Magical wedding in La Cartuja de Ara Christi

Can you imagine your wedding day in a Carthusian monastery? Well, it’s possible or else, what would we tell the couple in today’s article. They celebrated a spectacular wedding in the rooms of Ara Christi.

A Charterhouse built in 1585 by Fray Antonio Ortiz, sent by the Roig family of Valencia and which today has become a majestic Charterhouse. This place is very popular among the couples, who wish to marry, either civil or religious, because among its premises is a church, gardens, cloisters, halls, garden, dance area and stable.

When you celebrate your wedding in the Carthusian Monastery of Ara Christi, just 20 kilometers from Valencia, you will be able to accommodate up to 3,000 people in the garden and up to 500 indoors,

La Cartuja also has the old Casa del Prior, which offers rooms and all accommodation services for the bride, groom and guests.

At the wedding, the gastronomy was Valencian. What is more Valencian than a paella? But don’t panic, because there were also menus for hypertensive people, diabetics, vegans and vegetarians, they even presented the wedding cake!

Also, a very original element were the wedding invitations, as well as the complementary elements, made by María Elena, from Tuinvi, a graphic design studio. They were made of handcrafted and digital techniques such as watercolor, textures and grammages, among others.

The envelopes were red with a white handwriting, a botanical-inspired design with a flower pattern on the inside of the envelope as well as on the top of the invitation, while the bottom was a simple calligraphy.

These invitations were accompanied by complements such as white ribbons, floral seals and tassels on the envelopes, which were closed with white wax, as in the past.

These details were also found on the chairs of the couple, from which they hung a poster with the illustration of the characteristic flower of the invitation, a red tassel, and two white fabric ties.

As for the floral decoration, the touch of color was put by Laura Ris with her artisan flowers that began in 1964, the third generation with 20 years of experience already.

This decoration was made of a great variety of colors and types of flowers in blue, rose, burgundy and dark yellow accompanied by large green leaves.

These same flowers were entangled in large circles of flowers that hung in the air, as well as in the centerpieces of tables and in the bride’s bouquet, whose stems were closed in a wide strip of burgundy color.

Ceibo was the rental company of furniture and all kinds of elements that created the atmosphere, through wooden chairs of different styles, white cushions, different tablecloths between tables, and so on.

The tableware was gold together with glassware and porcelain. From the same gold were the candle holders and lanterns that were arranged by the tables, which were numbered with glass frames with the illustration of the flower that appeared in the invitations, as well as in the napkins.

Valerio Luna was the bridal firm in charge of dressing the bride, a designer who launches a collection dedicated exclusively to women who have dresses full of feelings that tell a story.

Elegance and simplicity in its lines, chantillí, gauze, tules and creps decorated with small applications of rhinestones that decorate the necklines of the back and the openings of the skirts. This is how the dresses of Valerio Luna are composed.

Specifically, our bride wore the CALIFA model, with a deep plunge neckline, crepe close to the silhouette and sleeves finished in ruffles and feathers. If there is an element that stands out above any, it’s the flower formed by petals with crystal’s ornaments crowned on one shoulder.

The back, completely outside, was only formed by a thin row of buttons that was closing the dress. It is worth mentioning the elegant tail finished off with even more flounces.

The makeup and hairstyle of the bride were realized by Chicherka, a makeup artist based in Valence who carried out a semi-collection of waves through all her blond hair, which left some fine loose fringes on both sides of the face.

The makeup was composed of shades of grey and silver with some brightness and smoky eyes with illumination in the corner. The lips, in pink tones, were very natural in order to be able to kiss his fiancé on the big day.

The groom stood out for his elegance and his exclusivity, with a design by Garrido Ceremonia, a firm with more than 50 years of dedication to making suits for the most emblematic and important events in life.

He stood out with a blue navy jacket suit with paisley print, a print of Persian origin which takes the form of a curved tear or a large comma. The lapels of the jacket were in black tone, to set with the pants, which accompanied with a white shirt and a bow tie in the blue navy of the jacket. 

The wedding was planned by Natalia Ortiz, the wedding planner, who didn’t leave any detail in the hands of Ekatarina and her fantastic photographs.

The Fábrica del Canal and the planning of the most romantic wedding

 Have you ever imagined yourself sailing in a boat wearing a wedding dress or crossing stone bridges with your partner? Of course, planning a wedding like this is possible! Because there is a magical venue full of rich culture and gastronomy, and which has also been declared as a Property of Cultural Interest, and this venue is…

La Fábrica de Canal… It has it all!

That’s right! A factory has been transformed into a hotel and restaurant. This old factory was a flour mill, one of the most famous of its region, which even nowadays continues to preserve all of its machinery and character so that a couple like this could get married in this historic wonder.

In general, the weddings celebrated at this venue usually involve civil ceremonies, like the one that our couple had, allowing you to enjoy the large terraces and gardens, or even the inside of the venue where you can find a rustic atmosphere combined with the industrial.

But religious ceremonies can also take place here in one of the nearby churches that stand a few kilometres away from the old mill.

