Perfect Spanish Weddings
A Wedding Planners Blog
Ruth and David had an amazing wedding shared with their Family and Friends.
Their day started at our beautiful Church of San Antonio where they had a lovely service. The Church is set in a small Spanish Village and was built in the 17th Century. It is a beautiful Church inside and out.
They then went onto one of our popular venues Casa De Los Bates.
Jessica and Dean had a wonderful Wedding Day shared with their close Family and Friends. It was truely a day to remember and enjoyed by all.
They choose one of our stunning Venues - DSV Villa Collection. This Venue is 2 villas on the same complex, both villas offer amazing facitlities and accomodates up to 20 guests so perfect for a lovely intimate wedding.
With outstanding views of the Spanish countryside, rolling hills and mountains you can see why people choose Costa Del Sol to have their wedding.
This is one of our lovely venues just 30 minutes from Malaga airport and and beaches of Torremolinos. Set in the Spanish mountains surrounded by natural beauty this 7 bedroom boutique Hotel is perfect to hold an intimate wedding in Spain.
With gardens all around the property covered in Orange and Chimera trees it is truely perfect to caputure some amazing wedding photos.
It also has a large morrocan inspired courtyard with a fountain which is where your outdoor wedding reception will be held.
You will not be disppointed if you chose this venue to celebrate your special day with all your Family and Friends.
So If you can see yourself getting married here then please feel free to get in touch for more information.
We would love to help plan your dream wedding in Spain
Francesca and Luke got married at the beautiful Nuestra Senora De Encarnancion Church in Marbella and then their wedding reception was at the stunning beach front Salduna Beach Restaurant. Their day was shared with their loved ones and the warm Spanish sun, it was just perfect.
Nuestra Senora De Encarnancion Church is such a beautiful church to get married in, set slightly inland not far from Marbella makes it an idea location to have your church weddding here and then onto one of our many beautiful Venues in Marbella. As you can see from the picture below the details and gold colouring in the church is just breath taking.
More and more people are getting married abroad and you can see why. With the average cost of a UK wedding around £18-20k compared to a destination wedding costing around £7-8k there is a big difference. Figures show that 1 - 4 couples now decided to get married abroad.
But why else are people choosing to get married abroad.
1) The Weather
2) Less hassle with all the planning
3) Amazing locations
4) Great Photo opportunities
5) Honeymoon combined
6) More Intimate
to name a few.
Of course Costa Del Sol, Spain is one of the most popular destination to get married, with wonderful weather all your round, only a short flight from the UK so easy for guests to travel too, excellent value for money, great food and so many amazing venues to choose from - from beach to countryside.
And this is why we love planning weddings in Costa Del Sol, Spain.
It also has so much to offer you and your guests before or after the wedding day - from amazing beaches, ancient buildings to explore, watersports, shopping, FAB restaurants and much more.
Great link here for more information on Costa Del Sol
So if your thinking of making Spain your dream wedding destination then get in touch and we would love to help
Check out our Website for more information on our Venues, Packages and about us
Natalie and Michael shared their wedding day with Family and Friends at our stunning Casa De Los Bates Venue. The day was perfect.
Casa De Los Bates is one of our popular venues and you can see why people choose to get married here. Not only is the wedding venue stunning but it also has breathtaking views of the Spanish Countryside and the Mediterreanean Sea.
We have so many wonderful venues that offer so much. Here is some information on one of our very popular venues - Casa De Los Bates.
Casa De los Bates has stunning landscaped gardens perfect for your wedding photos plus with views of the Sierra Nevada mountain range and Mediterranean Sea its location is breathtaking. There is a lovely terrace where you can have your wedding reception and then dance the night away under the Spanish stars. The house has 5 double bedrooms including the honeymoon suite which all have en-suite facilities which makes it perfect for some of your wedding guests to stay onsite.
If you would like more information about this beautiful Venue in Spain then drop us an email and we would be happy to help.
