Traditional Irish wedding in Spain | Getting married on the Costa del Sol

Getting married on the Costa del Sol is a popular choice for many bridal couples from around the world, picture blue skies, golden beaches, quaint Spanish coastal towns, great food and it’s easy to see why.

In fact the Costa del Sol provides the perfect setting for beautiful blessings or ceremonies with many different ways to celebrate your big day as we find out in today’s bridal story featuring the lovely Jackie and Paddy.

This bridal story was different from the get go but just as special and fun to organise. In June of last year, Scott, founder of Sunshine Weddings Spain, received a phone call from the couple who informed that they were actually out in Spain, however, the venue that they had planned to view and celebrate their wedding, had, unfortunately, fallen through and the team at Sunshine Weddings Spain were asked to get involved, which we more than happily did.

So with just three months to go for the wedding to take place and 140 guests already confirmed, we swiftly took over supporting Jackie and Paddy with all their arrangements. The bridal couple found a new venue and we helped support them, putting together a plan for their special day.

Twelve weeks later the big day arrived and everything was in place and ready for an amazing celebration in the sunshine.

The day started out with the wedding guests transported in a coach from their respective hotels in Estepona to a beautiful villa in the hills of southern Andalucia, overlooking the distant Mediterranean, with a backdrop of the Sierra Bermeja.

There, at the front of the villa, the guests were welcomed with a refreshing glass of lemonade before the ceremony started.

Under a brilliant blue sky, the bride, looking simply stunning, made her entrance and glided up the aisle to “Can’t help falling in love.” A moment made all the more magical as it was beautifully sung by her cousin Roger.

Beside the outdoor altar was a beautifully decorated round arch with flowers, and it was there the bride was united with the dashing groom by the bride’s very own father, a Spanish wedding officiant, who led this very special occasion.

The emotive vows were said, the rings exchanged and the marriage contract signed, wonderfully captured by the talented Gustavo who did a fantastic job snapping all the magical moments of the day.

Now as husband and wife, Jackie and Paddy walked back down the aisle to Bruno Mars’ “Marry You” with Roger once again on vocals, where they joined their guests on the luscious green lawn in the back garden for selection of wines and refreshments as well as an array of delectable canapes.

Following on from that, the guests were invited to move to the back terrace area, near the outdoor seasonal swimming pool overlooking the mountains and the hilltops of lower Casares, for the main course. There the wedding guests were offered a fantastic feast of diverse textures provided by Catering De Violeta by Tango Restaurant including a choice of: sirloin medallions with Pedro Ximenex sauce with potato noisette and seasonal vegetables or salmon in teriyaki sauce with potato noisette & seasonal vegetables and a heavenly chocolate brownie with strawberry coulis and vanilla ice cream for dessert.

In this dreamy garden space, where fairy lights cascaded overhead adding a romantic vibe to the affair, unique and funny wedding speeches were said. Following on from the all-important speeches, bride, groom and guests made their way to the dance floor that had been set up in another part of the villa’s extensive grounds and partied the night away to the funky sound of the Q Band followed by a catchy DJ playlist with five hours open bar that saw everyone through to 2am.

At the end of the evening all the guests were then taken, by coach, back to Estepona ending a traditional Irish affair with a Spanish mix, the perfect combination for a perfect day.

A huge thank you to Gustavo Valverde for the use of these incredible images. And a huge thank you to Jackie and Paddy for trusting and sharing your magical day with us. Wishing you well as you embark on this next chapter of life.