The bride and groom, throughout the day, were able to enjoy the events hall, the outdoor chill-out zone, the terrace with views of the Castle canal, DJ, a creche for the children, a children’s entertainer, a photobooth and accommodation for their wedding night.

The dream wedding decorations

The bouquet was both classic and modern at the same time, as not only did it consist of roses in pink and orange pastel shades, but it also had different types of leaves and hydrangeas. Furthermore, the stems were tied together with an elegant pink ribbon.

The bouquet matched the flowers that were placed in clear jars with water all over the venue. The altar looked most romantic as it was made with planks of wood that were covered by pink mesh fabrics with flowers to the right of it.

On the floor there were also some white fairy lights and wooden crates, and hanging from the ceiling were baskets with green palm tree leaves.

The company Celebra DIY, who directed the wedding, offered a personalized service where they not only took care of every little detail, but also designed the decorations for the entire wedding and venue, so that the bride and groom could enjoy the setting of their dreams for their wedding.

The banquet table… elegant and delicious!

The wooden table was decorated with the same flowers as those in the bouquet and the glass jars. They were laid in a vertical line along the centre of the table on top of a white tablecloth, alongside gold bottles and candles in glass jars.

The crockery was classic, with white plates, metal cutlery and engraved glasses. Furthermore, the plates were accompanied by serviettes which hung from the flowers on the table.

The Fábrica del Canal has its own kitchen and offers menus, various cocktails, showcooking, a wine bar, chill-out areas, a free bar, a ham carver, an oyster opener, a sushi bar, a candy bar, chocolate fountains… so that the beautifully decorated table was also full of delicacies!

A couple full of romance

The bride was dressed by Jesús Peiro, who has had great success with his CALA and HERITAGE collections and whose business philosophy is quality, exclusive accessories and an elegant and romantic style. This meant that our bride shone in one of his designs!

The dress was comprised of a top half consisting of a simple straight pattern with a bardot neckline, an open back and frills at the bottom. The bottom half was made completely from tulle.

The hair and makeup looks were created by Splash by Verónica Barcenilla and were also very romantic, with a wavy half-up half-down hairstyle and smoky silver and black eyeshadow with black eyeliner for the makeup.

The groom also looked very elegant wearing a navy-blue suit, a white shirt and a matching tie in another blue tone with fine lines going across to add decorative touch.

The team that made the magic happen

The photos by Riga Montano captured the colours of the decorations, the waters of the canal and the beaming smiles of the bride and groom. This spectacular wedding was organised by Weddings and Events by Natalia Ortiz.

We love venues that are filled with history! Do you know about the ones that we have? Write us: info@nataliaortizevents.com

The story of Nirvana and Gadiel and how they got married in vineyard

Getting married in a castle is closely associated with uniqueness and style in each and every one of the spaces that they offer, and even more so if, in addition to the vineyard itself, the venue offers a chapel, several halls, a wine cellar, a farmhouse, and even a well-kept garden!

There are venues that will leave you stunned at first sight and will automatically make you want to celebrate your wedding in Alicante. Such as, for example, the moving beauty of the Font de la Roja natural park, just 12 minutes away from the city of Alcoy.

A wedding set in vineyard

Our bride and groom, Nirvana and Gadiel, chose to move away from traditional white tiles and walk down the aisle among trees and natural grass; an altar with mountain views covered in fabrics, candles, flowers and large white wooden benches at the venue for the ceremony.

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Floricatessen, delicatessen flowers

The flowers were fresh from Ibi, from a company of floral design specialists for all types of venue and event, who created unique bouquets to suit the bride and groom’s tastes.

There was a combination of many untraditional flowers and leaves: orange and red leaves along with the classic green ones, white roses, lavender cotton, pink hydrangeas… An authentic explosion of colour, shapes and emotion!

A banquet ‘in situ’

The castle has a professional chef who freshly prepares all of the dishes.

On a trolley, also in white, there were the most unique appetisers. Freshly cut ham, cheeses, olives, dried fruits and goji berries, among other things.

Before the banquet, the venue was decorated with some centrepieces that, in addition to flowers, had fresh fruits such as pomegranates that added a burst of colour.

On the tables were elegant, silver mesh tablecloths with traditional white table linen and matching serviettes.

The tables were numbered with gold photo frames together with a plate with the menu and invitations, created by Tuinvi Creativa.

Tuinvi always surprises us with the invitations

Both the invitations and the accessories came in black envelopes. The invitations were white with the unique flowers, white tulips, that were also featured inside the envelopes, on the menu and on the tables.

The accessories included wax seals, white bows, tassels…

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The bride, basking in sensuality

Nirvana was wearing the CINDY dress by Higar Novias, from the Valerio Luna collection. It was one of those dresses that left you speechless.

How? Through the crystal appliqué, its deep plunging neckline, the open back with lace which was also featured on the sleeves, and the chiffon train, but that’s not all.

The skirt was tight fitting to her lower body, creating a mermaid hem and in this way, creating the perfect feminine silhouette.

The makeup was designed by Natalia Fuentes, the professional makeup artist from Alicante, who used the best range of colours and products with undeniable quality.

