Planning an Ibiza wedding

Planning an Ibiza wedding can seem overwhelming. We understand there’s just so much to organise and it’s hard to know where to start. So we have put this handy guide together just for you. Here you’ll find essential info and tips for how to plan your Ibiza wedding and you’ll also discover if Paissa d’en Bernat is the perfect Ibiza wedding venue for your special day.

You’ve decided on Ibiza as your wedding destination, so your first step will be to book your wedding venue. Ibiza seems to have endless choices for weddings. From resort hotels to rural hotels, beach clubs to countryside and cliff-top restaurants, private villas, and exclusive-use wedding venues.

But which one is best for you?

To begin, we recommend you consider the following:

Guestlist

Budget

Date

Priorities

GUESTLIST: When you think about your wedding, how do you see it? Would you rather stay small and intimate with only your closest friends and family? Or do you see a bigger event with everyone you know there with you? The first step, therefore, is to build a virtual guest list. Include the names of everyone you’d most love there with you. This will give you your first sign of how your wedding will look and, importantly, how much it’s likely to cost. 

Related reading: “How to build the perfect guest list”.

Most Ibiza wedding venues will speak about a price-per-head, so with these numbers already done you’ll know if a venue is suited to your budget or not. 

BUDGET: Every wedding hangs on its budget so it’s essential to know from the outset exactly how much you can spend. Your total wedding costs are defined mainly by your final venue choice and guest list. We recommend you have this conversation with your partner very early on and arrive at a figure you’re both comfortable with before going forward. 

Related reading: “The cost of an Ibiza wedding”.

DATE: Ibiza destination weddings come with their own set of challenges, date being one of the key considerations. Have a good think about when you would like to get married and what works best for you, your family and friends. Our best recommendation is that instead of picking an exact date, you expand your options to a week, a couple of weeks, or even a month. You can then contact the venues you like best to ask if they have availability during these times. 

Related reading: “When is the best time to get married in Ibiza”.

PRIORITIES: Close your eyes and dream about your Ibiza wedding day. What do you see? Is it a sandy beach? Or maybe a more secluded scene hidden away in the countryside? Is there abundant food and drinks? Breathtaking sunset views? Make a list with your partner of everything you could wish for your perfect day and put a star next to those “must-haves”.  These notes will help you in the last steps of narrowing down your Ibiza wedding venue choices. 

Location is everything. The choice you make for your ceremony and reception will set the stage, mood and tone for your Ibiza wedding. Finding the right wedding venue is one of the most important decisions you will make on your wedding planning journey. We hope that today you have landed on the one that you’re looking for.

Paissa d’en Bernat is the perfect hideaway to get married in Ibiza, but is it right for you? Below you’ll find all the info you’ll need to decide…

Location: secluded forest

Paissa d’en Bernat is a secluded countryside wedding venue with sea views. If you are looking for complete privacy and exclusivity in a natural surrounding then Paissa could be the right place for you.

Capacity:

Our Ibiza weddings can be anywhere between 2-80 people

All-in-one setting

By choosing to have your wedding all in one place, you gain valuable time to spend with your family and friends, all while enjoying excellent catering and the most spectacular views of the Mediterranean sea.

Villa Païssa d’en Bernat sets itself apart from all other Ibiza villas. With over 15 years of experience in the Ibiza wedding industry, we can help you build your perfect day along with our trusted partners. Elements such as wedding planning, catering, wedding furniture, sound and lighting, photography, DJ, and so on, can all be found in our list of professional Ibiza suppliers. 

Amazing Views:

Paissa den Bernat sits in the natural Ibiza countryside but also enjoys sea views and the most scenic and romantic sunset that tints the skies pink and orange in the evenings. 

Wedding Accommodation:

Your Ibiza wedding is much more than just one day. During your Ibiza holidays you will want to relax and enjoy every minute and for that Paissa is perfect. The villa has room for 10 people in 5 bedrooms. (2 kings, 1 double and 2 twins) All are air conditioned and ensuite. We can also recommend other accommodation in the area for your guests. 

