Best Spain Wedding Venues - The Ultimate List
Welcome! I'm Damian Zurowski, Destination Wedding Photographer in Spain. I want to help you to organize a perfect wedding based on my years of experience in the wedding business. I would love to break down the best wedding venues in Spain to what is the most important so we will discuss the location of the venue, how many guests can they fit, the style of the wedding you can organize in each and of course the prices. I have created this list of the Best Spain Wedding Venues to help you to break down the most important aspects of the decision-making process.
Planning a Perfect Wedding in Spain
There are many reasons to get married in Spain. More and more tourists each year plan their wedding in the heart of the Mediterranean for plenty of reasons. Some choose it because of the magical scenery, spectacular views, and one-of-a-kind architecture. Others because of their love for Spanish gastronomy and culture in general. There might be many reasons but one thing is sure- no one regrets getting married in Spain. In the end, it is the most romantic and exotic European country at the same time offering so much. From tropical sceneries in the Canary Islands to dreamy forests in Basque Country... Gosh, this country has got it all!
If you would like to get personal advice on which region of Spain would be a perfect fit for you, just contact me and I will use my experience to help you make the best possible choice.
Different Styles of Spain Wedding Venues
Thanks to the rich history of this country there are so many different venues to choose from. Just think about it. Rich agriculturists had been living in beautiful villas. Now most of them are used as wedding venues. There are plenty of castles being used for weddings as well. The stunning nature of the country has led to a lot of places offering weddings on the beach or weddings in the middle of the mountains. Spain is also one of the most touristic countries in the world so the choice of extraordinary hotels available for weddings is almost limitless.
Best Beach Wedding Venues in Spain
Let's start with what attracts foreigners to Spain the most - its world-class beaches. I mean, who would not want to get married in the background of the Mediterranean sea on a perfectly sunny day?
There are so many different styled beach wedding venues in Spain it is very hard to make the selection of the best but I did my best. Here is the list of the best beach wedding venues in Spain.
Palacio Miramar
This one can be classified as much as a beach wedding venue as a luxury wedding venue. Built in 1893 in San Sebastian (Basque Country) is a luxurious hotel on a Spanish coastline that can fit up to 250 guests. The views from the hotel are just out of this world. Oh, and I didn't mention the garden yet. It was designed by the french gardener Pierre Ducasse and it takes the place to another level.
You can visit the website of this luxurious beach wedding venue here.
ME Ibiza
This resort located in front of the beach S’Argamassa in Ibiza is just perfect for intimate weddings but also prepared for bigger celebrations. They have a place for your outdoor wedding ceremony with with the beach in the background, stunning rooftop bar with the 360º view on Bahía de S`Argamassa and infinite swimming pool to relax after a long wedding night.
Visit the official website of ME Ibiza.
Sa Cala Rotja
Charming rural wedding finca in front of the Canyamel beach with a lot of open areas perfect for organizing your wedding in Mallorca. Along with Catering Vicky Pulgarin, you can have a perfect wedding dinner with stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea from one of the most beautiful Balearic Island.
Check out this Sa Cala Rotja.
El Lopesan Villa del Conde
This unique five-star seaside hotel in Gran Canaria is a true gem. A stunning design resembling the traditional architecture of the Canary Islands makes it stand out in every possible way. They have a lot of different areas in their offer so that you can plan a truly unique wedding that matches your style.
You can visit the official website of this luxurious beach hotel in Gran Canaria here.
Best Wedding Villas in Spain
Villas as the wedding venue are a perfect choice for couples who would like to have their wedding in beautiful natural scenery. They are very often old farmhouses that had been transformed over the years for glamorous wedding venues.
Being located outside of the cities the biggest advantage is that you can rent it for a couple of days which is a great advantage for two reasons. First of all, you can rest in the same place after a long wedding party and second of all you can enjoy the place with your friends the day after the wedding. Many of them have a swimming pool so just imagine chilling by the poolside the day after your wedding with your friends and family.
Casa del Mar
Located close to Barcelona in Garraf Natural Park this beautiful place built in the XIV century makes a perfect wedding venue to get married in Spain. The great exterior area is suitable for exterior ceremonies. Oh, and did I mention a big swimming pool with views over the Mediterranean sea?
You can see more information on Casa del Mar here.
Hacienda Vejer
Hacienda Vejer is exactly what goes through your mind when you think of Andalusian luxury. On the hills of rural Cadiz countryside in the heart of the sunny south of Spain, this luxurious place will wow your guests.
I mean just look at the pictures of Hacienda Vejer.
Cigarral de las Mercedes
This wedding venue located next to Toledo offers both a beautiful villa and a garden with a lake nearby for the celebration of your Big Day. Beautiful exterior scenery makes a truly Instagrammable wedding venue.
More information on Cigarral de las Mercedes.
La Casa de Mónico
This charming wedding venue was designed in 1946. It's perfect for both indoor and outdoor celebrations. Its proximity to Madrid makes it very easy to reach Madrid International Airport if your guests are coming from abroad.
It belongs to Grupo Mónico which offers 4 different wedding venues in the area. You can see them all here.
Best Castle Wedding Venues in Spain
Considering the rich history of Spain and how attractive this country is for foreigners, there are a lot of places that will make you fall in love. The number of medieval castles used as wedding venues is just unreal in the Iberian peninsula. Let's take a look at some of the most interesting options.
Castle of Viñuelas
The Castle of Viñuelas has been built in the XVII century as a fortress and until recently has been used exclusively by Spanish aristocrats. Today you can organize your dream wedding in one of the three parts of this luxurious wedding venue. The castle interiors with perfect views of Soto de Viñuelas, rustic style Shooting Pavilion, and Fuente Tena Pavilion with a charming cobblestone garden.
More information about Castle of Viñuelas.
La Cartuja de Ara Christi Monastery
This stunning Monastery nearby Valencia used as a wedding venue offers a beautiful exterior area with unbelievable background for wedding pictures. The whole exterior area is surrounded by various structures which can fit any kind of wedding guest. It also offers accommodation for you and your guest at the same place.
Official website of Cartuja de Ara Christi.
Castillo de Almodóvar
If this is not a wedding venue for a princess wedding I don't know what is. Castillo de Almodóvar is the place that all your wedding guests are going to talk about for some time after your wedding. It has even been a set of many TV series such as Game of Thrones.
More information on weddings in Castillo de Almodóvar.
Castle San Marcos
Castle San Marcos is one of the most remarkable historic hotels in the whole of Spain if not Europe. Built by french architects and sculptors almost 500 years ago, the whole structure is a piece of art you will never forget.
You can read more about Castle San Marcos here.
Most Beautiful Luxurious Wedding Venues in Spain
Have you been dreaming of a wedding straight out of movies and budget is not a problem? Spain offers a staggering number of luxurious wedding venues.
Anantara Villa Padierna Palace
This luxurious Andalusian resort in Marbella is going to meet any expectations of the most demanding brides. How good does it sound to say yes to your beloved person in the resort's Roman amphitheater? Besides the unbelievable location for the ceremony, the villas available for guests will stay in your guests' minds forever. Needless to say, one of them is called Obama Villa in the honor of the former first lady.
Official website of Anantara Villa Padierna Palace.
Hotel Alfonso XIII
Let's stay in Andalucia for a moment. Hotel Alfonso XIII is located in the heart of southern Spain- Seville. The number of well-known people who had been in Hotel Alfonso XIII is longer than you would expect. The fact that it has been a wedding venue for Spanish princesses in the past says it all.
More information on Hotel Alfonso XIII.
Mandarin Oriental Ritz
Probably number one choice if you are planning a lavish wedding in Spain's capital, Madrid. Recently renovated, this luxurious wedding venue has still preserved its belle-époque style characteristic of the hotel's beginnings over a century ago.
Mandarin Oriental Ritz official website.
Bellesguard Gaudi
Yes, you can get married in a building designed by Gaudi himself. A mix of gothic and art-nouveau makes it fit perfectly in Barcelona aesthetic style. Considered by many people the most beautiful wedding destination in the whole of Spain this sensational place can be the place where you will get married.
