Everything you need to know to get married in Spain

A wedding is one of the most important moments in a couple’s life; it marks the official beginning of their life together and it is an event where both sides of the family come together to celebrate and enjoy time with their loved ones. A Wedding In Spain is more than just the union of two people; it is the merging of two families, two souls into one new family. It is a memorable occasion where enjoyment and romance are central to all involved.

The importance of this event shows that some doubts may arise about your wedding. You may wonder about which place is the best, what are the options for food and entertainment, what to do with the decoration, as well as the budget and process of getting married. Here we will help you with the most common questions that couples have before their wedding and provide the best options for your special day. Nowadays marrying abroad is a great choice to make your union extra special, and the most exciting place to celebrate a wedding is Spain.

If you get married in Spain, it comes with many positive aspects that make Spain so irresistible. When it comes to having your own unforgettable wedding, nothing is better that doing it in a beautiful paradise. There are plenty of venues that perfectly match with any couple, theme and personality. With the appropriate team to plan your wedding you can be sure that you will have everything you wish for and more. Here, we will give you answers to help you clear you mind and assist you with the big decision of having your wedding in Spain.

Why is Spain such a popular destination to get married?

It can be an extremely attractive destination to get married in Spain for couples who live in places with very cool or rainy weather, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, Russia, among others. Couples from these places usually want to enjoy a wedding in a warm place, maybe even outside without worrying about the rain or a snow storm. This is a very good reason to choose Spain as the destination to have your wedding.

Having the opportunity of celebrating a wedding with a gorgeous weather, must be complemented with amazing food. In Spain the options for food are extremely attractive. With a Spanish chef in your wedding, you can be assured of exceptional quality. There is no way someone can be unhappy while having Spanish food. The variety of dishes Spain offers you is extensive and there won’t be anyone left out. The experience of enjoying Spanish food will be something every guest will appreciate.

Another reason to get married in Spain is because it’s a popular wedding destination due to the variety of places you can visit. As you know, having a wedding abroad means travelling a few times and a few days before the event, and expending all day only in the hotel might not be attractive. In Spain, you have the option to go and have fun in beautiful beaches, parks, clubs, and restaurants. You can even go on an adventure and visit another city. The most requested places and where you will have a good time for sure include towns in Andalucia like Cordoba and Granada. Additionally, you can even go to places like Morocco for an unique experience.

The huge variety of venues is something that makes most couples choose Spain for their destination wedding. No matter what style the couple wishes for the wedding, they will have whatever they decide. They can choose all the way from a beach wedding to a celebration in a castle and from the most cozy and romantic villages to the most luxurious hotels that will impress anyone. There are venues that will make you fall in love with them and that you won’t find anywhere else.

What is Needed to Get Married in Spain?

You have arranged everything and now you are sure you want to get married in Spain, but you don’t know what you need to get married in Spain. Don’t worry we have it covered for you. We will tell you what you need to be able to get married in Spain, what are the most important documents or requirements to celebrate your wedding in Spain, as well as other options you might have in case you can’t meet the requirements but still want to have your wedding celebration in Spain.

The first question is often whether the couple can legalize their marriage in Spain. Usually there is one way to make it legal and it is trough the Catholic religion. Having a wedding under the Catholic religion is the way anyone abroad can have their legal wedding in Spain without going through other paper work. Of course this applies if one or both in the couple are Catholic, if that is not the case then they can not get married by the Catholic church and legalize the marriage this way.

The second option to legally get married in Spain is if the couple or at least one of them is a resident of Spain and has lived there for at least 2 years. In this case they have to show documentation to prove residency and ownership of a residence in Spain. Given the often tedious bureaucracy involved, the best thing is do it in advance to ensure a smooth process. You can ask your wedding planner where and how to do all that paperwork. This way it will be easier because you have the help of someone who is specifically dedicated to that.

