Much easier than you think
Celebrating a wedding in Spain as an international couple, is much easier than you think. Couples from the US, Australia, the UK, and other countries regularly and successfully celebrate their weddings in Spain.
Contracting a marriage legally in Spain is complex. For this reason, most couples contract their marriage where they are usually resident. With the legalities out of the way, couples feel relaxed and ready to celebrate their wedding in Spain
Contracting a celebrant or other suppliers might sound daunting, but wedding directories and Google Maps help streamline the process. It´s essentially the same as shopping online, which many of us initially doubted but have now become accustomed to.
Contracting a wedding celebrant in Spain as an international couple is like other online buying processes
Choosing a celebrant from a different country is much the same process. And what´s great is that, unlike shopping online, you get to try before you buy. Most celebrants offer a non-obligatory discovery call aimed at getting to know you.
As with online shopping, doing your research will help you feel confident about the person you are thinking of contracting. Read reviews from couples and professionals about their experience of working with the celebrant. Previous couples’ reviews are invaluable, giving you a sense of what they were looking for. In addition, they often answer how the celebrant met their expectations. Also, looking through their photo gallery will give further insight into their style and their couple’s experience. In many countries, there is no legal requirement to undertake specific training as a celebrant, but most celebrants do! Trained celebrants understand the process of offering a celebrant service, which involves much more than writing and officiating your ceremony.
In addition, some celebrants can offer bilingual ceremonies, officiating in English and Spanish as required.
My wife and I eloped from Hawaii to Spain. Marcia, a photographer, and a
Amber and Danielle
hotel that agreed to let us get married on property were the only plans we
made. Marcia took care of the rest. We had a wedding that exceeded our
wildest dreams thanks to Marcia. There are no words for the gifts that she
has. Marcia will exceed your expectations and is someone who is definitely
doing her life’s purpose. It was sacred, and we absolutely love you Marcia.
Even the hotel staff were talking about how awesome she was before we even
walked out to meet her:) There’s no one else in the world that could have
given us that wedding. We are deeply grateful and in awe of who you are and
what you did for us. Mahalo Nui Loa Marcia!!
How does communication work when in different time zones
Celebrants recognise that couples have busy lives, and the process often involves video meetings for efficiency.
Your initial meeting with your proposed celebrant is a chance for both of you to get to know each other. Face-to-face contact allows you to evaluate if you share the same values, and confirm whether the celebrant’s profile voice matches them in person. The celebrant uses this meeting to find out more about you and your aspirations for your symbolic wedding in Spain. In addition, they use their experience of listening to you to support and guide you on achieving a memorable ceremony.
Preparing for one of the most important days in your life’s journey is important, so be prepared. Come with an open mind and any ideas you may have about what you would like to include. In addition, preparing any questions about the process helps ensure you don´t forget on the day. The celebrant will do the rest, put you at ease and explain what you can expect and the next steps.
Celebrants process
Each celebrant´s process and pricing vary according to their brand and method of delivery, but should include what they offer. If you haven´t seen your potential celebrant’s website or pricing before the meeting, the celebrant will usually cover this, but it´s good to be clear beforehand. Additionally, you will often find information about what wedding celebrants are and what they do on their websites. Local celebrants will often have relationships with other suppliers or be familiar with a specific area, making the process smoother. Celebrants accustomed to working with International couples will organise and manage several ceremonies simultaneously. Working across different time zones, communicating by video call, email, and WhatsApp. requires great organisational skills, so you´re in safe hands.
When you’re organising a wedding on the other side of the world you want to minimise headaches and stress, M communicated well, kept us on track and made sure the ceremony was perfect without needing any direction.
garth and Perri – Australia
Think of the initial meeting as a great opportunity to meet the person who will potentially be your celebrant before your actual ceremony date.
Safety checks
If you have made your decision to go ahead, most celebrants will send you a form of contract, either a service level agreement or a more detailed contract. This offers further reassurance about their professional intentions, experience and commitment to working with international clients. It will vary whether Celebrants have business insurance, but your venue must have this.
When making payments to celebrants or other suppliers, they will advise you of the payments needed and timing. Payments by bank transfer are typical and considered a safe method. Some celebrants and suppliers accept automatic payments by debit or credit, with a receipt. Celebrants are required to be registered with the Hacienda in Spain and pay tax and IVA (VAT).
Your celebrant will advise you of the stages of their process, including any further meetings. They´ll also let you know when they will start writing your ceremony. Celebrants will often ask for additional information to capture your journey, which helps them to write an authentic ceremony that reflects you personally. Additionally, your celebrant will send your ceremony script for approval unless you have asked for it to be kept as a secret. And importantly, they will be with you on your special day to calm any nerves and officiate a memorable ceremony.
My wife and I live in Florida and decided to elope in Malaga, Spain. When
Angela & Tiffany
pre-searching for someone to officiate our ceremony, I came across M’s page
and I was immediately drawn by her picture which was very warm, genuine and
inviting. I read on about her services and reviews from others and I knew
it had to be her to officiate our wedding. I told my bride-to-be, “I think
I found the perfect person for us” and she agreed. M beautifully curated
our ceremony script with personal elements of my bride and I’s love story
that still makes my heart flutter when I watch our ceremony video. She was
very patient with last minute edits and it turned out better than we
imagined. Everyone who was there or saw our video, were full of praise on
our chosen celebrant.
Let´s sum up
To sum up, international couple´s contracting a wedding celebrant in Spain, can treat the process as you would an online shopping transaction. Do your research about your potential celebrant, read reviews from previous couples and reach out to check if your celebrant is available for your special day. Meet up online before you buy.
Communicating with your celebrant is easy and is often done by email. WhatsApp is often used too, to stay in touch and facilitate faster communication, helpful when in a different time zone.
So, if you´re an international couple contracting a wedding celebrant in Spain to officiate your ceremony in Southern Spain, or other areas on request, in 2026 and 2027, I´d love to hear your story.
Reach out today, so we can start our journey to your wedding ceremony together, creating memories that last a lifetime.
I can´t wait to meet you.
M xxx
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes