Posted on: Tuesday, June 11th, 2013
So I was fortunate to head back to Europe in April, and as it was not my first time in Paris (about 5 now I think) and Spain (2nd time) I really looked at everything with weddings in mind, and as happens found and made some suprise decisions.
Of course people think Paris and romance, maybe even their wedding itself. You have gardens and lovely churches and some unique wedding reception venues, ie floating restaurant down the Seine, the banquet room up in the Eiffel Tower (yes there is!!!), restaurants and of course hotels that have banquet space. All great, but if guests are coming in and gathering Paris is not the city to be able to keep people together/bond etc, everyone is going to want to see/do/go in different directions based on their first trip, multi times, and time may be limited for some if they are in Europe for their first time and make your wedding/Paris just one part of their maybe once in a lifetime trip. So this is my thinking……
Use Paris as your pre wedding or after wedding stop, and spend a 1/2 day or full day with your photographer going around Paris in your gown/suit-tux and do a fabulous photo shoot to incorporate into your album. This way no pressure to be somewhere, run out of time and opportunity to get all the locations you want, traffic and protests etc can plug the streets up all the time. Then the wedding itself, start at the Costa del Sol in Spain, there are lots of timeshare/hotels in the area, including 2 great Marriott Vacation Clubs where the units can sleep up to 6, here you can take care of your own breakfasts and even barbeque dinner with the group if you want. Have people arriving into the area say 4 days prior to the wedding date, arrival and next day, nothing, people just relaxing/veging. Next day, mini buses to take everyone to Gibraltar for the day (2 hour drive), have lunch/beer in an English pub and some shopping. Next day, people on own. Next day everyone is bussed to a town called Ronda up in the mountains. Here everyone has 2 nights in the walled town area, maybe a bullfight experience in the afternoon, then dinner at one of the restaurants built on the cliff overlooking the most beautiful gorge you could do this at. Drinking sangria and soaking in the views. After dinner a flamenco dancing show and then party on for those that want. Next day, the wedding. You get married on a lawn/platform area that has views to die for, very Tuscanyesque, cocktails follow, then dinner in area close by with those same views, dancing follows, people walk back to their hotel when they are ready. Next morning, brunch, then driving everyone back to Costa del Sol where it all started, and people now leave from there to home/another location, some may stay in the area longer, who knows. You get to head to Paris for the after shoot (and that night have dinner in the Eiffel Tower Restaurant (must have reservations) and after a couple of nights there head home or onto another location for honeymoon (if needed).
I was shocked when I realised that Spain, its uniqueness/proximity to so much (like S CA, beach-mountains in a couple of hours) and stumbling upon Ronda, would be a fabulous destination wedding experience. I visited Barcelona (2nd time) and Madrid (1st time) and even though they are lovely cities and have their charm and unique qualities, just think the itinerary I created above, gives a much better memorable experience for all involved, yet flexibility for those not looking for bonding time pre or post.
If this sounds appealing, let me know, would love to help you, or pull it together for you.
Till next time
Lisa
www.lisasimpsonweddings.com
www.pinterest.com/lisasimpsonwdgs
714 305 7112
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