If this does not convince you, here you can find more information on weddings in Bellesguard Gaudi.
Getting Married in Spain - what you need to know
Let me break down some of the most frequent questions I tend to hear from couples getting married in Spain.
What is the best place to get married in Spain?
Spain offers a vast variety of different places to get married. Considering how diverse this country is you can divide it into 4 areas if it comes to getting married.
Weddings in the South of Spain (Andalusia)
It is not a coincidence I started with the south first. The stereotype we, foreigners have about Spain has its base in the southern part- Andalucia. It is here where you can find over 300 sunny days a year so the probabilities of having a bad weather for your wedding is close to zero from May to October.
Another and even more important factor why choosing a wedding venue in southern Spain is a good idea is architecture. Andalusian architecture is a beautiful mix of European and Arab influence which makes it truly magical. Most of the wedding venues in Andalusia are preserving their original architecture.
Weddings in the Canary Islands
The Canary Islands is a very popular wedding destination thanks to its perfect weather conditions all year round. The weather is between 20 and 30 degrees. Always. You can get married in this tropical paradise any month of the year and you have best weather guaranteed.
It is also one of the most visually diverse places you can imagine. Only in Tenerife you can find banana plantations by the coast, tropical forests and moon-like landscape getting closer to Teide. All this can be found only in Tenerife, there are 6 islands, all of them absolutely unique.
Weddings on Mediterranean Coast (Catalonia, Comunidad Valenciana, Balearic Islands)
One does not have to recommend the Spanish Mediterranean coastline. It is worldwide known for a reason. It is exactly how you imagine your perfect holiday.
The best time to get married in this part of the country is between April-June and September-November. Do not make the mistake thinking that Spain is always hot because January and February can get rainy and windy. Also, it is recommended to avoid July and August unless you enjoy sweating in 40 degrees of heat.
Weddings in the North of Spain (Galicia, Asturias, Basque Country, Cantabria)
This is probably the biggest surprise for all the visitors who have never been to Spain. Green mountains reminding more of Scandinavian Fjords than Spain. Truly magical region and a perfect fit if you are more into dreamy, misty atmosphere rather than harsh sunlight and dry landscape.
Basque Country itself or Galicia offer stunning wedding venues in a totally different style than anything you can find in the rest of the country. Oh, and did I mention it is famous for the best gastronomy in all of Spain?
Can I legally get married in Spain?
Long story short - yes. G But it is still a long story, so let's take a look.
Getting married in Spain usually involves plenty of bureaucracy and might be time-consuming but I assist international weddings all the time so it is the best proof that it can be done easier than it seems when you read legal requirements.
Legal Requirements for a civil wedding in Spain
First, you need to apply through a local registry office. Spain works on a local level a lot so if you get married in Barcelona, you go through Catalan process, if you do it in Seville, then Junta de Andalucia is where you need to apply.
For all the processes you will need:
- Valid passports
- Original birth certificates
- Proof that both of you are legally allowed to get married
- Divorce certificate (in case you've been married before)
- Empadronamiento of at least one of you.
If both of you are foreigners who are not living in Spain, don't worry. You can still get married in the embassy of your country following your country's requirements.
Then after the official part, you can organize the ceremony anywhere as it is not a legal act anymore.
It is actually very common practice even for Spanish people. They very often get married officially days before the celebration and then go through beautiful ceremony without having to worry about signing papers etc. It is just more elegant to go through all the ceremonies without the legal part.
Legal requirements for Catholic Weddings in Spain
In the case of a Catholic wedding, besides the documents from the civil wedding list, you will need two more documents:
- Baptism, communion, and confirmation certificates from your church
- Pre-nuptial inquiry
Conclusions
Getting married in Spain might be more energy-consuming process than doing it in your country but just take a look at the pictures from different wedding venues. The variety of stunning places in the Iberian Peninsula is beyond anyone's expectations. I am pretty sure you can find a perfect match for the event you are dreaming about.
Contacting wedding venues without speaking Spanish might sometimes be frustrating but in case you hire me for your wedding photographer I can help you with this process as well. It will not be the first time for me neither! Just get in touch and we can make your dreams come true!
