Having lived in Spain for a while, I was always fascinated by the wedding ceremonies, décor, the preparation that goes on behind “the big day”… and, most of all, the culture and tradition.  Here is a guide on how to go about getting married in Spain if you are from a different country.

People in Spain can get married in two different ways: boda civil (civil marriage) and Boda catolica (catholic marriage).

Some people believe that civil marriage show a lot less grandeur in terms of the ceremony. The idea of a civil marriage has more to do with the decision of not going throu a catholic marriage, which in the last decades seems to be the most popular option amongst couples. What they tend to do is hire a garden area to cater for the hundreds or thousands of guests; where they celebrate the reception and change the decoration to cater for the wedding theme, arranged tables, the wedding centerpieces, favors, cake, etc.

Usually, the couple and guests attend a more official “venue” (called “juzgado”) as the Spanish government is not keen on people celebrating their civil weddings in a chosen area that is not considered to be “official”. This is really a shame as it puts people off attending the ceremony (it tends to be more like: I can’t wait until it is over sort of thing) to then enjoy themselves at the garden place.

Sometimes, to make the official ceremony a little bit less cold, the bride and groom ask a member of the family or friends to give a speech or read a poem. That entices people to enjoy themselves as it becomes more a celebration rather than a boring act.

If you decide to get married the Catholic way, you have to ask permission at your chosen church. Do this well in advance as sometimes there are long queues and the waiting time could go on forever. The more popular the church is, the more difficult it will be to set your date.

Getting married in a church can pose another problem: some churches have their own wedding photographer. If you are really keen on the chosen church then you will have to live with this. Ask the photographer for samples of their work, just to make sure you do like the results and you are happy with this particular situation. If you have hired a photographer for the whole day, you will end up having to pay the two of them.

There are certain days throughout the year where your catholic wedding cannot take place (for example on Christmas day and Easter Sunday). Ask to make sure your chosen wedding date doesn’t fall into one of these festivities.  

Spanish wedding dresses are astonishingly beautiful. In recent years the popular choices are the obvious white and silk dresses. But that is not the traditional Spanish wedding dress. Although it can still be made out of silk, the color changes to black (yes, black!) and a veil unfolds across the bride’s face which is also black by tradition.

It is wise to plan your wedding one year in advance as things in Spain might take a bit of time to get sorted. Also, if you are new to the country there are so many things you must take into account, for example choosing a village you have fallen in love with or going for a certain Spanish style as your wedding theme. It might take you time to learn the intricacies on how to nail the theme down, as you want it to reflect the best décor, the best wedding centerpieces, the best Spanish style wedding cake and so on.

It is easy to go overboard with so much going on and you might not follow the budget you have allowed yourself. Spain has a lot to offer especially if you are new to it and “want it all” for your ceremony and reception. I would suggest celebrating your wedding reception in a “finca”. Fincas are rural lands where owners have built a house and use the land for farming. They are really beautiful and very typical in Spain and other Latin countries.

Create a “confessions corner” at your wedding reception where your guests can be filmed expressing their thoughts on the day and the future of your marriage (lets just hope those thoughts are positive!).

A fantastic idea would be to leave on each of the tables at the wedding reception a disposable camera so the guests can take pictures from their own perspective. They are cheap, they are fun and your guests will absolutely love them! Just make sure your guests don’t take them home. Print the photographs and show your friends and family so they can choose which pictures they want a copy of.

Your Spanish wedding will be a complete success if you plan everything accordingly well before hand. Check different places, churches, villages and fincas. There is a lot to choose from. Spain is a very rich country in terms of culture and tradition. If you already live in Spain, why go to your country of origin to get married when this place can offer you so much? Ask your friends and family to join you there if the budget allows, (flights are quite cheap nowadays) and have a fantastic wedding the Spanish way!