Nirvana had bronze ombré and smoked eyelids with a range of tones with smoky black eyeliner, and for the lips, a matte rose shade. It didn’t even transfer with her kisses!

Her hair, styled by Bionda Estilistas, consisted of a Dutch braid decorated with tiny hydrangea petals that created little curls that framed her face.

Nirvana never stopped shining!

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The elegance of a cigarette suit

Gadiel, wearing a suit by Garrido Ceremonia, stood out in a navy-blue cigarette suit accompanied by a grey waistcoat, a white shirt and a navy-blue tie with a paisley print: the stylish pattern within men’s’ wedding fashion.

 And who organised the wedding? Who could it be? Weddings and Events by Natalia Ortiz. Do you want the same for your wedding? Write us: info@nataliaortizevents.com

Spain Elopements

Here at Weddings and Events by Natalia Ortiz, we love sharing examples of weddings we have organised with you. Our wedding planner is a true expert in the area of planning Spain elopements and this is reflected in the portfolio of her work. In this article, we want to share with you some examples of beautiful weddings we have carried out in Spain – let’s go!

Weekend wedding in Madrid

We organised an elopement based in Madrid for the lovely couple Thomas and Silje. Their wedding was spread over a weekend, celebrating with their closest family and friends in the centre of Madrid. They invited 10 guests, which made the wedding a very intimate celebration, which was very personal for them.

Wedding weekend in Madrid
Photography: Buenas Photos / Wedding planner: Natalia Ortiz

Let’s talk about what they wore. Silje wore a spectacular dress with a V shaped neckline. It had cap sleeves which were lace, and the top of the dress was also made from lace, then it flowed into a smooth pleated straight skirt – so flattering! She opted for an elegant updo for her hair, and her bouquet was composed of pure white flowers and some greenery. Thomas looked very smart in a white shirt with a navy dicky bow and navy trousers. His head was freshly shaven for a very clean look. Gorgeous!

The style of the wedding was light & bright, pure and romantic. The ceremony took place in the Embassy of Norway, followed by the reception in a restaurant. They chose to spend the afternoon exploring the city, and the day ended with an amazing dinner.

The celebrations continued the day after the wedding, where more activities were done in the city centre – including seeing a flamenco show and a masterclass!!

The wedding was exactly as they hoped and we couldn’t have been any more happy with how the day went. Congratulations to Thomas and Silje!

Female elopement in Girona

Now an example of an elopement in Spain that we organised for the fabulous couple Julia and Alina in Girona. The wedding took place outside, immersed in nature and it was very romantic. The wedding had splashes of colour thanks to the pink and orange tones in the flowers – it was beautiful!

Female wedding
Wedding planner: Natalia Ortiz / Photography: Olya Kobruseva

Both brides wore amazing and elegant white dresses, with some similarities regarding colour and fabric style, which made them look in harmony with each other, but the differences made them unique and reflected each of their personalities. They both looked stunning.

Alicante beach wedding

Let’s continue with a beach elopement that we organised for a stunning couple in Alicante. The style of the ceremony was rustic, thanks to the wooden altar and ceremony table, with romantic elements provided by the light flowers with tones of pink, light yellow and peach.

Wedding beach ceremony in Alicante
Photography: Hanna Baranava / Wedding planner: Natalia Ortiz

The bride chose two dresses, the first had a large skirt and long train, and the bodice was made from lace, with some see-through parts. The second dress was similar in the way that it also had a lace bodice with some transparent elements, but the skirt was straight and smaller this time. As for the groom, he opted for a a black and white suit – simple and classy!

We organised the photoshoot to be on a beautiful estate by the sea and on the beach too, and the gorgeous sky provided a stunning backdrop.

Elopement in Catalonia

We organised a stunning, traditional elopement in Catalonia for the couple Angelina and Sergei. It took place in a medieval style estate, with an extremely romantic and warm ambiance thanks to the use of lit candles.

Wedding in Girona
Photography: Aljosa Petric / Wedding planner: Natalia Ortiz

Regarding the style of the bride and groom, the bride wore an incredible, decorative dress with a belt in the centre and a V shaped neckline – it was gorgeous and complimented her beautifully. Sergei wore a blue suit with a subtle check design and a white shirt, he looked very smart.

It was a truly romantic and unforgettable day, and both bride and groom were so happy!

Fairytale elopement in Madrid

This Elopement took place in La Quinta de Illescas in Toledo, which is around 30 km from Madrid. This estate is perfect for weddings, and the ceremony took place in a room with many glass windows, which made it a bright ceremony. The ceremony was beautifully decorated with white flowers with some greenery for the aisle and altar. Floral centrepieces dominated the banquet room and white and green became the predominant colours for the wedding, which gave it a fresh feel!

Photography: Tanya Vasiliuk / Wedding planner: Natalia Ortiz

Elopement in Tenerife

We organised this gorgeous elopement for Anita and Alexey, a Russian couple, in Hotel the Ritz-Carlton Abama in Tenerife. Anita had always dreamed of a colourful wedding, and having a wedding by the coast gave her this: spectacular views of the sea and sky, and green, blue and yellow colours.

