Your wedding day is one of the biggest days of your life, for the woman, she has been dreaming of the perfect wedding day for as long as she can remember and the man wants everything to be perfect for her. Ibiza has become a popular spot for weddings in recent years, with the island providing an idyllic backdrop for the ceremony, so much so that many of the islands restaurants have become adept at delivering the perfect day. El Chiringuito, Cala Gracionetta, is one such venue, the stunning beach restaurant enjoys the solitude of its own cove, looking out over a small beach and out to a stunning Mediterranean vista that offers a dramatic backdrop for your ceremony. Lucy Dyer, from the Mambo group is charged with delivering these perfect days and Essentialibiza though it was about time we caught up with her…
What do you offer couples looking to get married in Ibiza?
I think that if you choose to get married in Ibiza it’s because you want something a little bit different for your wedding day so we offer a bespoke service, tailored to the couples own specifications.
El Chiringuito is such a unique venue that, once the sun has set, it becomes almost a private cove, because of the beach and the surrounding woodland. Weddings here have a specific magical quality that is difficult to replicate anywhere else.
What are the biggest logistical problems putting together someone’s big day?
The fact that usually the couples are not based on the Island, meaning lots of emails and phone calls (sometimes hundreds) and usually a few visits over to arrange things. It’s important that the couples can depend on me to provide everything they want even though they are not here to personally oversee the plans.
Where does the ceremony take place?
At El Chiringuito we have a beautiful, slightly shaded terrace, which is just raised up from the beach. We hold the wedding ceremony here overlooking the beach – it’s stunning.
Describe a typical wedding in Ibiza?
A lot of weddings that take place in Ibiza, especially in El Chiringuito, have a bohemian, laid back vibe that sets them apart. The wedding ceremony will usually take place late afternoon, mainly due to the heat, followed by the meal, served al fresco of course, and then the party will go on into the early hours. The sunset also plays an important role, with the late evening light making for some beautiful photos. Once the sun has set in El Chiringuito we light up the beach with candles and torches. Guests can wander down to the water in the moonlight, it doesn’t get much more romantic than that.
What’s the strangest request you’ve had from a bride & groom?
One of our potential wedding guests was a breeder of the white Andalusian dancing horses and asked if she could bring them down to the beach to perform – of course we said YES! (Unfortunately it was just too steep for the horses to negotiate – very disappointing!) We also had one couple bring their French bulldog as the ring bearer; he carried a little cushion in his mouth with the rings tied on by ribbon, which was very cute. Over the years we have also had people arriving by various modes of transport – boat, mini train, classic car. We have also had belly dancers, fire shows, magic shows, flamenco – you name it!
Wedding priorities change depending on location, is the dress still the most important thing or have things like the food caught up?
The dress of course is still very important and the arrival of the Bride never fails to take my breath away. The whole beach falls into silence as we watch the bride arrive. These days the food and the location, décor, music are also as important. Personally I love it at the end of the evening when the bride is barefoot on the beach with her dress dragging in the sand, totally caught up in the enjoyment of the day – that to me is a successful wedding.
How aware of you of the pressure of delivering one of the most important days in a couples life?
Yes! It’s a massive responsibility. It’s very important to me that the bride and groom have complete faith in me to deliver their perfect day. From day one I think its vital to listen to exactly what they want, helping and guiding them to (hopefully) the perfect outcome. The build up to a wedding can be very stressful so my job is to shield the couple from that stress so they can enjoy their big day to the full. It’s a lot of work but ultimately it’s very rewarding.
What is you lead in time for a wedding?
I am getting enquires now for weddings in 2015 but I have also planned a wedding from start to finish in just 10 days. I am fortunate to have a good reliable team around me so we have been able to pull off the impossible! I would recommend to start planning your wedding ideally a year before. Securing the location is the first priority everything else can follow on from there.
For bookings and enquiries:
www.mamboweddings.com
e: lucy@cafemamboibiza.com
Images courtesy of Gypsy Westwood