Hi,

I would love to get married in San Sebastian but don’t know where to start!
Could anyone give me advice on wedding venues, suitable restaurants, hotels etc?
I don’t mind whether it is a civil ceremony or a civil/church ceremony.
I am European (Irish) but I’m not sure how viable a church ceremony would be? Or how complicated it would be to organise?

Any thoughts & recommendations would be much appreciated!

Congratulations!! If you have been here recently, you are no doubt aware that the only thing more numerous than the bars are the wedding stores. And the gowns are gorgeous (I´m also assuming pricey).

I can´t give you much advice, as I´ve been living the life of a student, but from what I´ve heard Hotel Londres is the place to stay if you can afford it. There are 3 3-star Michelin rated restaurants, making it one of the culinary stars of Europe. Plus the more informal dining of the tapas bars, the energy of the summer crowd, and the beautiful beach make it a great destination. As far as churches, there are about 3 or so big ones within the city, the biggest being the main cathedral Buen Pastor. It would make for some great wedding shots out in front of it, and at night is gorgeous when illuminated. There are at least two churches in Gros. I´m sure there are more in other parts. I came across a wedding at the Navarra St. church in Gros (the part of town on the east side of the river) and everyone was having a grand old time. Even some outdoor folk dancing by a troop of seemingly authentically dressed dancers. Everything is within walking distance of the beach and the town´s so small a reception after the ceremony could happen anywhere.

Sorry I can´t be of more help, but good luck and enjoy! Just walking around the central part of town you´ll run into plenty of shops that can help get you started.

I can't give you any infor on San Sebastian - but - beware of all the paperwork and bureaucracy of getting married anywhere outside of your home country. It's a nightmare. I did it and the paperwork took me months to organise - here is a small sample of what you need:

birth cert
baptism cert
confirmation cert
cert of residence
passport
identity card
marriage protocol
cert of marriage preparation course
letter of release from the Foreign Ministry ( which has to have a special stamp on it and can take up to 4 months to obtain)

Try the marie Christina. Not on the beach, but spectacular.

Also see if Arzak has a private room

Horace,
Are you Spanish, or from the EU? Getting married in Spain under Spanish law can be difficult if at least one of you is not a citizen. It's best to check with the Spanish Consulate to find out the requirements.

Thanks for that guys. The civil ceremony sounds complicated. Maybe we'll do that before hand and just have a blessing in San Sebastian. Is that a more viable option?
Any other suggestions for suitable restaurants for an evening reception with 60-70 guests?

I learned from the bus tv´s yesterday that 68% of SS weddings are religious and 32% are before a judge. Relevant? Not at all.

I attended a luncheon with about 50-75 people in the basement of a restaurant on the farthest end of the western beach. Don´t know the name. And wasn´t extremely nice.

You can contact Restaurante Mugaritz, which is located just outside of San Sebastian-Donostia in Errenteria (Andoni has just received his second Michelin star). The restaurant is set up to handle large wedding parties, etc., but needs to be booked far in advance.

Aldura Aldea, 20 (Caserio Otzazulueta) 20100
Tel: 943 518 343 / 943 522 455
Fax: 943 518 216
[email protected]

Another place to consider is Restaurante Akelarre, another top rated restaurant that can handle a wedding, indoors or out. Pedro Subijana is rated one of the best chef's in the Basque Country, along with Arzak and Andoni.

Paseo Padre Orcolaga, 56 (Igueldo) 20008
Tel: 943 311 209 / 943 214 086
Fax: 943 219 268
[email protected]

There are a few others, but these are the best.

Hi

Ive been to san sebastian a few times with my boyfriend who is spanish (from barcelona) but we would love to get married in san sebastian (maybe in a cider club resturant) as we would like a civil ceremony is there a place that has gardens or close to the beach for maybe 60 to 80 people. Also if I am irish and he is spanish will the paper work be diffecult or should we get married in dublin first.

Basically, unless one of you is a Spanish resident, you have to live there for anything from 30 to 45 days. This makes legal marriage in Spain a non-starter for most foreign couples. Religious (mainly Catholic) wedding is possible, but you'll find most priests don't have experience of and probably refuse to handle it because of bureaucracy involved, as they have to meet both state and church requirements. In either case you need to speak fluent Spanish or have an interpreter. So getting married first and having a 'blessing' in Spain may be a better option, though there is no real custom of 'blessing a marriage' or 'renewal of vows'. You may want to approach an English-speaking church for that.

As others have suggested it is difficult unless a resident.

www.weddingsinitaly-onabudget.com best for me rules easy

relatively cheap BEAUTIFUL venues

www.bellagio.info my fav Residence D'Ulivo from 120 euro

www.hotelcombined.com for me last.

Chopin married there long lasting many children...

Considered to be very good luck to marry there since then.

Easy cheap flights in to Milan MXP BGY Linate.

Congrats!

This posting is six years old, they are probably divorced by now.