Wedding dress shopping is something a Bride cant wait to do or dreads. Having experience in the Bridal Industry I see many Brides coming in who know exactly what they are looking for but others that are terified and dont know where to start. I have a few helpful tips to help all you future brides out there with you dress shopping.
1) Have a budget in mind and stick to it – it is so easy to go to a shop and get side tracked and you know that if you just try that £5k dress on just for “fun” you will not find anything to beat it
2) Only take a few people with you, mum, best friend, sister for example – if you have too many people with you, there will be many opinions bouncing around and it will make it harder for you to make a decision
3) Have a look in bridal magazines or online at what styles you like and you can even print them off to help your wedding dress consultant find that right dress – but also be open to try different styles if you find your not “feeling it” a lot of the time the dress you choose will be completly different to what you thought you would go for.
4) If buying from a Bridal Boutique then they say allow 6 – 8 months, this gives you time to get it ordered and have any alterations. However if your buying from a Bridal Outlet store then you can walk in 2 weeks beforehand but be aware that you may still need alterations with the dress and steamstresses do get booked up quickly. Alterations is normally done 6-8weeks before your wedding.... of course this doesnt always happen due to time scales so just bare in mind you may need to ring around a few places to get an appointment.
5) And lastly have fun….. this is suppose to be an enjoyable experience and if you starting to get stressed then maybe you need to call it a day and arrange another appointment – the last thing you want is to be stressing about your dress.
So the 5 most common styles of wedding dresses are
The Fishtail Wedding Dress
popular style for hour glass and rectangle shaped ladies
The A-Line Wedding Dress
is a popular dress for all body shapes.
The Empire Wedding Dress
another great style to suit all body shapes
The Column Wedding Dress
popular with rectangle shaped ladies and also suits the petite lady
The Ball Gown Wedding Dress
popular with the pear shaped figures, but it is great for all body shapes
so I hope this helps all you beautiful brides and I know you will all find your dress and look amazing in it
Happy Shopping
Naomi and David celebrated their wedding day surrounded by Family and Friends on a beautiful sunny day in Spain. They chose the amazing venue of Casa De Los Bates.
Casa De Los Bates is truly a beautiful place to have your Spanish Wedding.
As young girls many of us dreamed of our wedding day, being a beautiful princess and getting married in a fairytale castle just like you read in the books and saw on Films? Well...... with Perfect Spanish Weddings that dream can come true.
Our stunning venue Castillo de Santa Catalina is a beautiful 16th Century Spanish Castle which is now a luxurious hotel overlooking the bay of Malaga, perfect to hold your Spanish wedding.
With its beautiful landscaped grounds perfect to capture your wedding photos. With plenty of terraces to hold your wedding reception and the interior decor of the Castle is simple stunning. Of course we can not forgot those amazing views... they will take your breath away and Im sure will make you go "WOW"
It is truly a fairlytale venue.
If you would like more information on this venue then please feel free to get in touch and we would be happy to help.
Check out our video on Castillo de Santa Catalina
We look forward to planning your fairytale wedding in Spain
So it seems to be a growing trend that more and more people buy their wedding dresses online, and if im honest I can see why they do, with the cost of some wedding dresses today. Many Brides I have spoken to say it is only for one day and I cant afford to spend £1-2k and upwards for a dress when you have some many other things to pay for, weddings are not cheap.
But..........
I can honestly say when I got married it never even crossed my mind to look at dresses online, and I am a bargain Queen. I loved going from bridal shop to bridal shop and having the experience of trying all the different styles on, and I was on a budget too. I was very lucky to find my dream dress for £550…. yes this was 10 years ago but I do believe you can still snap up a bargain from a bridal shop. A few pictures of my dress
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I recently worked at a bridal shop and having chatted to the Manager she had said that in the past 18 months – 2 years the bridal shop industry has dropped and so many brides now buy their dresses online as they are so much cheaper but should we not be supporting our local businesses? At least buying from a shop you can:
1) Try the dresses on and find out what style you like and dont like - 90% of the time you alway pick something you never thought you would wear.