Wedding in Tenerife
Photography: Kseniya Bunets / Wedding planner: Natalia Ortiz

Anita chose 2 dresses for the wedding: one for the ceremony, the other to dance in. Her first dress was long, white and decorated with small rhinestones, and her second dress was short with sequins. As for Alexey, he wore black trousers and a light blue jacket for the ceremony, and white trousers and a black jacket for the dance – a stylish wedding!

Salamanca elopment in Castle Buen Amor

This elopement took place in Buen Amor castle for the couple Irina and Anton. This castle has a medieval style thanks to its antique furniture and large halls, perfect for a traditional wedding. The ceremony took place in the castle’s courtyard, and there was an iron altar surrounded by floral and miscellaneous medieval decorations.

Photography: Buenas Photos / Wedding planner: Natalia Ortiz

Irina wore a strapless dress with a skirt decorated with small flowers and a train, she had a flower in her hair to match the ones on her dress. Anton kept it simple with a white shirt and loose fitting blue trousers. It was a perfect medieval wedding!

Elopement in Mallorca

Dmitry and Aurike celebrated their stunning elopement on a beach in Mallorca. The landscape where the ceremony took place was beautiful: the blue sea contrasting with the white stones floor of the ceremony. The ceremony area was simple yet elegant, decorated with a few lovely flower arrangements.

Wedding in Mallorca
Photography: Sandra Mañas García / Wedding planner: Natalia Ortiz

The bride’s outfit was unique and gorgeous – she wore a white lace bodice with a pink skirt, which was a very pretty, romantic look, as well as modern thanks to the pink skirt.

The couple made good use of the private beach of the hotel where the wedding was held for a very aesthetic photoshoot, a beautiful day.

Toledo elopement

For Anjelica and Remo we organised the wedding of their dreams in Vinales Cigarral Santa Maria, Toledo. It was an outdoor wedding – both ceremony and banquet were al fresco as the landscape was too spectacular not to make use of for the wedding.

Wedding in Toledo
Photography: Cristina Nodal / Wedding planner: Natalia Ortiz

The banquet was set up on a rustic style wooden table, with flowers and a candelabra for decoration. The style of the banquet went perfectly with the landscape. Wine was an important feature too, as there was a vineyard at the venue.

The decoration and style of the wedding and the bride and groom looked amazing, a fabulous day filled with smiles.

Elopement in a lavender field

Imagine having your wedding photoshoot in a beautiful lavender field and how aesthetically stunning the photos would be. Well, that’s exactly what we did for this wedding and the result was incredible!

Elopement in lavender field
Photography: Buenas Photos / Wedding planner: Natalia Ortiz

Katerina, the bride, wrote a country-style dress to match the countryside landscape she was in and she matched her dress with light brown boots and a straw hat. Andrey wore beige pants with a white shirt and black suspenders, and like Katerina he also matched perfectly with the surroundings. On the photos they stood out perfectly against the lavender fields – a perfect result.

Asturias elopement

This elopement was between Kaci and Dave and took place in a castle in Asturias, surrounded by mountains and in the heart of nature. The castle’s amazing stone stairs provided a perfect place for their wedding photos, and so did the landscape; the mountains and lake providing a breathtaking backdrop for this set of photos.

wedding in Aturias
Wedding planner: Natalia Ortiz / Photography: Buenas Photos

Kaci and Dave looked as fabulous as the surroundings. Kaci in a gorgeous, embellished dress with lots of detailing, and Dave in an extremely smart blue suit with brown shoes. A lovely wedding for a lovely couple.

So we have gone over some of our favourite Spain elopements, we hope you love them as much as we do! If you want more information or to team up with us to create a wedding as beautiful as these, you can write to us at info@nataliaortizevents.com

What Type of Wedding Planner Do You Need

Welcome to busy world of wedding planners. There are many options available when choosing a wedding planner, but the best place to start is by making a list of everything you expect from your planner. From there, you can begin researching and crossing everything off your list. Remember that all planners are different, some are focused only on the design of the day, others will be more arranging and scheduling the day rather than designing it, so make sure you find one that offers the services you’re looking for. When you have a few potential planners in mind, arrange meetings and go through each point in a bit more detail so you are sure that your planner take care of everything you expect them to.

Here we will explain some of the options you might find during your research. Planners won’t always use these exact terms to describe themselves, but it should offer a good place to start from.

Full-Service Planner

The all in one package. The full-service planner takes care of everything from start to finish. They will arrange all the vendors, ensure all your guests are catered for and will take responsibility for the design of the wedding. If you are looking for a lot of help and guidance in planning your wedding, or if you have a complicated concept that you want bringing to life then this is the best option for you.

Photography: Olya Kobruseva /Wedding planner: Natalia Ortiz
Event-Designer

The event designer is oriented towards the aesthetic of a wedding rather than the logistical side, meaning they will provide all the creativity to create your dream day, just don’t expect them to organise the timing or budgeting of your day. They may well work with vendors to help in creating your vision, and take care of flower arrangements for example, but they won’t organise other details for you. The designer isn’t essential. You can use a combination of florists and your venue manager to help create your vision, or a “floral designer” who specialises in creating an overall concept for the wedding, not just bouquets and centrepieces. Couples usually turn to event-designers as creating a unique and amazing experience can be very difficult and stressful without some help. If you are comfortable coordinating but would like help creating the design of the day, then this is the best option for you.

