In case you’re wondering what the colour scheme is (because no one wants to match the table napkins)? Or what weather to expect? Or if we’ll have any other celebrations? We’ve put together a few key pointers and guidelines to help you with your planning.
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Genesis 2:24
Planning Information
What is the weather going to be like?
The coolest hours are at 07:00 in the morning when temperatures can fall to 23 – 27 degrees Celsius and the warmest hours can be between midday and 17:00 where temperatures can soar from 35 – 42 degrees Celsius. The sun rises around 06:45 and sets circa 21:30
What is a Formal Dress Code?
Gentlemen – Suggested attire includes suits and ties (or summer suits and ties) – as our ceremony will take place in church we kindly ask for no shorts please.
Ladies– long or midi evening/cocktail gowns, hats, sparkles or any other fashion-forward attire you wish. In terms of colour scheme, anything summery or pastel is suggested – mints, lavenders, peaches, turquoise blues, fuchsias, teals all work.
The Dress Code is Formal.
I don’t want to match the napkins though
The bridal party and groom’s party as well as those in our wedding entourage will be in Peach Salmon and Pale pink tones or Blue Navy.
Which airport do I fly into?
We would recommend Alicante but Valencia is also an option, with both equidistant from Denia (the central town to attend our wedding ceremony and fiesta), but Alicante offers friendlier routes of public transport options. Otherwise Madrid can be a consideration or even Barcelona depending on how you plan your time in Spain. If you want to figure out how to get from the airport to your accommodation, find out more about your options in Travel and Transport.
Can I bring a plus one?
We are only able to accommodate guests named on the invitations so to avoid any confusion our wedding invitations will include the name of your spouse/fiancé/partner indicating the # of seats we’ve reserved in your honour.
Is this an Adults-Only wedding?
Yes our Wedding Ceremony and our Wedding Banquet are adults only, with the exception of our 2 nieces and 3 nephews . We sought to provide our guests with as much advance notice as possible to coordinate child-care and enjoy a night or two dancing carefree with us, under the Spanish sun.
Do you have any childcare recommendations?
As some guests will make a family trip of it, they may need childcare for the duration of both the Ceremony and Banquet (~12 hours total), so we suggest you first check with your accommodation as many 4* and 5* hotels such as Hotel La Posada del Mar, Denia do offer trustworthy child-minding services (circa EUR 25/hr). Alternatively, we have details of recommended British sitters who you can also request support from if need be, on the day (circa EUR 18/hr) – please reach out to us on Whatsapp for more information.
On the Wedding Day
What is an Unplugged Ceremony?
We kindly ask for an unplugged wedding ceremony so we’d be grateful if no photos/videos are taken inside the church including the bride’s entrance up to the entire duration of the ceremony, photos can be taken outside the church after the ceremony.
Guests are encouraged to take photos after the ceremony, but in order to respect our desire for privacy we’d be incredibly grateful if no photos/videos that include the bride, or the groom are posted by guests on any social media until after the couple announce their wedding, which will be after they’ve recovered from all the wedding celebrations.
The religious ceremony is a solemn event, professionals have been hired to capture the special moment so we’d kindly ask all phones be switched off or placed on silent. The sole exception to this rule is a designated wedding party member that will be responsible for capturing candid content as per the couple’s request. If anyone needs to step outside for a call/fresh air there will be designated space in an adjacent café in the church square where you can exit to during the ceremony.
How do I get to church in Altea?
We will provide a Coach that will pick up guests from HOTEL DE LA POSADA DEL MAR DENIA for those invitees that confirm they require the shuttle service to the church – at 10:35 onboarding time. The trip is circa 45 minutes to the Altea parking lot where the bus can reach (Church is only accessible walking). Guests must arrive by 11.25 to be seated no later than 11.40.
If you are driving yourself please aim to reach Palau Altea Parking lot by not later than 11:25 to meet the Groom and walk up to the church together
What do I need to consider if I’m driving my rental car?
If you are driving a car rental please inform us as the Wedding Planner will have a guestlist on the Coach that she’ll be checking off when guests onboard. Kindly refer to the timings in the Agenda to plan your travel in accordance.
Vehicles cannot reach the church so we suggest you park in Palau Altea Parking Lot – located in Carrer d’Alcoi, 18, 03590 Altea, Alicante and then walk up the hill (5+minutes) to the church square.
How do I get to Casa Santonja after the ceremony?
