Getting married in Spain in a private countryside location - Rancho Del Ingles
At Rancho Del Ingles, on a gorgeous September day last year, Rebecca and Conor had a stunning wedding day in Spain to celebrate their love and commitment in front of 100 plus wedding guests from all over the world. From Ireland, England, Scotland, France, the USA and Australia! Wow! Not only did they have the stunning Rancho del Ingles as the location for their big day but they also made sure to plan the most personal and heartfelt wedding ceremony too, which reflected their fun personalities and relationship.
As Beca and her mum and bridesmaids were all being pampered and prepared by Lorraine Romain of Princess Bride, I was busy getting ready in Rancho's ceremony area. It's such a great purpose built spot for ceremonies with its lovely wooden pergola which creates a focal point for the couple to stand under (and in the shade too, yes!) with their guests seated around in a nice semi circular hug.
Conor was at the pool area with his best man and groomsmen, welcoming all the guests when they arrived at Rancho Del Ingles. I love this time before the ceremony where I get to see the couple separately and settle their nerves and give them some last minute encouragement that everything is going to be alright, because it always is!
When it was time for the ceremony, everyone made their way down from the pool area to the ceremony area in excited anticipation of the ceremony getting underway. I loved that as well as walking in with her bridesmaids, Rebecca entered the ceremony space with her mum and dad too. How awesome is that, right?
Beautiful wedding ceremony space at Rancho Del Ingles.
The Ceremony at Rancho Del Ingles
Rebecca and Conor really knew what they wanted for their wedding ceremony. They knew how they both wanted to feel and how they wanted their guests to feel too, so we were able to create a ceremony that felt warm, happy, joyful, loving and lots of fun too. Having been together since teenagers we made sure to share their journey as a couple from its humble and hilarious beginnings to include all the amazing things that they have done together as a couple since. I also shared the wonderful story of their sunrise engagement too, which really set the scene for the rest of the ceremony.
During the ceremony they had two readings which were carried out by friends and family. Their good friend read this extract from Captain Correlli's Mandolin by Louis De Berniere, which is always a big hit at weddings.
Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides.
And when it subsides you have to make a decision.
You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part.
Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of eternal passion.
That is just being "in love" which any fool can do.
Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.
Those that truly love, have roots that grow towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom have fallen from their branches, they find that they are one tree and not two.
Then later on their ceremony Conor's sister read an awesome poem which she wrote herself which was amazing as well. It's always so nice when friends and family members can contribute to the wedding ceremony and be involved as well.
One of my favourite parts of the ceremony was the wonderful sand ritual, which involved not two but three sands representing the special places in their lives; Ireland, Australia and Spain. It was so nice to lead them through the sand blending ritual which saw these different coloured sands being mixed together as I spoke about the symbolism of the different sands that they had collected and what they said about the different stages of their lives together.
The sandy ceremony using three different types of sand
It was also really lovely to have lots of live music throughout the ceremony too. Conor and Rebecca had chosen singer and guitarist Alice Reay, who sang and played beautifully throughout.
An unplugged wedding ceremony
Another thing that I loved about this wedding ceremony is that it was unplugged. But what exactly does that mean? Basically, it means that the couple would like their friends and family to disconnect from their phones and cameras, to put them away and to just be truly present within the ceremony. It's such a nice way of getting friends and family to relax and to not have to worry about taking photos (that's what official photographers and videographers are for!). There will be plenty of time for guests to take photos of the couples and it so it means that during the ceremony all of the energy is focused on just the couple and the ceremony and nothing else, which makes the experience so much more magical when people aren't fiddling with phones and concentrating on taking photos!
The Wedding vows
Rebecca and Conor wrote their own wedding vows which really made the ceremony that little bit more special, knowing that their vows came from them and said everything that they wanted them to say. I know it can be daunting at first, the idea of writing your own vows, but we're help to help! And it's amazing what a little direction and guidance can result in. Beca and Conor ran with theirs and made some really lovely and fun vows to each other.
When two people really invest in their ceremony, and make it special and personal it really makes all the difference. The ceremony casts a spell of love and happiness over everyone and sets the tone for the rest of the day. After the ceremony everyone leaves in a bubble of love and happiness, which they take with them for the rest of the day.
The ceremony pergola at Rancho Del Ingles
We wanted to send you a note to say a big thank you! We loved every moment of the day but especially the ceremony. It was personal, fun, heartfelt and just perfect, thank you! Beca & Conor
Are you excited for your dream wedding in Spain? Are you looking for the right wedding celebrant who can help you create a perfect, personalised wedding ceremony. Learn more about Natasha, the celebrant here and Contact us below now to see how we can help you.
Photos by Ewa Figaszewska