What to Look for When Hiring a Wedding Planner for Your Wedding in Spain

When a couple reaches out to us for the first time, the conversation almost always starts the same way. With excitement, with a thousand ideas spinning around, and with a question that floats in the air even if it is not always said out loud: how am I going to organise all of this from so far away?

It is a completely valid question. Getting married in Spain as a foreigner is a beautiful adventure, but it also means making important decisions in a context you do not always know: a different bureaucracy, a different language, a different way of doing things. That is exactly where we, Eva and Sarah, come in.

We have spent years accompanying international couples through their weddings in Andalusia, and we know very well what makes this kind of collaboration work, and what can go wrong when the choice is not made with care. So today we want to share with you everything we believe you should consider before hiring a wedding planner for your wedding in Spain.

Local Experience: Much More Than Knowing the Beautiful Spots

This is the first thing we look at when someone asks us how to evaluate a wedding planner: how well do they really know the territory where they will be working?

It is not just about knowing which fincas or haciendas look stunning. Local experience means truly knowing the suppliers, understanding how timelines work here (which are different from other countries, we promise you), knowing how local administration functions, and anticipating the kind of setbacks that you can only spot after years of working in a place.

We are Andalusian. We know this land, its people and its rhythms. We know which documents a foreign couple needs to get legally married in Spain, within what timelines they need to be requested, and how to guide you through that process so it does not become a headache. That is not something you can improvise: it is learned over time and through many weddings.

What you should ask any wedding planner before booking:

• How many weddings for international couples have they organised in this region?
• Do they have a solid, established network of trusted local suppliers?
• Have they ever managed the legal documentation for foreign nationals marrying in Spain?
• Do they know the different venue types well: fincas, haciendas, palaces, beaches?

Language: The Invisible Barrier That Can Ruin Everything

This is something we feel very strongly about, and we say it with conviction because we live it every day. Organising a wedding means hundreds of conversations: with you, with suppliers, with the venue, with the local registry office… If something gets lost in any one of those conversations because the language does not flow, the result can be very different from what you had imagined.

We speak English, Spanish, Italian, French and German. Not to show off, but because our couples come from all over the world and deserve to communicate with us in their own language, without losing nuances, without misunderstandings, without having to emotionally “translate” themselves to be understood.

And not only that. We act as a bridge between you and all the local suppliers, negotiate on your behalf with precision, and make sure that what you have in your head arrives exactly as it is to every member of the team.

What multilingualism brings to your wedding:

• Direct, fluent communication in your own language, with no intermediaries.
• Precise negotiations with local suppliers, with nothing lost or distorted.
• A personalised ceremony in the language or languages that matter to your family.
• Guests from different cultures who feel included and truly welcome from the very start.

Trust and Personal Connection: The Ingredient That Appears in No Contract

Let us be honest: when a couple hires us, they are placing one of the most important days of their lives in our hands. And they are doing so, very often, without ever having met us in person. That requires enormous trust, and we take it very seriously.

From the very first call, our goal is for you to feel genuinely heard. We do not present you with a catalogue of options and wait for you to choose. We want to get to know you: who you are, how you met, what you dream of for that day, what matters to you and what does not. Only then can we create something that truly represents you.

Throughout the whole process there is transparency, quick communication, and honesty when something does not fit your vision or your budget. We work directly with you, with no layers of coordinators in between: when you write to us, we write back.

Signs you have found the right wedding planner:

• They make you feel that your wedding is unique, not just another date in their calendar.
• They are interested in you as people, not only in the logistical details.
• They are honest when something is not possible or does not fit your vision.
• They propose ideas tailored to your personality, not generic templates.

What Kind of Service Do You Actually Need?

Not every wedding requires the same level of involvement from a wedding planner, and not all services are the same. Be clear on what you need before you book: full planning from scratch, day-of coordination, or something in between?

For foreign couples getting married in Spain, our recommendation is almost always full planning. Managing suppliers, logistics, permits, transfers, guest accommodation, ceremony, catering… handling all of that from across a border, in a different language, and under a different legal system is a colossal task without the right support.

We work as wedding couturiers. Every wedding we take on is built from the ground up to tell the story of that specific couple. No pre-packaged formulas, no copying structures from other weddings, no layers between you and us. Eva and Sarah are directly involved in every project from beginning to end.

Typical service levels:

• Full planning: we are with you from the very first idea to the very last dance.
• Day-of coordination: we make sure everything flows perfectly on the day of the celebration.
• Consultancy: expert guidance for couples who want to hold the reins themselves but need occasional support.

Intercultural Sensitivity: Because Your Guests Come From All Over the World

An international wedding is not just a wedding held in another country. It is the union of families, cultures and traditions that sometimes have nothing in common, and that on that day share the same space, the same table and the same memories. Making that work takes much more than good organisation.

We live this constantly. We have organised weddings with guests arriving from five continents. Ceremonies in three simultaneous languages. Cultural rituals integrated naturally into Andalusian celebrations. Very different families who by the end of the night were hugging each other as if they had known each other their whole lives.

That does not happen by accident. It happens because we take the time to understand each couple in depth: their origins, their traditions, the dynamics of their families. And then we think carefully about how to bring all of that together beautifully.

Intercultural sensitivity checklist:

• Have they worked with couples from your country or culture before?
• Do they know how to incorporate specific cultural or religious traditions?
• Can they prepare ceremony materials in multiple languages?
• Do they care about the guests’ experience, not only the couple’s?

The Supplier Network: Years of Relationships You Cannot Build in Weeks

When you arrive from abroad and start searching for photographers, caterers, florists or musicians in Spain, you find yourself in an ocean of options with no frame of reference. You do not know who delivers, who goes above and beyond, who falls through at the last moment.

We have that knowledge. And not only that: we have spent years building relationships with suppliers who know how we work, trust us, and put in that little extra effort when they know a reliable team is behind the brief. That network cannot be improvised or bought: it is earned through time and through weddings done well.

When we put forward a team of suppliers for your wedding, it is because we know them genuinely, we have worked with them, and we know how they respond when things get complicated.

What to ask any planner about their supplier network:

• Do they always work with the same suppliers or do they adapt them to each wedding?
• Can they show you complete weddings from their portfolio?
• Do they negotiate conditions and prices on your behalf?
• What is their plan if a supplier falls through at the last moment?

Financial Transparency: No Unpleasant Last-Minute Surprises

Talking about budget can feel uncomfortable, but it is a conversation that needs to happen from the very beginning. A good wedding planner is not afraid to talk about money clearly: they explain their fee structure, detail exactly what is included in their service and what is not, and flag up potential additional costs before they arise.

We always put everything in writing. We believe that trust is also built on a clear financial foundation, with no small print and no unpleasant surprises in the middle of the planning process.

Important questions about financial transparency:

• Do they charge fixed fees, a percentage of the total budget, or a combination of both?
• Do they receive commissions from suppliers? How do they handle this?
• What is exactly included in their service and what is not?
• Is there a detailed contract covering all agreements?

Your Wedding in Spain Can Be Exactly What You Dreamed Of

Getting married in Spain as a foreigner does not have to be complicated. With the right wedding planner, the distance becomes a minor detail and the planning process becomes an exciting experience rather than a stressful one.

At That’sAmore, we’ve been doing exactly that for years: guiding international couples every step of the way, from that first call full of ideas to the final embrace of the night. We speak your language, we know Andalusia like the back of our hand, and we put our whole hearts into making sure every wedding tells a unique story.

Are you ready to start building yours with us?