Guests on the Coach are kindly asked to stay close to the rest of the guest group (we will suggest one or two bars via email a week prior) in the Church square after the ceremony. The Wedding Planner will indicate the time that everyone needs to re-group back at the Palau Altea Parking Lot – 14:40. The Coach cannot remain stationed for more than 5 minutes so it will leave punctually. We urge all guests to remain with the group to avoid being left behind.
For those driving to and from please note Casa Santonja is a private residence but vehicles are allowed to stay overnight in the designated parking (ask the Wedding Planner on the day). We kindly ask any cars be collected before 12pm the next day as other events may be taking place.
How do I get back to my hotel after the Wedding?
The Coach will leave the Fiesta at 00:30 and go to HOTEL LA POSADA DEL MAR, DENIA, please make your way to your accommodation from there.
If your ready to call it a night before 00:30 we’ve outlined taxi apps and numbers in the area and suggested you Whatsapp Taxi Contact +34 609 81 24 12 or liaise with our Wedding Planner who will be on the grounds to assist guests on the night.
For any of you staying in Denia, once your taxi arrives (waiting periods can be 15 to 30 minutes) it could take 15 minutes to get to your hotel. For those of you who opt for Ad Hoc Vitae accommodation in Beniarbeig, you should be a leisurely 9 minute stroll away from your bed.
What if I don’t eat everything?
There will be an array of twenty canapes served and the caterers are on-hand to advise what is included in each. This will be followed by a four course meal (dietary restrictions can be applied for all guests that require this – just let us know when you RSVP).
What is the drinks policy?
We will be offering our guests a sundowner bar (wine, cava, beer, Kir Royals, Martinis) for the cocktail hour and then a full bar (beer, wine, cocktails, spirits) for the Banquet and Fiesta. There will also be zero-alcohol beers and non-alcoholic drinks for the Banquet and Fiesta. Being a licensed bar please note it will serve under the ‘Responsible Service of Alcohol’ rules it is legally bound to abide to.
As of about midnight or so a Cash Bar policy will apply.
Do you have a registry or fund?
When the friends are gone and the party’s over, all we want to be packing in our (maxed out luggage allowance) bags as we fly home are tons of beautiful memories. We fully understand that destination weddings are hard and many won’t be able to join due to family commitments and travel but we know you’ll be celebrating with us from afar in your hearts!
For those that have made it possible to join us in Spain, we can’t express how grateful we are, for your love for us, and for being there to witness our wedding – that really is the greatest gift. We will have a card box on the day at Casa Santonja, but if any of you did wish to contribute to our honeymoon fund, we’d be incredibly grateful.
Who do I ask if I need any help on the day?
On the grounds at the church and venue we will have our Wedding Planner – Marcella Doran +34 605 8439 17 and her team (Lorraine and Rachel), dressed in pink, please reach out to them if you have any qualms like – the barman doesn’t understand what drink I want! or – I can’t find a taxi company number, or – I’m lost in the middle of nowhere, send help! You can also check in with our Best Man – Tom Bestwick +44 7887 452 499 for any other queries.
Will we have any favours to take home after the Fiesta?
As animal lovers, in lieu of wedding favours we’ve opted to provide a small donation to Laws for Paws Vietnam and Ngoc Nguyen Mama who relies entirely on donations to care for vulnerable kitties and disabled dogs in Vietnam.
After the Wedding Day
I can’t fly over to Spain – can I mail you a card?
After the wedding, if you’d really like to send us some mail with your wishes to our home/work address in Saigon (at very high risk of it getting lost in the Vietnamese postal system) then we’d be over the moon to get it. We can be addressed as Mr. Tom Biggs and Ms. Lorena Jimenez Lopez after our wedding. Alternatively, as kids of the 80s, an e-greeting wedding card would save trees in the Amazon and be incredibly well received too!
Are there other events surrounding the Wedding I can attend?
We’re so excited you’re coming to Spain! For all guests that wish to make a weekend of it, we’ll be at a beach bar in Denia – ZENZA LOUNGE having sundowners on Saturday 19th August 2023. If you would like to join us as we celebrate our first day as husband and wife please do anytime from 18:45! https://zensa.es/en/zensa-lounge Cash or card accepted at bar.
Will there be other celebrations outside of Spain?
We understand how hard it is to make it over for a destination wedding and we appreciate it won’t be possible for everyone. As we really wanted our Wedding to be an intimate event we will be reaching out to all our extended circles of family, colleagues, and friends in Cyprus, the UK, Colombia, and Vietnam, in the following year when we can next see them for a celebratory drink.