Fall in love with Valencia

Saturday, 16 July 2016 09:19

 

There's really no time like now to wed in one of Spain's best hidden, most incredible cities - with Spanish Wedding Planner to guide you along the way!

If you were asked to name a Spanish city which offers culture, beauty, great food and beaches then Barcelona would probably be the first city you named. Nowadays however there is a new contender for Barcelona's cultural crown and culinary prowess - Valencia.

Famed throughout Spain for its paella, the passion for their local dish has led Valencianos to insist on locally sourced, good quality produce. Valencian cuisine is now renowned for the freshness of the products which go into its dishes and the creative menus served by restaurants and venues. Given this and Valencia's location - on the Mediterranean for fish and seafood, and surrounded by "La Huerta" some of the most fertile farmland in Spain - it is no surprise Valencian food is taken so seriously by the city's inhabitants and restaurants! For foodies this makes Valencia an incredible place not only go visit but to wed as menus are imaginative and there is a real desire to showcase the quality of the produce and skills of the chef.

Alongside Valencia's love of good food runs a love of live music, with the largest number of music bands on any one city in Spain! Twined with Valencia’s many unique fiestas Valencia’s live music, it is one of the reasons that culturally, as well as in cuisine, Valencia more than holds its own. In fact the city has recently become a phenomenon on the European tourist market precisely because it has successfully modernised and reinvented itself to become a hub of cosmopolitan culture and yet also managed to retain its traditional culture.

In practical terms this means Valencia's historic centre still retains its old world charm but running alongside this is Valencia's futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, the Bioparc, a lively new cultural scene and of course the city's beaches! If that wasn't enough, access is now even easier as British Airways and Easyjet both fly direct to Valencia from Gatwick, and Ryanair flies from Stansted and Dublin.

The icing on the (wedding!) cake for couples planning a wedding - in addition to all the benefits of Valencia itself - is that from July 2016 Spanish Wedding Planner are opening a new office in this beautiful city. Valencian planners Kate and Vanessa combine their own knowledge of the city and it’s people with Spanish Wedding Planner’s decade long experience of planning and coordinating weddings for couples from around the world.

So, if you are looking for an incredible cosmopolitan city where you and your guests can soak up old world Spain, relax on the beach, explore cutting edge architecture or just try paella in the city of its birth, Valencia really does fit the bill!

 

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When things go wrong... it can still be happy ever after!

Friday, 30 October 2015 00:00

You've dreamed about your wedding for years and want everything to be perfect - but what happens when things go wrong? In the months leading up to your Big Day it is only normal to imagine your wedding day as 100% perfect and so good that it will be remembered by you and your guests for years to come. However, what if, because of human error, act of God or totally unforseen circumstances something goes wrong either beforehand or on the day itself? It is not a popular topic for discussion but sometimes the unexpected does happen so here our are key tips for riding out the storm and coming out smiling with a happy ending after all....

Buy insurance: Wedding insurance is often neglected by couples who do not want to pay for something they will probably not use. For the sake of a small sum of money (packages start at 30 euros) however you can have the peace of mind of knowing you are covered if you have to cancel unexpectedly, make new plans in the event of financial failure by a supplier, must delay travel or other unforseen difficulties . While this does not make up for the worry and additional work caused in these cases it can help you recoop some of the money which can make a big difference.

Speak to your planner: Your Wedding Planner cares as much about your Big Day as you do. She wants everything to go well and has years of experience planning events. Don't treat her like a competitor therefore, but as soon as you have a problem talk to her, ask her advice and use her expertise and contacts if she suggests they can help resolve the situation.

Be realistic: When you get married in Spain the customs, food and culture are different to those back home. Aside from the sunshine, the up side of this is the great Spanish food, love of dancing, willingness to welcome children everywhere and traditions such as flamenco dancing, all of which can bring even more sparkle to your Big Day. The red tape and "do it tomorrow" attitude can be frustrating however. Somethings do work differently here and a wedding in Spain will not be the same as a wedding in Ireland, the UK, Scandinavia or the States. Celebrate the differences and you will be better equipped to laugh at the stuff which you thought would be easy but turns out to be far more complicated.....

Take a step back: Some problems are truly disastrous - an absent groom or flooded reception venue. Others however are a matter of perspective. Will your wedding really be ruined if your flowers come in a slightly darker shade of pink or if town regulations mean can't arrive at the church in a horse and carriage? Before calling it a disaster take five minutes to sit quietly and think about the important things in your life and why you are marrying in the first place. You are making a public declaration of your love in front of family and friends so don't let insignificant details change your appreciation of the Big picture....!

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Before you get into your Wedding Dress - the essential checklist!

Friday, 09 October 2015 00:00

On the morning of your Big Day you are likely to be nervous. After long months of planning and organisation THE day has finally arrived. It is all too easy therefore to get a bit flustered or forget the simple things you should do prior getting into your Wedding dress. Never fear however because Spanish Wedding Planner is here with a go-to check list of things you should do BEFORE slipping on THAT dress...!


1) Moisturise - It sounds silly but soft, moisturised skin will give you an additional boost on your wedding day and, if you match the moisturiser to your perfume, make your chosen scent last longer. Just be sure to rub it in well and leave plenty of time before putting on your dress to avoid greasy marks!


