looking for a quaint small town church in spain to get married. seggestions

to get any replies, you'll probably need to indicate the area of the country you prefer and maybe even a specific city. I'm sure there are hundreds of churches that fit your minimal description. Are you looking for something specific? Give us some help...

Sergio, as you know Spain is not a small country as Andorra, so it is necesary tell us what area or province you are looking in. <BR> <BR>As a sample of pretty churches I can tell you: <BR> <BR>- Sotosalbos: 15 Km. from Segovia. <BR>- Sant Clement de Taüll in Lerida/Lleida area (just in the middle of 'Pirineos'). <BR>- Santa María de Lebeña in Cantabria (Desfiladero de la Hermida).... <BR>(this 3 are small romanic wonderfull churches) <BR> <BR>And thousands of them more.

Sergio, I gather you are referring to a Catholic church, which also entails that you are aware of the requirements the Catholic Church has in place for those who want to receive the sacrament of marriage. Obviously, a church in a small community is not a banquet hall, but a revered place of prayer and gathering of the community for the celebration of their faith. Usually announcements are made weeks prior and invitations to the ceremony are not issued; it is assumed that the community is invited. In other words, if you are looking for a postcard wedding, great, but be aware that there is a lot more to marrying in a church (any church) than a social event. I would hope you are already Catholic, so you may want to ask your local parish. I have been involved in these types of arrangements and typically, a letter from your Parish to the priest on the church of choice is usually required. Would you be asking that their priest marry you as well?

While touring Spain last month, I was able to see church weddings. Is there some kind of party after the church ceremony ? I noticed that the bride's gown was off-white, not the white usuall worn in the US. Is there any significance to this? I also noticed that there were no bridesmaids, ushers, maid-of-honor, best man, sponsors, etc etc; is this typical of a wedding in Spain ? THanks.

Traditionally, the parents of the bride are the equivalent of the best man, maid/matron of honor...brides usually carry orange blossoms in their bouquets...the orange blossoms are a symbol of purity and because they are an evergreen it also symbolizes everlasting love...another tradition is for the groom to give the bride thirteen coins to symbolize his ability to support her...she usually carries them in a purse during the ceremony...wedding guests dance sequidillas manchega while each one presents the bride with a gift...sometimes the groom wears a shirt that has been embroidered by the bride...if I remember correctly a civil ceremony takes place first...anyway, these are very traditional customs...they vary from region to region. A long time ago brides wore black silk dresses and mantillas.

Hi Sergio,<BR>apart of the churches mentioned by Jose (Sotosalbos, San Clemente de Tahull and Santa Maria de Lebe?a), a couple more : <BR>San Pelayo in Bakio (Basque Country) and the romanic cathedral of Jaca, in the Pyrenees. Not quite a small church, but beautiful, nonetheless.<BR>And regarding Rudy?s question :<BR>- The color of the dress doesn?t really have a significance. Mostly it would mean that it is made of a natural fibre (raw silk is very popular), and also it looks much better than a brilliant white.<BR>- There is usually a big party after the wedding. It can be a lunch or it can be a dinner, followed by dance, depending on the time of the day. Nowadays, the most popular time for a wedding is Saturday afternoon.<BR>- The father of the bride and the mother of the groom are what we called "Padrino" and "Madrine". Of course, you can substitute them by any other female or male relative of you, if you prefer to go with yout brother or your sister. The "Madrina" might wear a mantilla (a beautiful huge lace "scarf" that you keep on your head with a "peineta") in more traditional weddings.<BR>- Hats are becoming more popular in the last years, but they are not really so "obligatory" as in other countries. <BR>- We don?t have speeches after the dinner, as in Ireland and the UK.<BR>- We throw rice and rose petals when the couple goes out of the church (although in some places you might even throw beans, fireworks, everything)<BR>- The church ceremony is legal, and you don?t need to get married in a civil ceremony previously.<BR>- Regarding the wearing of black dresses, during the fifties the people were still living in dire conditions, and many didn?t have the money to buy a unique dress. So they bought a nice black tailleur that you could wear at special ocasions, and got married with it.<BR>- Right now the civil ceremonies are very similar to the religious ones. You get married by the town mayor, but that?s the only difference (regarding dresses of the bride, guests, parties, ...)<BR><BR>Regards, Cova

Sergio, The small white church in the heart of Nerja is magical--and the Med is only a block away. I was there for Easter in 1999. Look at the Hotel Balcon de Europa for the reception.