Child-friendly:

If you are planning on a child-friendly wedding then Paissa d’en Bernat could be a great choice for you. We are surrounded by nature with vast private grounds that kids will love exploring. When nap time beckons we also have comfy Balinese gazebos outside or there’s lots of indoor space away from it all. When it comes to catering, kids can be seated with adults or we can allocate a kiddie table if you would rather hire a babysitter to take care of them, leaving the parents to play.

The full-day experience

At Paissa d’en Bernat we welcome both self-planned weddings and outside wedding planners. Below is an outline of a typical wedding day with us.
Whilst we’re always on hand to help and guide you, we also give you full access to a list of our most trusted and professional Ibiza suppliers including dedicated wedding planners.

The very first thing you need to determine when starting off your planning is your timelines. At Paissa we include our suggested timelines in your initial quote but just, for now, let us give you a sample of what your wedding day schedule can look like:

HIGH SEASON (Mid-May to July – with sun setting at 9 PM appx.)

10AM-2PM Venue set up & bridal party preparation

2-4 PM – Bridal final preparations & getting ready photography

3.30 PM – Guests arrive at your wedding venue 

4 PM – Wedding Ceremony

4.30-6 PM – Post-ceremony drinks & canapes (for events of +60 we recommend 2 hours)

6-9 PM – Dinner service, speeches and cake cutting (this can happen earlier)

9 PM SUNSET (make sure you allocate time for photos and enjoyment)

9 PM-12 midnight or 1 AM – Open bar & dancefloor

1 AM – Guests departure

LOW SEASON (April to Mid-May and Sept onwards – with sun setting between 8-8.30 PM appx.)

10AM-2PM Venue set up & bridal party preparation

2-4 PM – Bridal final preparations & getting ready photography

2.30 PM – Guests arrive at your wedding venue 

3 PM – Wedding Ceremony

3.30-5 PM – Post-ceremony drinks & canapes

5-8 PM – Dinner service, speeches and cake cutting (this can happen earlier)

8 PM SUNSET (make sure you allocate time for photos and enjoyment)

8 PM-12 midnight or 1 AM – Open bar & dancefloor

1 AM – Guests departure

We are often asked why Ibiza weddings start so late. The main reason is the heat, but it’s also lovely to enjoy the beautiful Ibiza sunset right before you start your party. At Paissa we suggest an 8 to 9 hour day with your guests which in our experience is just right. 

Start time: your wedding day at Paissa will be tailored made for you, therefore your start time can be flexible. We will be delighted to help you with this process.    

Finish time: Due to local laws and regulations, events at Paissa cannot finish later than 1 AM. We ask that at this time transportation is arranged for all guest departure.

We recommend…  If you are unsure about how many hours to have your open bar then it may be best to plan for a 4pm guest arrival (3 hours of evening open bar) . If closer to the time you feel you have the budget then you can go ahead and move the guest arrival to 3pm which will give you that extra hour of evening open bar. 

Your day, your way!

We see an Ibiza Wedding Day as 5 individual stages, each one to be enjoyed before it seamlessly moves into the next moment. 

These elements are:

Morning Preparations

Guest Arrival and Ceremony

Post Ceremony Reception

Dinner and Speeches

Evening Bar and Fiesta!

A wedding day is a long day but as our ceremony times are a little later in Ibiza, you can have a wonderful, slow, and relaxing start!

We like to recommend that the Bride and Bridesmaids are those who get ready at the villa and suggest that the Goom and Groomsmen pick a different location so that the girls can chill at the villa while they get ready. Depending on how many you are, the girls could start getting ready after breakfast at about 9-10 AM. The timings for hair and make-up will always be given by your professional suppliers and we like to recommend that everyone is ready for the time that guests arrive, allowing you an extra 30 minutes for any last minute touches and pictures. 

During the morning, all external suppliers and our Paissa team will be present as we will be setting up the day in the ceremony, drinks and dining areas.

We can guarantee you that Païssa will WOW your guests!

From walking through our beautiful gardens and pool area to the moment they step in front of our unbeatable views. And things from there only get better!