Wedding in Catalonia
Photography: Olya Kobruseva / Wedding Planner: Natalia Ortiz
À La Carte Planner

The À La Carte Planner is perfect for a couple that want help creating a plan but want to organise the event themselves. You are able to ask them questions and get suggestions, recommendations for vendors, advice and help with particular issues you are having. It is up to you when you contact the planner, and they charge a flat fee for each service or an hourly rate for their assistance.

wedding planner

Day-of Coordinator

The day-of coordinator is best for couples who want to plan their own wedding but want to be able to relax in the build up and the day of. They will usually begin their involvement about a month before the event, just to ensure everything is running smoothly. On the day, they will take care of all of the setup and organisation, and cleaning or any other important tasks after the wedding. This lets you and your family enjoy the day without the worry and stress of managing the day.

And here are the different types of services offered by a wedding planner. Have you already decided on the one that best suits you? In this link you can know more about our services and, if you have any questions, you can write us at info@svadbavispanii.ru. We will love designing your great day!

We also recommend you read this post to see all the reasons to hire a wedding planner. We are sure you will like it!

How to avoid the pitfalls of destination wedding planning

A destination wedding planning can at first seem like a daunting task, and you may feel like there are countless hurdles to jump, but this is where we come in to help you – in this article we have written some tips for avoiding problems and making your wedding planning and big day run smoothly.

Wedding in a Spanish castle
Photography: Patricia Knabe / Organisation: Natalia Ortiz
Get informed about legal procedures

If you are looking to get married in Spain, there are certain legal requirements that you must take into consideration: firstly, one of you must have been a resident of Spain for a minimum of 2 years, and secondly you must be over the age of 18 and unrelated. Are any legal documents required? Yes, here is a list:

  • Birth certificate, officially translated into Spanish by a translator who has been approved, and with an apostilla stamp
  • If it is not your first marriage, you need to provide either a divorce certificate or a certificate of death of your previous partner
  • Passports of bride and groom
  • Certificate of No Impediment to marriage
  • If you are marrying in a church, permission will need to be granted from the Bishop.

If you want to get married in Spain, but neither of you have lived in Spain for 2 years, consider Gibraltar! It has all of the advantages of Spain but without that requirement.

Wedding in Madrid
Photographs: Buenas Photos / Wedding Planner: Natalia Ortiz

Please note that these documents are likely to require translation and allow plenty of time (2 months at an absolute minimum!) to organise the legal paperwork to ensure no last-minute panicking.

Learn about the accessibility of your chosen location

If you are getting married abroad and have family and close friends coming out to celebrate with you, it is a good idea to ensure in advance that the potential location of your wedding is easily accessible so that there will be no hiccups regarding transportation of guests on your special day.

Wedding in a castle
Photography:Buenas Photos / Organisation: Natalia Ortiz
Inform your guests about your wedding plans as soon as possible

A good idea when organising a destination wedding is to keep your guests in the loop as soon as you know dates and venue, so they can plan their time off work and, if not included, plan transportation and accommodation.

Make sure that they RSVP so that you know how many guests will be coming and how many to cater for – you don’t want to waste time or money!

A nice touch would be to include information about the area in which you’re getting married so they can plan things to do and see if they decide to make a holiday out of it!

Spring wedding in Torre del Visco
Photography:Buenas Photos / Organisation: Natalia Ortiz
Language

It is vital that no miscommunications between yourselves and the venue organisers and vendors occur so everything will be exactly how you want and expect on your wedding day, with no hidden surprises! If you are travelling abroad for your wedding and cannot confidently speak the language, plan how you will effectively communicate with the people behind the scenes of your wedding.

At Weddings and Events by Natalia Ortiz, we have a multilingual team and therefore if you are worried about miscommunications and language barriers, we can help!

Wedding weekend in Madrid
Photography: Alla Yachkulo of Buenas Photos / Organisation: Natalia Ortiz
Read reviews!

If you do not have much knowledge of local vendors in the area where you’ll get married, this piece of advice is important. Reviews from past couples allow you to understand whether or not vendors, such as florists, DJs, venue providers, caterers etc are trustworthy and will deliver your requests to a high standard.

Our wedding planner has many years’ experience planning weddings, therefore has valuable and widespread expertise in the area of planning weddings, with knowledge of the best venues and vendors to meet you needs – if you team up with us you can be sure that you will have a perfect, smooth day!

So, here are some important tips to consider to avoid problems during the planning process of your destination wedding planning. If you wish to know more about this topic or to let us take the stress of planning a destination away, you can write to us at info@svadbavispanii.ru

Wedding planning Checklist

Planning a wedding is one of the most exciting stages of your life. You’re going to marry the person of your dreams, what could be better? However, the thought of this planning can be overwhelming for some people. This is where a wedding planning checklist can come in handy. It will organise you and make sure you won’t forget anything!

To help you, we have put together some important things to write on your checklist. We’ll start with things to do first and finish with last minute details. Let’s go!