Because all the the administrative requirements for a civil ceremony in Spain, most couples from abroad who can’t get married in Spain religiously opt for another choice, to have a symbolic wedding taking care of every single detail as if is was the legal one. They get married in their country legally and might hold a small gathering there, but then they prepare everything to have a real wedding ceremony, even if it is symbolic, and celebration. Because there is no way that they can’t have the wedding of their dreams in a magical place.

What are The Steps to Get Married in Spain?

In every wedding no matter the place or preferences, there are certain steps to follow to be able to get married there. Here, we will be taking you through the keys to have a wedding in Spain so that you will know what to expect. Obviously you have to take in consideration that each wedding and couple will have a unique experience, with this guide we intend to provide general guidance.

Remember that with the proper wedding planners your special day will be an excellent experience. Without further ado, we will talk about the steps to get married in Spain.

First Step To Get Married in Spain: Plan a Visit to Spain

The first and most important step if you live abroad and want to get married in Spain is traveling to the place. It might seem like something obvious but some couples might forget that they need to go there and experience everything in person. Not just through a video call or videos and pictures but to actually see what is right for them.

Second Step To Get Married in Spain: Visit The Venues

The second step once they are in Spain is visiting the venues. Of course, it is no possible to visit all the venues in just one day. That is why the best to travel for a few days, so that in this way every visit to the venues becomes be pleasant, fun and incredible experience. Per day the couple should visit from 3 to 4 venues, taking in consideration the distance.

Only a limited number of venues are visited per day. The reason it’s because visiting more than 4 then would be exhausting for the couple and may lead to confusion about their preferences. Visiting 3 to 4 venues would take from 4 to 5 including travel time between locations.

The planning team picks up the couple in the hotel and guides them to each venue. The team will always provide explanations of the features of each venue and the possibilities. They will give the couple information according to any special needs that they might have, including any restrictions such as noise limits. They will review their exclusivity contract with the chef, catering, DJ, and photographer; as well as cash bar for example. 

Now after the couple has visited the venues and learned about every feature of each place, the wedding planners give the couple a maximum of one week to make a decision. This period gives the couple time to return to their home country and talk with the people they want to be sure of their choice. Once the decision is made, they sign the contract and make the first payment online.

Third Step To Get Married in Spain: Travel Again to Arrange The Details

In the trial phase, wedding planners schedule meetings with the makeup artist and hair stylist, as well with the chef to design the menu. A meeting is also arranged with the decorator to set up the floral arrangements. Of course there are some services that don’t require to have a previous meeting in person. For example the photographer can be ok with just having a video call or even just coordinating details through e-mail and meeting the couple for the first time the day of the wedding. Every supplier is unique and it is crucial to know the service you are hiring.

An important tip for menu selection is to do it as close to wedding as possible. Ideally 3 or 4 months before would be just perfect, with 6 months being the limit. Selecting the menu any earlier than 6 months before the event is not recommended. The reason for this is so that the menu remains relevant and the couple does not forget the flavors. This is why chefs and caterings don’t allow selecting the menu with too much lead time.

Fourth Step To Get Married in Spain: Landing in Spain Before the Wedding Day

The fourth step would be traveling to Spain for the wedding. It is recommended to arrive 1 week to 5 days prior the wedding day. This is because if there is something to change or fix there is time enough to do it. During those days you will have the final meeting with the suppliers to ensure everything is in order. The timing and payments are set up in this meeting, to have everything under control.

The fifth step is to leave everything to the wedding planners. The suppliers won’t contact the couple directly but will communicate with the wedding planning team. This is one of the best reasons to have a wedding planner. You won’t stress out because the wedding planner will be in charge of everything.

They will be responsible for calling everyone early in the morning to ensure everything runs smoothly and that the suppliers have checked everything. And that the suppliers have everything checking. And you as the couple will only focus on enjoying you wedding in Spain with your loved ones, forgetting about anything happening behind the scenes.

We are having our weddings in Spain in a religious ceremony, what are the documents we need?