2) You get the whole “bridal” experience, most women love wedding dress shoppping, its all part of getting married and sharing the experience with people close to you
3) You have somewhere to go if there are any problems – sometimes problems do occur so by buying in a shop you can always go back and discuss the issue and it should be easier to resolve the problem.
You read so many horror stories of people buying their “dream” dress online and it not looking like its suppose to in the picture. Here are a few pictures I have found from an article from the Daily mail. These 3 ladies saw their dream dress online and of course at the fracture of a cost and decided to buy it..... and now they are stick with a horrible dress, they lost their money and the whole wedding dress experience dampened.
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I can only imagine how these poor brides must have felt
So with all of this is mind there are many other ways of being able to get you dream wedding dress at a more affordable price without having to run the risk of this happening to you….
- Check out your nearby Bridal shops as they may have Sale dresses or discontinued dresses where you can snap up a BARGAIN
- Look on Facebook at your local wedding sale pages as loads of shops and people sell dresses on there
- Larger department shores with have a range of dresses and reasonable prices
- Search for wholesaler shops – there a few shops around that offer either new dresses or discontinued dresses at half the price so you will definately be able to grab yourself a good bargain there
So please just think before you go buy that cheaper dress online – as you only plan to get married once and it is YOUR wedding dress you are buying and not just an evening dress
Happy Shopping
Looking for the perfect bridesmaid dresses can sometimes be more stressful then shopping for your own dress
you have so many things to take into account, how many bridesmaids, different body shapes, budget, colours, style of dress to name a few but one thing as the bride you have to remember is ….. stick to the budget and it is still your wedding day so you do have the last say.
It can be really hard finding the right dress the suits everyone so dont be afraid to mix it up a bit and have different styles of dresses for your bridesmaid, you can still stick with the same colour. It looks fab but also your bridesmaids will be happy and comfortable in what they are wearing. Which is so important
This years trend is the Eliza and Ethan dresses they are all one size and can be worn in over 22 different ways and over 22 colours to choose from. A great dress that sizes everyone but a bit more expensive… around £200 – 250 each
Budgets….. so how much would you spend on a dress? bridesmaid dresses can be expensive £150 upwards and when you have a number of them it does add up so maybe think out the box if your on a budget. Look around in high street shops you can get some fab looking dresses for half the price and to be fair they are more likely going to wear them again.
Choosing your colour scheme…. This can be hard at sometimes as you might have a set colour in mind but that may not always compliment all your bridesmaids skin tones. Try on a few different colours and see what suits them, also have a look at what colours your bridal party wear daily, and then hopefully there will be a colour that they all can wear and all look FAB, also remember they dont need to be all in the same colour, this can make life so much easier for you! and as you can see below looks great!!
Happy shopping and im sure you will find those perfect dresses that will look amazing on your bridal party.
Wedding Favours are one of those things as you start making your list as to what you need to get for the table decorations you then cant decide whether you need to have them or “should” you have them.
The history of wedding favours started in france in the 16th Century, where they gave their guests "bonbonnieres" which were sugar coated Almonds or sweets, this was a thank you token but also the sweetness of the almonds which thought to symbolise a bittersweet marriage. As this tradion spread worldwide today we use many other things as wedding favours to give to our guests.
So are you having wedding favours? and if so what are you thinking of having?
Do you stick with the traditional favours? sugared almonds
or do you go with something different. There are so many different options for favours out there, its just finding the right one that fits with youwhether its budget, edible, keepsakes, unique they will all look great.
Here are a few wedding favours I have found whilst searching the net. I hope they give you some inspiration and help you make that decision whether you have them or not!
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I have also found favours that link in with your name placing, which I think its a great idea.
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If you decide that wedding favours aren’t for you but feel that the table is missing something then you could put some wedding bubbles on there (great way of keeping kids ……… and some adults entertained) or maybe disposable cameras – if nothing else it gives you both a giggle looking at developed photos a few weeks later – cant beat random wedding photos.