Luxury Weddings
Photography: Vivid Symphony / Wedding planner: Natalia Ortiz
1. Budget

First thing’s first, you need to plan how much you want to spend on your wedding. Then you need to elaborate your budget: what do you want to make a priority? On which parts do you want to allocate the most money? Once you have a budget, you can start looking at venues, decorations and vendors to fit your price limits.

2. Guests

Now you know how much you want to spend, you can choose your guests accordingly. Your budget may not allow for a huge list of guests, so you’ll need to decide who you want there the most. It is often the case that more guests get invited for the reception after the dinner, so you can involve more people at the wedding party.

Photography: Olya Kobruseva /Wedding planner: Natalia Ortiz
3. Wedding planner

A wedding planner will be like your fairy godmother during the planning. She will take away your stress and will know all the best venues and vendors to make your day successful. Having a wedding planner is especially beneficial if you have a busy schedule outside of wedding planning. You can carry on with normal life knowing everything to do with your wedding is being taken care of.

4. Venue

Once you have your guest list, you can start the search for your ideal venue which has capacity for all guests. Look for somewhere that suits your style. It could also be a good idea from a financial and convenience point of view to hire a venue in which you can host each part of your wedding. As a result, you don’t have to think about guest transportation during the day, nor guest accommodation.

5. Theme & decor

Now you have your venue, you can decide on how you want it to be styled! This is one of the most fun parts. What colour scheme do you want? Do you want a particular theme that means something to you as a couple? Flowers? Arches? The list is endless! Pinterest is amazing for inspiration.

Wedding in a Spanish castle
Photography: Patricia Knabe / Organisation: Natalia Ortiz
6. Vendors

To make your decor dreams come true, start thinking about hiring your florists and other decoration suppliers. Your wedding planner will know the best vendors to suit your style. Other vendors to hire include caterers, entertainers (such as a live music group or DJ), and a photographer/videographer.

7. Save-the-Date cards and invitations

Design your save-the-date cards and invitations to suit the style of your wedding. Include an RSVP and make sure you set a date you want your guests to confirm by.

8. Outfits

Start looking at potential wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses to allow for fittings. Buying a wedding dress is a beautiful moment, we hope it’ll be a memory you can treasure forever. Also look for outfits for the groom and groomsmen. It is a nice touch to incorporate a similar colour scheme to the bridesmaids’ and groomsmens’ outfits. For example, their ties could match the colour of their dresses.

Wedding in Marbella
Photography: Olya Kobruseva /Wedding planner: Natalia Ortiz
9. Officiant

If you have opted for a non-religious ceremony, hiring an officiant is the next step. Nowadays, it is becoming common for couples to choose friends or family members to do this. More traditionally, there are professionals who carry out the ceremony.

10. Transportation

If your guests need a way of getting from A to B on your wedding day, it is time to start thinking about hiring transportation. There are so many options of transport: cars, coaches, taxis etc…

11. Menu

Think about what you want to eat on your wedding day. Consult your caterers regarding what options they have and arrange a menu tasting. A tasting will give you the opportunity to know if you like the menu or not.

12. Cake

Whilst we’re on the topic of food, now could be a good time to think about your cake.

Wedding in medieval castle Buen Amor
Photography: Buenas Photos / Organisation: Natalia Ortiz
13. Rings

You and your husband can go and choose your wedding rings together, or you can leave it as a surprise. Just remember to get them ready on the morning of the Big Day!

14. Styling

Organise who you want to do the bride’s and bridesmaids’ hair and makeup. It is always a good idea to organise a makeup and hair trial to work out timings and make sure you and your bridesmaids are happy.

15. Seating

Often the hardest part for couples is deciding where to seat their guests at the ceremony and banquet. Think about who would like to sit with who and whether or not you’d like a top table.

16. Vows

The time has come to write your all-important vows if you have chosen to create your own. Make them personal and rehearse them so you are ready for your big moment.

Wedding in Quinta de Illescas
Photography: Tanya Vasiliuk / Organisation: Natalia Ortiz
17. Gifts

Show your guests your appreciation with a small gift. Knowing what to get can be difficult, but here we have compiled a list of ideas for guests’ gifts. We hope it helps!

18. Songs

Speak with your partner and family about what songs you’d like to play at your wedding and reception. Once you have a list, you can send this to your chosen DJ/musician to make sure they’re prepared.

19. Relax

Now sit back and relax, most of the planning is now done. Consult with your wedding planner about a wedding coordinator to ensure the smooth running of your big day from start to finish. This will remove last minute panicking as they will resolve any issues on the day.

Here are some things to think about when creating a wedding planning checklist. Of course, a wedding planner could be a huge help during this process. To work with our expert wedding planner, you can write to us at info@svadbavispanii.ru to get the process started.

Tips for choosing the right Wedding Planner

Organising a wedding can be a stressful experience for couples, however hiring a wedding planner is now becoming an increasingly popular choice, as it takes away potential stress and allows you to relax and enjoy the period running up to your wedding. If you are newly engaged and are looking to hire a wedding planner to organise your big day, read this post for useful tips on choosing the right one!