Sergio,<BR>I love Jos?'s suggestions, and they made me think of a couple more:<BR>I was lucky to be in Santillana del Mar (Cantabria) this yr. on Sat. 6/30, their feast day of Santa Juliana and witnessed three (! ) back to back afternoon weddings in the 12th c Colegiata with its beautiful silver altar and cloister. The ambiance couldn?t have been more special, more romantic or the acoustics more perfect! Santillana is, for me, Spain's most beautifully preserved village. It's also magical-no sea views, but a wonderful, genuine medieval atmosphere of noble homes surrounded by bucolic, velvety green pastures. Plus it has the newly refurbished Parador Gil Blas plus annex where you could have your party (as these couples did) and house your guests (along with two very cute new B&B's-the Hospeder?a and the Casa de la G?ela). One of the weddings that day was that of a couple who had come all the way from Manhattan; the groom was Portuguese and the bride had grown up around Santillana. I strongly suspect you'd need major "enchufe" (pull) to have a summer wedding in such a highly coveted, famous church, but it might be easier in spring, fall or winter. And to snag rooms at the Parador you?d need to plan far in advance (one yr. minimum for high season-it's always booked solid) The bridal party I talked to was actually was housed in Santander, at a hotel on the stunning El Sardinero beach, a 20 min. drive away. They had spent the week touring around Cantabria and Asturias, which offer so many delights to explore. I also loved the tiny, simple Mozarabic church of Santa Mar?a Li?bana-gorgeous valley on the Cantabrian side of Picos de Europa. <BR>Besides the Sant Clement inTa?ll, Vall de Bo?, there are other small, pretty Romanesque churches we saw in the Val d'Aran (Arti?s, Salard?, Boss?st), which has stunning Alpine type scenery and two nice Paradors.<BR>Hope you find that perfect spot!<BR>

Another suggestion if you're thinking on the mountains:<BR><BR>Very near the French border, in Huesca, you will find a perfect medieval village called A?nsa (L'Ainsa in the older language of Arag?n, very similar to Catalonian one), in the top of a hill, and with the National Park of 'Monte Perdido' at its back, and at the feet the Cinca river.

sergio,<BR>I like Jose's idea of Ainsa, tucked in a hidden corner of the Aragonese Pyrennes too. Its Romanesque church, Santa Maria, is next to a much photographed, collonaded Plaza Mayor, filled with ancient brown stone nobel homes. Great setting for photos. And there's the Bodegas del Sobrarbe on the plaza, with its medieval wine cellars, where you could have a party afterwards. Lodging in Ainsa is on the modest side, since it's kind of "off the beaten path" and most overnighters seem to stay for the adventure sports nearby (like canyoning), but you could also stay at the hunting lodge type Parador inside the Monte Perdido National Park (where we were), only 45 km. away.<BR><BR>Speaking of Paradors and back to Picos de Europa, I almost forgot this: <BR><BR>There's a jewel box Romanesque church and lovely cloister still used for worship in the remains of the 12th c Benedictine Monastery of San Pedro de Villanueva , and it's attached to an exquisite, fairly new Parador-located outside of Cangas de Onis, on the Asturias side of Picos de Europa. This Monastery has been declared a National Monument. We've spent 4 days here in 5 star palatial comfort (huge, beautifully decorated rm, canopied bed, terrace) at a very reasonable price (17,500 pts), and one night we attended a chamber music concert in that very quaint little church. Great acoustics and romantic setting too! We didn't see a wedding, but they do lots of special functions (Volvo was having a big retreat). And the Parador couldn't be nicer for a honeymoon On the banks of the Sella, it's actually a new structure built within and around the ruins of the Monastery, and the treasures they found during the excavations have been turned into a little arch. museum-one of the very top Paradors in the entire network, but always booked solid in summer. But there are tons of cute little B&B's around here too. This would be a very special place to get married and have a honeymoon, if you like spectacular mountain scenery , plus you''d be a very short hop from some tiny, secluded beaches on the Cantabrian sea around Ribadesella-Llanes. A great mar y monta?a combo.<BR><BR>Congratulations and good luck!<BR>Maribel<BR><BR><BR>

Thank you, Merilee and Cova. Wedding traditions have always interested me.