Choosing your Bride (or Groom) is the easy part
We never intentionally make poor decisions, but sometimes our decisions could be better. As far as Best Man or Bridesmaids are concerned there are often too many contenders and it is heart-rending to make a decision. It is becoming far more prevalent these days to have TWO Best Men and as many Bridesmaids as your budget can afford to dress!
Most Brides seek the advice of a wedding planner, who shows them a choice of venue, but BEWARE of the Banqueting Manager who takes you to one side and says something like “Don’t bother with a wedding planner, I will do it all for you and there is no charge.” What lovely sentiments! BUT if they are going to suggest cutting corners to save money on the Wedding Planner, what other corners will they cut that you won’t know about, to create a more profit for their department? Oh, and by the way, who is there to check on the Banqueting Manager? I work very closely with a local wedding who treats every Bride as if she were her only daughter, but I also respond to couples who are planning something smaller, possibly at the British Church in Torre Principado, Bendorm, or one of the many hotels.
Getting married is a ‘ONE OFF’ – it’s not an occasion where you collect good ideas for next time!
I’ve learned loads of lessons (and tips I’ll freely give you) in the 15 or so years I’ve been officiating at Civil Weddings in Spain (for those meeting the residency requirements) as well as Wedding Blessings where all your guest will believe they have attended your civil wedding in Spain – set against a church backdrop. Often couples want to LIMIT the CHURCHINESS in a wedding ceremony, and I would not include hymns or psalms without a specific request, but my focus has to be split between what the couple think they would like, and what their guests expect,
I’d never want to hear guests, after the ceremony was over, commenting “Well that wasn’t worth flying in from overseas for, was it?”
Send any questions you have to me at clive@cliveread.com THANK YOU for considering DIVINE SERVICE for your SPANISH WEDDING DAY.
And, before you ask, Ann and I have been married almost 55 year – in the days before ordinary people had Wedding Planners – and the Young People’s Fellowship Ann attended (we married in her church where we’d met 10 months earlier) did all the catering as their contribution to our wonderful day. Ann’s Sunday School teacher provided the wedding car – and I was late for my own wedding, The husband of a girl Ann worked with took the photos and we travelled by motorbike to Pagham for our 4-day honeymoon.