Charlene and Gary shared their wedding day with their loved ones. It was truly a beautiful day with many happy memories.
They had they Wedding at the beautiful El Salvador Church, Nerja. This church is a 17th Century building, with beautiful exterior and interior decor.
After the beautiful Church Service, Charlene, Gary and their guests went to one of our stunning Venues Hotel Cortijo Bravo for their wedding reception.
Choosing your wedding photographer is a big decison after all they are going to be the one who captures all your memories and what you look back on and show your children in years to come. And with so many Photographers out there how do you decide.
Firstly think about what style of photos your after:
- Do you want more formal photos?
- A storyboard style?
- More casual, relaxed photos?
- colour, black and white, sepia photos?
Once you know what style of photos you are looking for then have a look at different photographers work, make contact with them, ask as many questions as you feel you need to - you need to feel confident and relaxed with your photographer - they are there with you and your guests most the day.
Questions you may want to ask your photographer:
So once you have decided on your photographer its now time to think about if there are any specific photos you would like, bride getting ready, arrival at venue, bridal party, groom and groomsmen, ceremony, speeches etc. Having a timeline for the photographer is quite handy, and to be fair a lot of photographers will have already set their own timeline for the day to ensure that they are in the right place at the right time and capture all your photos.
I hope that you find your perfect Photographer who is not just professional in their work but also the RIGHT person for YOUR wedding.
Aine and Stephen shared their beautiful wedding day with their Family and Friends. The day started at San Antionio De Padua Church, Frigiliana. The Church is simple stunning, with beautiful gold decor inside set in a typical Spanish village. The church was built in 1676 and then was refubished a century later.
After their lovely service they then went on to one of our stunning venues Hotel Cortijo Bravo to have their wedding reception.
Jenny and Mark had a wonderful wedding at Church Nuestra Señora del Rosario and Casa De Los Bates which was shared with their Family and Friends on a beautiful September Day In Sunny Spain.
They started they day at the stunning Church Nuestra Señora del Rosario which is perched high up in the old town close to a 10th century Castle with fabulous views of the sea, where their Family and Friends all gathered to watch them get married.
After a lovely service they went onto our FAB Venue Casa De Los Bates to have their wedding reception. Find out more about their day and the Venue.
Agnes and Salem celebrated their special day with their family and friends at the beautiful Hotel Cortijo Bravo Venue. A day filled with love and laughter and plenty of dancing... a day to be remembered by all for many years to come.
Karen and Simon had a wonderful wedding at our Beautiful venue Casa De Los Bates. It was shared with their Family and Friends and was truly a day to remember.
Find out more about this stunning Venue
Eva and Jonathan got married at the stunning Castillo De Santa Catalina venue, located in Malaga. Their day was truly a magical day celebrated with their loved ones.
Emily and Nick shared their special day with Family and Friends and the beautiful Spanish Sunshine. They had a beautiful service at one of our stunning Churches - Inmaculada Concepcion in Mijas. It dates back to the 1600s and has a lovely interior with marble columns.
After their Church service they moved onto our amazing Hacienda San Jose Venue to have their Wedding Reception.
This absolutely beautiful Andalusian style hacienda with a wealth of modern conveniences was the chosen venue for Camilla and Jason for their spring wedding, May 2015.
Camilla and Jason chose to celebrate their wedding in true Spanish style, with their guest enjoying a spectacular Andalusia horse display; they also took a horse and carriage ride around the beautiful grounds, followed by traditions such as Jerez Sherry pouring and tasting, Flamenco dancing and live music, the collaborations delighted the senses of all the guests, who had the pleasure of toasting to the future happiness of our lovely couple Camilla and Jason.
Read more: Camilla and Jason's wedding 16th May 2015 - Cortijo de Cortes
Wedding decorations are a big part of planning your day. With so many things to think about and what decorations you need where etc. So I thought I would do this blog to help you with some ideas.
