DEWhat options do I have for an Ibiza Wedding Ceremony?
So you’re planning to marry in Ibiza? Congratulations!! You’ve chosen an island renowned for it’s almost tangible magic, a place that boasts beautiful unspoilt, sandy shores, a wealth of secluded coves and isolated beaches, beautiful countryside with small valleys, ancient fruit trees, natural stone walls and charming quaint villages with rolling hills as a backdrop. Ibiza is a truly beautiful place to get Married and offers some of the most picturesque wedding venues to choose from.
Getting married abroad can be confusing though, because there can be lots of unfamiliarities from the legal side of things to the local ways of doing things and so on. To help you navigate your way through a Balearic wedding, I gave you all the info you need to know about the regulations for getting married in Spain in my recent post ‘Can I get legally married in Spain?’. Basically, if you are a resident of Spain or of Catholic faith, you can ‘legally’ marry in Spain. Catholics can legally marry in a church, and residents of Spain can marry in a civil ceremony anywhere in the country. However, for those of you that are neither Spanish residents or Catholics, you will need to have your ‘civil marriage’ in your home country (the legal bit), and then you can have your full ceremony here in Ibiza, either with a Spiritual celebrant or the local Anglican Church reverent. If you’re not sure which is for you, then let me help you decide:
Spiritual Weddings
It’s likely you’ve chosen the ‘White Isle’ because the island has a strong spiritual ethos of freedom and respect. The liberal attitude towards free expression of love, desire and feelings is also reflected in the different wedding ceremonies options that can be organised in Ibiza.
So what are the options? Well, having a Spiritual ceremony is simply based on the love between two people without any stereotypical ‘religious rituals’, another kind of Spiritual wedding ceremony is a Humanist ceremony which is based more on love and respect. A Buddhist ceremony is another option which is reflective of Buddhist wisdom, whilst a Shamanic wedding is simply a blessing carried out by a shaman. It is not necessary to have an interest in, or even know anything at all about shamanism to have a shamanic wedding.
Other options include a Celtic ceremony, which is about your love being blessed with the four elements of fire, water, earth and air, stemming from the Celtic mythology that there are natural powers attributed to each of the four elements. For those who feel closer to nature, a Pagan wedding ceremony may be the thing for you? Or if you wanted to, you could just take parts of each and add some input from your personal religion or faith.
Blessings
If you don’t connect with the whole Spiritual thing, that’s totally fine too. A simple blessing is probably going to be more up your street. This kind of wedding ceremony is a celebration of the magic of love that enabled two people to meet, to unite and share their existence forever.
This kind of blessing has become increasingly popular with couples from all walks of life who are searching for an alternative way to celebrate their love. In most cultures marriage has traditionally been sealed with a religious service, however as ideas and beliefs are evolving, not everyone feels comfortable with a ceremony that does not reflect their personal beliefs, so a spiritual wedding may not feel appropriate. Couples from different religious backgrounds often opt for a ‘blessing’, as their is no religious links, yet they still have a special occasion to declare their love.
Ultimately, the way you choose to celebrate your love is completely up to you. The marriage of bride and groom is of course the most significant part of your wedding day; your chance to express who you are as a couple and the beginning of married life. No matter how you wish to celebrate, I am here to support and guide you through it all.
If you haven’t found a Planner yet, I’d be delighted to hear from you. I offer my services in Ibiza, Formentera, Mallorca and the south coast of Spain. Get in touch to find out more about how I can create a dreamy wedding day for you!
Next up… let’s talk budget planning, in my recent post ‘How to manage your wedding budget’, which features my free downloadable ‘Wedding Budget Planner’.