Tip number 1: Ensure that your wedding planner has advanced knowledge of the place where you want to get married:

It is a good idea to ensure that the planner has extensive knowledge of the country where you want to get married. A planner with this knowledge will know all the best locations and vendors for your wedding to suit your needs!

If you are interested in getting married in Spain, our wedding planner has many years’ experience planning fantastic weddings here. You can see our extensive knowledge of the best locations for weddings in Spain by reading our blogs such as Celebrate your wedding in North of Spain : the charm of the Basque Country & The most breathtaking churches to get married in Spain – and many more!

wedding in Asturias
Photographs: Buenas Photos / Organisation: Natalia Ortiz
Tip number 2: Check out the wedding planner online

Research the wedding planner on various online platforms, such as a company website and instagram. If they can be trusted, they will include examples of weddings they have previously planned. You can look at these images to see if you like them before you commit to their services!

Another advantage of this is that you can be sure that the wedding planner is reputable and trustworthy. You can also check that they carry out their projects from start to finish.

Here is a link to our portfolio which shows all the images of previous weddings we have planned, take a look! https://nataliaortizevents.com/portfolio_category/wedding/

Wedding in medieval castle Buen Amor
Photograph: Buenas Photos / Organisation: Natalia Ortiz
Tip number 3: Make sure they speak your language

It is extremely advisable that your potential wedding planning company can communicate with you in your preferred language. This way you can be sure there will not be any misunderstandings during the organisation of your big day. At Weddings and Events by Natalia Ortiz, we have a selection of multilingual employees.

wedding planner
Photograph: Tanya Vasiliuk
Tip number 4: Ensure that the wedding planning company is genuine

This may seem like an obvious point but it is VERY important! To be sure it is not a scam, ensure that contact details are authentic and clearly displayed on the company website. Contact details may include their email address, telephone address and fiscal address. You can find the contact details for our wedding planner here: https://nataliaortizevents.com/contact/.

Here are 4 important tips for choosing a wedding planner. If you are unsure on the advantages of hiring a wedding planner (be sure, there are many!) visit this blog 10 reasons why should hire a wedding planner. It gives a detailed analysis of why you should hire a wedding planner. If you are interested in our services, you can write to us at: info@svadbavispanii.ru.

10 reasons why you should hire a Wedding Planner

Have you just got engaged and you have all the preparations ahead of you? Have you started the preparations and are lost between formalities? Do you need someone to take control of the organisation of this special day so you can enjoy it to the maximum? The solution is clear : you need a wedding planner in your life.

If you are still unsure about the importance of this type of professional for the organisation of your wedding, in this post we explain the advantages to hire a wedding planner. Let’s do it !

She will be the figure who will coordinate your wedding

A wedding preparation is exciting and wonderful, but it can be sometimes intense and frustrating if you are not going in the right direction. It is about coordinating lots of details, bills, documents and providers, and it is hard to keep everything in mind without forgetting anything. Because for sure, in addition to the organisation of the wedding, you will have to work, organise your day to day life and do a thousand things at the same time.

Nevertheless, a wedding planner is a professional dedicated to the organisation, who keeps in mind everything about the big day and every detail of the wedding to make sure it goes perfectly.

Elopement in lavender field
Álvaro and Lucía elopement. Photography: Buenas Photos
She will eliminate the stress

Precisely for your peace of mind, having someone as a figure who knows everything about about your wedding will automatically eliminate any stress and you will be able to enjoy preparations without this tension that can be overwhelming.

She will be by your side during the whole process

A lot of couples have doubts about what a wedding planner really does and it is totally understandable, as some figures of this sector call themselves “general” wedding planners. In the post called differences between a wedding planner and a venue coordinator, we explain in detail the differences between those two professionals in the wedding world.

One of the differences is that a wedding planner will be by your side during the entire process of preparations and during the wedding, she will be with with you from the beginning until the end, from when the bride is getting ready to when the last guest is leaving. She will always keep you calm.

Wedding planner
Natalia Ortiz helping the bride to get ready. Photography: Patricia Knabe
She will make sure you save money and time

This point might be the most surprising and attractive. You may think : how will I save money if I have to hire her and pay her fees? Here is the explication. A wedding planner will get you the best professionals at the lowest price, and then will make sure you have excellent quality in everything you are asking for without exceeding this price.

Keep in mind that she has years of experience and more connections in the bridal world that make her able to get the best at the best price.

With you, your guests will be her priority

The main concern of every couple is that their guests feel comfortable and enjoy the whole celebration. But being with them at the same time as organising your wedding and enjoying it sometimes is impossible. But rest assured, for a wedding planner your guests are the most important along with you. She will look for the best accommodation if they come from abroad, make a welcome kit with all the information they need, organise activities for the days before and after the wedding and ensure that, at all times, they feel comfortable and integrated. This is especially important in a destination wedding or a mixed wedding, where there are guests who come from abroad and who sometimes do not speak the same language.

Your wedding planner will make sure that communication flows, that the master of ceremony is bilingual if you want it that way, and that everything goes smoothly.