In the case that the couple wants a legal and religious wedding in Spain there are a few standard steps to follow. We will tell you what the most important steps are. Also, remember this will take time and dedication, so planning a destination wedding in Spain from one moment to another is not the best idea. You have to be sure that you will have at least 1 year before the wedding day to set everything up and avoid any problems.

The first thing is to have the permission of the priest in your community of. You have to remember that this is under the Catholic religion. The priest to give you the permission will ask for your birth certification, as well as the baptism, communion and confirmation certification. All those documents will be sending to the Spain embassy and from there to the Malaga priest.

Once the documentation arrived, the wedding planners go to the priest in Marbella to have a meeting and to check that everything is perfect and ready to go. Usually all this is done 3-4 month before the wedding day. Also, the couple might schedule a trip for the menu approval and to have a meeting with the priest for him to get to know the couple. It is very important that the meeting with the priest is with the couple directly and not with the wedding planner as it is something very personal for the couple to arrange the order of the ceremony.

After the ceremony is done, one of the wedding planners has to stay in the church waiting for the marriage certificate in Spanish. Once they have it they go to the go to Marbella to register the marriage. After that, they make a copy and send it to the couple by mail. When the couple has the certificate, they take it to their country for registration. As this is a very long process, it is recommended to do all the legal aspects in their countries and then have a symbolic ceremony in Spain.

How Much is The Cost to Get Married in Spain?

Of course this depends on every factor you want to include. You won’t find two weddings that are exactly the same, they can have the same budget but the result will always be different. Every wedding is a world of their own, which is way it all relies in the number of guests, the suppliers, the venue and every detail. Even two very similar weddings can have different budgets, it all depends on the couple and what they want to do.

Now if you want to have a wedding in Spain with 30-50 guests, then the best thing would be a minimum budget of 25.000 euros paying the basic services. For a wedding with 100 guests, the budget would be approximately 60,000 euros, again covering the basic services. You might be wondering what the basic services include. These usually encompass flowers, decoration, food, the venue, photographer, wedding planner, and entertainment. It might also include other essential things that the couple could need.

Of course another important aspect is that you must trust your wedding planner in Spain. They are the one who knows what you need and the prices of different suppliers. In this case they know which one adapts to your needs and your budget. This is very important, as usually, the wedding planners will look what is the best for you. We could say that they are your perfect partner in this process.

What Are The Ideal Venues to Get Married in Spain?

The venues depend on each couple and what adapts best to them, their personal taste and unique needs and requests, as well as the budget limits. It all depends on if they want something bohemian, romantic, traditional, luxurious or even extravagant.

One of the most common issues that some foreign couples may face is that there are some venues that have noise restriction. You might wonder what noise restriction means. It refers to regulations that prohibit music outside past a certain time, often around 2 am. This can be a problemfor weddings in the beach. In such cases, couples might consider alternative venues outside the city, such as private villages in the mountains or cabins in the countryside, where there are no restrictions, allowing the party to continue until 5 am.

Of course if the couple doesn’t have troubles with the noise restriction they won’t have any problem to have their wedding in one of those usual venues. For romantics the best options are castles, palaces and romantic hotels Spain can offer for your wedding. There is even a hotel that has an incredibly romantic atmosphere, where the couple will feel as if they are in a fairy tale. This is for those couples who seek that special magic.

If your couple’s personality is more relaxed, bohemian, and somewhat in the style of Ibiza, and you want to walk barefoot, the best choice for you would be a beach wedding. Something with sea views, something romantic and relaxed that perfectly matches your personality. Even if you want something more classic, there are also castles where you can feel like royalty.

As mentioned earlier, the most important aspects of selecting a suitable venue are the budget and the number of guests. This will greatly influence the choice of venue, and then the personality will decide the most appropriate one.

Hopefully this helped you tie the not with Spain an to have your wedding in one of the most beautiful and charming places in the world. Málaga will offer you the most incredible places to get married and an extremely unique experience that you will not only love but remember forever. With the most wonderful memories with your loved ones, you will have an amazing wedding in Spain.