When planning your wedding there are 3 areas of decorations you need to consider
1) Venue Decorations
2) Ceremony/Church Decorations
3) Table Decorations
To start off its deciding what colour scheme you would like to go for? Some people have a colour in mind as soon as they start planning others have no idea what to go with. This year we have a range of colours that are on trend, combining a few together they will create a real statement.
with also Copper, Rose Gold and Blush making a huge impact.
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So once you have decided on your colour scheme you can now start thinking about decorations :) questions you might need to ask yourself...
1) what type of decorations do you want - floral, candles, lanterns,mirrors,feathers,wood etc
2) Your Budget - maybe split that into the 3 sections - venue, ceremony and table
So lets get creative...
Venue Decorations - You can go with just something small for this for example just some fairly lighting to create a beautiful atmosphere or some hanging buntin or paper lanterns. Just these small little touches at your venue will transform it into the perfect wedding reception.
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Ceremony Decorations - Just adding a sash to the chair can make all the difference in creating the perfect look for your ceremony. However you can also add some flowers to the chair, of course your red carpet entrance and then maybe some decoration along the isle too. All create a real WOW factor.
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Table Decorations - This is where you can really start to get creative and add your personality to your wedding. With some many ideas out there I fully understand why some people arent sure where to start. You can have floral centrepieces, lanterns, candles, vases, wishing trees, feathers to name a few all offering an amazing look for your wedding. And you can go as small and simple as you like or big and bold.
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And then of course its then adding the other small touches to the tables - Table numbers, Favours, Menu and you might even take the opportunity of adding the guest book to each table.
Check out our pinterest boards for some FAB ideas for these little touches
Hope this has given you some ideas for your up and coming wedding
Happy Planning :) :)
A Nineteenth century Spanish mansion, anchored in the heart of the ‘Costa Tropical’ Granada, is the perfect wedding venue. The house is situated on top of a beautiful hill, offering incomparable views of the Mediterranean sea and the far-reaching Sierra Nevada mountains.The terraces and Winter garden offer the chance to enjoy ancient trees, pine, magnolia, cypress, cedar of Lebanon and many different palm trees. Harmoniously mixed with the expected, bougainvillea, jasmine, calandos, gerberas and other wonderful fauna giving both enriched colours and aromas. There are two coral caves and garden fountains, which adds water as another magical element of the peace that surrounds those who take the time to ponder, appreciate and admire.
Read more: A Wedding Blessing for Naomi and Declan 31st May 2015
Jenny and Dean celebrated their special day at our stunning Casa De los Bates Venue, surrounded by their family and Friends.
Cassandra and Gareth celebrated their wedding day at Llanos Finca de Belvis. A beautiful farm in Marbella, between the mountains with spectacular views. Wonderful location, if like Cassandra and Gareth you wish to finish the evening on a 'high' an amazing wedding celebration concluded with a live rock band and guest vocalist - 'Gareth'
Katie and Adam shared their special day with Family and Friends. Their ceremony was at the beautiful Church of San Antonio. A lovely church set in a typical Spanish village with a beautiful gold interior.
They then went onto one of our lovely venues Hotel Cortijo Bravo.
This is a picture story of Nicola and Paul's wedding ceremony, a beautiful and very happy day, which was certainly enjoyed by Nicola, Paul, their family and friends.
With the Spanish sun shining, it was a perfect day for Kelly and Gavin to get married. Surrounded by their family and friends it was truly a beautiful day filled with many lovely memories.
Casa de los Bates is where Kelly and Gavin had their special. It is a beautiful 18th century mansion with is now a luxury hotel.
Emma and Richard celebrated their wedding with family and friends at the Beautiful Villa Bermeja in Sotogrande.
Villa Bermeja is set in the heart of Acedia Valley in Casares, bordering the National Park. With views to take your breath away this Villa is perfect for weddings. Just a 10 min drive to the famous authentic Andalusian village of Casares and amazing beaches nearby, just 25 mins to Marbella and the airport. The Villa can sleep up to 22 people as it has a separate guesthouse and apartment attached to the villa.