Wedding in Valencia
Anastasia and Richard wedding. Photography: Buenas Photos
Choosing the best professionals

She has been in the business for years and has all kinds of contacts and relations. Experience gives you resources to know how to recognise the best professionals and not only for their results but also for being efficient during the all process, the day of wedding and the months before. She will advise you about the best photographers, florists, designers… and always according to your style.

She will keep you aware of new trends

Despite knowing everything about planning, a wedding planner is also someone who keeps up to date with new trends. Maybe you cannot choose something about the decor, doubtful about the style you like, … but a wedding planner will make sure that your wedding has the style you are looking for and will show you every possibility.

Wedding beach ceremony in Alicante
Decoration of Myriam and Hedger wedding style shoot. Photography: Hanna Baranava
She will come up with solutions

Problems always happen to a greater or lesser extent, but what you need for this moment of stress and tension are solutions. This is where your wedding planner comes in. It is possible that you will never know about an “incident” that showed up during the process, since this professional will fix it for you before you even know about it, as your only goal is to enjoy this time and relax.

Even though for her your wedding is the most important thing in the world, she is someone who is not part of the family and that can take decisions and propose ideas with more distance, without being overwhelmed by stress and emotion. However we can assure you that after the wedding, she will part of your family.

She will respect your budget

A less attractive point but still very important : the budget. A wedding planner will strictly adhere to the budget of the wedding, so that it will not be exceeded at any time, knowing where to allocate more or less  budget and leaving part of it for possible unforeseen problems that may arise. She will not leave anything to chance and she will have everything measured.

Furthermore, the issue of bills, times, deadlines … everything, she will take care of it and will be in charge of notifying you when you have to make some payment so that you are never left in the dark.

Wedding in Tenerife
Anita and Alexey wedding ceremony in Tenerife. Photography: Kseniya Bunets
Complete trust

The most important of all, and this is why we leave it until the end, is that having a trustful person to organise the happiest day of your life Is priceless. You will see how, as soon as you sit down to talk about the wedding of your dreams, she will immediately get down to work to make it happen.

And there are 10 reasons why you should hire a wedding planner, that will watch over you and will allow you to enjoy your celebration. If you want to delve deeper into understanding the role of a wedding planner, we can explain everything to you in detail.

We wait for you at info@svadbavispanii.ru, to solve your doubts. We do not enjoy anything more than making your dreams come true!

Differences between a wedding planner and a dedicated event coordinator

The profession of wedding planning is developing in our society and the couples which choose this service  are increasing too. Even still, a lot of people don’t know what this profession exactly is and ask questions like: What is a wedding planner? What is the benefit of having one? Why is better to negotiate with a wedding planner if the location offers me an event coordinator?

This last question is the point which we will focus on today, as we talk about the differences between a wedding planner and a dedicated event coordinator.

The latter is often denominated wedding planner and this is the reason why there can be confusion, but their functions are very different:

Wedding planner’s functions

The wedding planner’s role is to organise all of the wedding’s aspects and her ultimate goal is to ensure the happiness of the couple. Her role includes:

  • The general organization, from the very first step of the wedding planning to the end of the wedding.
  • The coordination of all the suppliers involved: make-up artist, stylist, florist, musicians, decorators, etc.
  • During the wedding day, we assist you from the first preparations to the end, when the last guest leaves.
  • They know all the wedding details.
  • They resolve all the problems, in every single moment also during the wedding. Always vigilant and with an ace in the hole.
  • Planning of a wedding timeline, in this way everything will be perfect.
Dedicated event coordinator’ s functions

The coordinator works for the location where you choose to celebrate your wedding, and so who knows all the aspects of that location very well.

  • They are an intermediary between you and the room staff, in order to achieve all of your goals.
  • They assist you during the meal tasting and assure that your choice will be carried out on the day.
  • They coordinate all of the internal aspects of the wedding day.
  • They work out the banquet’s cost (and the cost of the ceremony if you will celebrate it in the location in which they work)
  • They know the different menu options: vegetarian, gluten-free, etc.
  • Are responsible for the perfect coordination of all the aspects during your wedding day.
Wedding planner
Bridal Morning en Madrid

After these clarifications it is easier understand the differences:

Differences between a wedding planner and a dedicated event coordinator:

  • The dedicated event coordinator shall coordinate all the location planning; the wedding planner is in charge of all the wedding planning from the first moments until the end.
  • The event coordinator is an intermediary between you and the venue staff, but the wedding planner is more than that. For example, if the wedding cake is baked by an external supplier, the wedding planner shall ensure that it will arrive at the right time and place.
  • The event coordinator ensures that we receive the price negotiated, but it is the wedding planner who knows the  global costs and helps you to have the best event without spending all your budget.
  • Generally, the dedicated event coordinator doesn’t escort you during the wedding day (not all the day, at most) because sometimes the venue celebrate more than one event in the same day. The wedding planner will assist you all the time, coordinating and establishing the peace that you need that day.

In short, both are extremely  important for the best wedding, because each one is specialized in a different field and they become complementary for a successful event.

If you want to know more about the wedding planner’s services and functions, please enter this page or send us a message to mail@nataliaortiz.com.

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