2) Don't forget to eat - a fainting bride is not a good look! You may not feel very hungry but there's going to be several hours until you eat again and you don't want to spend the day feeling light-headed and hungry as that can really put a damper on your spirits!

3) Brush your teeth - you are going to spend a lot of time smiling and chatting to people during the day so the last thing you need is dragon-breath! Give your teeth a through clean before your ceremony, floss and use a mouth wash or spray for extra freshness.

4) Go to the loo! In the excitement it is easy to forget the call of nature until you are laced into a complicated dress or even standing at the altar. Before you get dressed make sure you use the bathroom and then go easy on the caffinated drinks and alcohol before the ceremony or concentrating on your vows can be tricky!

5) Take a few deep breaths. It is your day. You've dreamed, planned and organised and now your are here. Take a few moments to appreciate the pre-wedding time, remember the friends and family who have travelled to be with you, and why you are doing this - for love! Then go - have an amazing day!

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I do, I do, I do! Reading ideas for a blessing ceremony

Friday, 18 September 2015 00:00

Photo Credit: One Love Photo

Making your wedding day super special is vital, especially if you have friends and family coming from afar to join you. If, like many couples, you can’t have or don’t want a traditional Catholic ceremony then a brilliant and very popular option is a symbolic blessing ceremony. While Catholic ceremonies are very strict about readings, poems and songs - and only Biblical or approved ones are usually permitted - a blessing ceremony means you can pull all the stops out and make the ceremony truly personal, and incredibly meaningful for the two of you. The difficulty for many people however is knowing where to start looking for the “right” readings, poems and songs to try and express their feelings for their partner and their hopes and dreams for their life together. Today’s blog is a handy go-to guide therefore to give you inspiration and ideas for web and other resources for these.

Anthologies of love poems - if you don’t want to trawl the internet or go digital for your wedding day ideas then ask friends and family or try your local book or charity shop for poetry anthologies. Collections of poems are often a fantastic place to start for readings and you will also get a chance to kick back with a book into the bargin - bonus!

Popular readings: Wedding ideas mag has an article with seven of the most popular readings for weddings including the beautiful words from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin which retain their beauty even when read for the 100th time.

Going deeper: The Wedding readings library; This is a great resource for you and your partner to browse if you want ideas as it has categories for Classical and Traditional readings and for more unusual readings from novels and Literature. A great example is the following from George Elliot’s Adam Bede:


It was Dinah who spoke first.
'Adam,' she said, 'it is the Divine Will., My soul is so knit with yours that it is but a divided life I live without you. And this moment, now you are with me, and I feel that our hearts are filled with the same love, I have a fulness of strength to bear and do our heavenly Father's will, that I had lost before.'
Adam paused and looked into her sincere loving eyes.
'Then we'll never part any more, Dinah, till death parts us.'
And they kissed each other with a deep joy.
What greater thing is there for two human souls, than to feel that they are joined for life - to strengthen each other in all labour, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent unspeakable memories at the moment of the last parting?

Sing it out!: Songs can also be part of your story and you can use them during your ceremony to express your joy of the day or just evoke a special memory for the two of you. For great wedding love songs and more ideas click here. 

Fun stuff: If you want to eject a little light hearted fun into the ceremony too then it is also acceptable to use humourous readings. For ideas see the following on offbeatbride.com

Your ceremony is special - have fun exploring all the readings and ways you can make it mean more to the two of you!

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Free the Bar!

Friday, 24 July 2015 00:00

Speaking from experience one of the things most appreciated by guests at a wedding is an open bar. This presents a problem however if you don't have the budget to provide one or, for whatever reason, you want to limit or tailor your guests' alcohol more specifically. This is not a killjoy strategy but one if handled carefully can make your wedding more successful than ever! In this week's blog we look at fun ways to ring the changes and free the bar from the usual spirits, mixers, beers, wine, and soft drinks. This means while you may be limiting their choices, you’re doing it in a creative way that adds to the fun and excitement.

A wedding cocktail - providing an entire cocktail bar can be pricey and impractical, but you can offer a more limited range of drinks and have a special wedding cocktail. This can be a favourite of yours or something made especially for your Wedding day.

 

Drinks stations - instead of a free bar another idea becoming popular in the States is drinks stations. Guests can move between different locations to sample different beverages such as wines, craft beers, cordials, or even different whiskies. These types of different drink stations are a good way to let guests peek into your personal tastes, with the added bonus of helping you keep your bar budget in check.

 

Themed drinks eg sangria. You’ve come all the way to Spain to celebrate your Big Day so why not incorporate a local drink into your wedding? Instead of serving spirits offer guests different Sangrias - red, white or pink - to add fun and local flavour to the evening!

 

Naughty nibbles. Instead of a full open bar you can offer a limited one - wine, beer and soft drinks - yet add to the memorableness of the evening by providing unusual nibbles or late night snacks. THis is an especially good idea if you are a “foodie” as it is another area you can be creative with. Late night Spanish Tapas - tortilla, olives, bread, cheese and meats, a Candy Bar, or a wide selection of sandwiches or hot snacks - if you design it most caterers will be happy to make it!

It's your wedding - mix it up your way!

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