Lyndsie and Philip got married at our Beautiful Venues, Hotel Cortijo Bravo. They shared their day with their close family and friends, it was a lovely day with many happy memories.
Hotel Cortijo Bravo is set in a stunning location, surrounded by breathtaking views of the white Spanish villages and the Spanish mountains.
Perfect Spanish Weddings hosted a most beautiful ethnic wedding day in Spain, for Anahita and Ali at the Spanish castle Castillo De Santa Catalina. A traditional Ethnic 'Sofreh Aghd' Wedding celebration. Please take a very privledged tour of the outstanding and elaborate details that were achieved during the ceremony event. A true fusion of tradition and convention, brought together harmonously by everyone involved.
Helen and Ronan shared their special day with Family and Friends with the Spanish sun shining down.
Hotel Cortijo Bravo was where they chose to have their wedding, taking in the amazing views, beautiful location and just a perfect venue to share their special day with everyone.
Perfect Spanish Weddings have a wealth of experience in creating and designing these beautiful Ethnic Wedding Ceremonies
The “Aghd” which is the legal ceremony of the Persian wedding, is a spectacular and joyous event celebrated with family, friends, music and fun. The Aghd usually takes place in the afternoon at the bride’s family home or other venue of choice. This is the time when the bride and groom sign a wedding contract, legally binding them as husband and wife.
Traditionally, the Aghd ceremony, takes place by Sofreh Aghd, Persian and Iranian’s, which is an exquisite spread laid out on the floor containing many symbolic items:
The Blessed Bread, specially baked bread with calligraphy written on it. Persian feta cheese, and greens are also placed on the spread to symbolize the basic food that is needed to sustain life. Symbols of Fertility: Decorated eggs, almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts. The Heavenly Fruits: pomegranates, grapes, apples. Persian Rose: A cup of rose water and a rose extracted from the Gol-e Mohammadi (Mohammadan flower). This is to perfume the air. A bowl made out of rock candy, Honey - A cup of honey should be on the spread.
Buying your wedding dress is a big part of all the wedding planning preparation and many brides cant wait to go shopping. But some dont know where to start, you can do your research on styles of dresses, designers and colours etc but its the small details that you dont always know until you go shopping. Having knowledge within the Bridal Industry they are many questions that all brides ask, So I thought why not do a blog about all you need to know about buying your dress. Here are the common questions asked....
- Underskirts - do you have to wear one? Of course it firstly depends on your dress if you need an underskirt but if you can wear an underskirt with your dress I would recommend it, it helps keep the shape of your dress and it also helps you with walking, without an underskirt the dress hooks between your legs which will become VERY annoying as the day goes on
- Bras - Shall I wear one...... this comes down to preference some people wouldn't be comfortable not wearing a bra however most dresses will have built in support so you shouldn't need to wear a bra
- Alterations - costs will vary with each seamstress, tend to say allow 6-8 weeks before your wedding for your 1st appointment. Make sure you have your shoes you are going to be wearing and your underskirt
- Breathable bags - I would also recommend to buy one of these - I would say all bridal shops will sale them. These bags will protect your dress from everything.
- Destination Brides - You can either box up your wedding dress or store it in a breathable bag and if you let you airline/holiday agent know you should able to take this on as extra luggage - so you dont need to worry about finding space in your suitcase :)
I hope that helps you all and happy wedding dress shopping :) Enjoy every moment of it
Authentically dedicated to magically creating a stress free wedding package designed around you, with the focus on beautiful, glamorous, sophisticated and affordable. 
Read more: Spanish Cortijo wedding - Jessica and Trevor May 23rd 2015
Hayley and Liam celebrated their wedding ceremony at a beautiful Spanish Church - San Antonio De Padua. A stunning church with amazing decor inside and out and set in a typical spanish village.
They then went onto one of our stunning venues in Nerja to have their wedding reception - Cortijo Maria Luisa.