one can really enjoy every moment!

Five ways to make YOUR wedding day incredible!

Friday, 29 May 2015 00:00

As hard as you try it is impossible to predict or control all aspects of your wedding day. Guests will cancel at the last minute or get impossibly drunk at the reception. An road accident can delay traffic and the arrival of your guests, or a cold can leave you feeling less than awesome. Strange as it sounds however, very few things can detract from your wedding day happiness unless you decide to let them. In this week’s blog we look at five ways you can make the most of your day regardless of others.

Be in the moment. So much of our life passes without us fully being aware of it. Make sure your wedding day isn’t one of those days. Stop at odd moments during the day to simply enjoy being the bride and having friends and family around you to share the day.
Don’t rush conversations. It’s easy to end up playing the role of party hostess at your wedding and rushing round trying to fit in a chat with everyone. Instead of flitting from one thing to the next take time to engage fully in conversations and go with the flow until a natural break.
Remember to eat breakfast! With pre-ceremony nerves and hair and beauty to do it’s tempting to skip breakfast entirely or trade it for glass of champagne. Feeling dizzy and light-headed through your ceremony however can distract you from the actual “I do” and leave you craving food just as the photos get started. If you can’t manage a big breakfast try a small bowl of porridge, some yoghurt and fruit or a protein bar.
Leave the organising to your wedding planner! Your planner is there to make the day less stressful for you. Relax and let her do the running and the organising. She has the experience and the contacts to be able to do this and is at your day as a professional.
Remember perfection is over-rated! Life is rarely perfect and the chances are something will not go entirely to plan on your Big Day. Don’t see a minor hiccup as a disaster but instead turn it into a funny story or reminder that despite all the ups and downs you and your fiance have made it this far and will continue to defeat life’s challenges together!

Maximise your Wedding Budget

Friday, 22 May 2015 00:00

Image from thelittlefavorboxcompany.com

It is a common misconception that, if you tell your wedding planner your overall budget she will try to spend every last penny. The truth however is that in matters of budget we are here to help. One of the ways we do this best is by showing you how to maximise the parts of your wedding which are most important to you and spend less on the parts which matter less. In this blog we look at three key areas which are often important to couples and how you can spend less on others to balance your overall wedding spend.

Entertainment

If you and your friends are party people then what you really want is an amazing celebration with incredible music, lots of dancing and a night to remember. For this a wedding planner really can be key as she will have lots of knowledge and experience of the bands and entertainment available in the area. This means she can not only suggest the best one to suit your budget and ideas but advise on logistical matters too. If you want to party into the night with a great band but some of the venues you like have a “no loud music after midnight” policy then it is vital to know that before you book. In other areas such as catering a planner can suggest ways to minimise the spend on food and drink eg: omitting the sorbet or having a beer, wine and soft drinks only bar.

Photography

If you and your loved one want outstanding photos of your day which will last a lifetime there are some incredible photographers out there. Once again it is a good idea to ask your planner about this though as she will know the styles and travel costs of the photographers as well as their prices and any discounts the offer for off season weddings or packages. Your planner can also ensure that the timeline for your day maximises the photographer you’ve paid the money to hire. If you want lots of group photos then you could opt for a longer cocktail time and a simpler/cheaper menu or a DJ instead of a band. This means an overall saving and a chance to get the shots you want.

Catering

Food glorious food! - for some the wedding day meal is the most vital area of the day and they want it to be perfect. If you are foodies then don’t leave the food to chance. As your planner about booking a tasting a few months before your wedding to try a selection of dishes and make notes about them too. Send your planner the feedback and make sure the menu is organised and costed out in good time for your wedding. If it’s an important issue it’s far better to have it done in advance than be making last minute tweaks. Save on centres by asking if the caterers will do something simple eg lemons in a vase instead of a more costly floral centre. Ask the photographer if he or she can do a shorter or half day to save on costs there and ask friends to take over for the evening!

If you take time to communicate your priorities to your planner you may be surprised how much you can save and how much fun you can have with your budget too!

Children at your wedding? Make it amazing for them too!

Thursday, 14 May 2015 00:00

Children at your wedding? For some couples it’s an easy decision either because they have children of their own and are happy to invite others to join the fun or because you and your friends don’t have children so it’s not an issue. At most weddings however, unless you specifically state it is adults only, there are usually several children and you need to give some thought to how to cater for them to avoid too much chaos….

The ages of the children and the number coming can vary wildly and it is not always easy to know their personalities and likes and dislikes

Here we look at some of the best options to ensure it’s fun not madness that ensues at your wedding day…

Children’s entertainer - Ask your wedding planner to recommend a good entertainer. The best will come prepared with ideas, games and fun for all the different ages of children at your wedding and may well end up being the “best thing” about the entire wedding for those with children!

Bouncy castle - if your venue has the space and you can rope in a couple of parents to act as monitors then a bouncy castle can be a superb solution for bored children. Kids of all ages love to climb, bounce and jump and if the rental of a castle can also be a fantastic, unique talking point for older guests at your wedding too!

Photo:notonthehighstreet.com

Entertainment bags. A good option if your budget is tight and does not stretch to more costly options. Find out the names and ages of the children coming and ask your wedding planner to put together “Wedding activity bags” of colouring books, toys and simple games to keep them amused during the dinner and speeches…

Craft room - you can set these up either with a professional entertainer who specialises in crafts or if you have a lovely and creative friend who will help out then simply with a table, chairs, your creative friend and lots of great ideas. Little ones will love to scribble and paint while older ones can create presents, cards and games which will keep them happy for hours! Just remember to check with the venue for permission first!

Sports centre/races - Again, if you have a talented friend or dad who is great with little ones this can be a brilliant way to run off energy and ensure kids are supervised AND having a great time at your wedding. Organise games and little prizes etc in advance and ensure there is a range of races and challenges for all ages so all kids feel included. This works especially well in Spain where the weather is on your side for outdoor activities and there is usually some space space at the venue to set up the “track”!

Remember happy kids equals happy parents equals happy wedding for you and all your guests!

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