Katie and Dom’s Spanish Wedding Part Two

Spanish Wedding Part Two: The Fairy-Tale Continues…

Last week we featured Australian newlyweds, Katie and Dom, who celebrated their nuptials in style earlier in the spring in a fairy-tale venue on the Costa del Sol. This week we re-join them for part two, to learn more about the highlights of their special day.

Traveling such a long distance, did you and your guests take the opportunity to turn a trip to Europe into a longer holiday?

I think one of the best things about our wedding was that everyone was holiday-carefree and relaxed. We had 95 guests and equal amounts of people from Australia and the UK. All of our Aussie friends took the opportunity to make the most of a destination wedding in Europe and, as it was the weekend before the Easter long weekend, most of our English friends also turned it into a week’s holiday. Dom and I spent the week before with a bunch of our friends in Malaga, and it was wonderful being able to show our friends, who had never been there, what a stunning, authentically Spanish place it is.

Sunshine Weddings plan ceremonies in southern Spain and the island of Mallorca for couples who are based all over the world, but obviously Australia to Spain is a longer journey than most! With that in mind, what advice would you give to others who are currently planning their Big Day and considering a wedding in this part of the world?

I could not recommend the south of Spain more highly for a wedding. In retrospect, I wish I had organised certain things earlier than during the week before the wedding, when we were trying to relax and enjoy quality time with our friends. So my best advice would be to not leave things until a few days before, such as the dinner music playlist, your wedding speech, vows and first dance! Also to not be afraid to ask questions. I often put off emailing the Sunshine team when I had questions because I was certain they had already answered them in previous emails, and in most cases they had, but when I finally did email them they replied so efficiently, kindly, and informatively, and it was not a problem at all.

Did you add any Australian touches to the day?

Yes we did, subtle things such as the groomsmen’s cufflinks had kangaroos on them. Dom wore an Akubra hat, as it was beautiful and sunny on our wedding day, not uncommon in the south of Spain.

How easy was communication with the team in Spain given the difference in time zones?

Communication was not an issue at all. I would email the team, usually in the evening after work, and, thanks to the time difference, I would usually wake up to a response (even on the weekend!)

Did you have the opportunity to taste test your menus before you chose them?

We did. Unfortunately, Dom is away a lot with work so my mum and I did a tasting. We met Raquel and Sharon at the Hacienda for a walk through of how the wedding day would take place. We met Shona the florist there, and Yvonne, who manages the property to discuss flowers and decorations which was efficient and easy. We then drove back to Malaga for the tasting with Raquel and Sharon.

Had you been to Spain before?

Yes, a number of times.

How did you and your family and friends deal with the dreaded jet lag? Did you build in plenty of time to relax before the wedding day?

Most guests from Australia flew over to Europe for a holiday the week before the wedding so by the time the wedding came around there was no issue of jetlag.

It must have been quite a lengthy journey with the various flight connections. How long did your trip take from door to door?

As Dom was working in Kenya the few weeks before our wedding I flew over to meet him there for a week. From Sydney to Nairobi it was approximately 20 hours followed by a 2 hour light plane transfer to the Masai Mara. Then we flew Nairobi to London via Dubai approximately 14 hours in total. We had one night in London before flying to Spain which was around 3 hours. After our wedding we flew back to London for a night and then onto the Maldives for our honeymoon. The flight to the Maldives was quite lengthy 7ish hours to Dubai, a 5 hour layover and then 4 hours to Male, the main Island in the Maldives. Finally, a sea-plane transfer to the resort which was approximately 2 hours. So yes very lengthy but worth every second.

What were your favourite wedding highlights?

I think there are too many to count. Everything was just so smooth and relaxing, I felt like I didn’t worry about a thing for the whole day. The morning was so much fun, getting ready with my bridesmaids and my mum. The hair and make-up artists arrived at 7:30 and came up to the bridal suite to start. It was so fun all just hanging out, eating breakfast and having some champagne. The ceremony was magical. Padre Peter made everyone laugh and kept the ceremony light but still romantic. Seeing everyone we love in one space was so incredible. A huge highlight was our speeches. My dad, Dom’s brother, and my four bridesmaids all gave speeches which had us crying with laughter. And of course the party following the cake cutting was second to none. We danced until 3 a.m. The recovery BBQ the following day was also a highlight; our friends came over around 12:00 and didn’t leave until 18:00. The entire weekend was just so memorable!

We are absolutely thrilled to hear it and wish Katie and Dom all the very best for a long and happy marriage!