Welcome drinks are served on our ceremony sunset terrace accompanied by Cafe del Mar style background music. There’s 30 minutes to enjoy the surroundings, the decor, your personal touches and to get settled in before the big moment! And then all that planning and preparation can unfold. The time has come for you to walk down the aisle to join your other-half in marriage. And for all your family and friends to witness your love for one another and enjoy this very special journey that has led you all to Ibiza for your dream wedding.

We recommend… For venue decor less is more. The natural backdrop and amazing views at Paissa are perfect for weddings and need very little enhancement. Your personal stamp on the day can be achieved with careful planning and positioning. Our recommended florists and decorators can happily help you with this. 

For your ceremony, we recommend a personal touch. We understand that this moment can be nerve-racking, so you may be keen to just get through it as quickly as possible, but it’s worth taking a little time to get the correct balance. The right celebrant will put you at your ease and will make sure that your ceremony tells a story about and reflects you. A special moment you can look back on and cherish. 

As your ceremony ends and you walk back up the aisle together, this is the moment for congratulations to begin. It’s also the time to get a cold drink at the bar! Typically on offer are freshly made Spanish Sangria, ice-cold beers, Spanish wines, soft drinks and juices or water for the small ones. This is also the time for your canapes to be served. Timings are between 1 and 1.5 hours for food service. We recommend you extend this time to 2 hours if you are expecting more than 60 guests so you can enjoy your time mingling with your guests and not feel rushed. You will also have more time for your family and couple pictures.  

If you would like to treat your guests to some atmospheric live music then we work with a handful of professionals who are all listed in our vendors’ directory. Please feel free to check them out and see what works best for you.

Live entertainment is only an option. We can also provide background music for your drinks reception or you can give us a playlist you’ve created. 

We recommend…  Some couples ask us if it’s possible to go for a photo shoot at the nearby cliffs overlooking Es Vedra. If you would like to go for an Es Vedra shooting session with your photographer, check with them first and we will be happy to extend the cocktail reception to two hours. We only recommend this for April, May and October weddings because of the heat. 

We believe that food should be a celebration of flavours, laughter, and love. At Paissa, you can enjoy a delicious wedding feast created from ethically sourced ingredients. All this takes place in a relaxed setting overlooking the most gorgeous sunset views. Our couples all agree on stepping away from a formal, traditional styled wedding service and instead, embraced a relaxed family-style service that brings you abundant choice, with relaxed and refined menus.

All type of wedding menus have been tried and tested, so we are more than happy to guide you on what works best and hope you’ll find something that will match your tastes perfectly. Our trusted caterers are flexible and although to start with they will give you standard menus they will work together with you to make your menu and accommodate dietary requirements. 

Speeches are recommended to take place straight after the meal. So that you can start enjoying the sun-down moment with a chilled glass of Cava. 

We recommend… having a think if you really want to have the expense of a wedding cake. Whilst this is very traditional, we have noticed throughout all our years of weddings just how much gets left uneaten and then thrown away. We have had plenty of couples bring small M&S toppers from the UK and cut those. This has worked particularly well. Or you may prefer a savoury approach and go for a stacked cheese tower or Champagne tower.

Anything goes in Ibiza for your wedding choices, so don’t feel pressured to follow all the traditions. 

Towards the end of your meal, expect to witness one of Ibiza’s best sunsets! This is a lovely time to get some amazing photos, enjoy a chat with your guests and soak up all the romance! As the night begins and as soon as you are ready, we kick-start the dancefloor! Your first dance can be however you would like and we recommend beginning this moment together. Then your bridesmaids and ushers can jump in too and help get the rest of your guests to join you. Then you can finish the dance all together enjoying this moment under the stars. 

Your evening open bar includes the following drinks:

Estrella Damm beer on draft. 

Red, white & rose wine

Whiskey: Bells & Ballantine’s

Vodka: Smirnoff, Stolichnaya, & Absolute

Rum: Havana Añejo Especial & Havana 3

Gin: Tanqueray, Beefeater, & Gordons

Tequila: José Cuervo

Mixers: Coke, coke light, fanta orange and lemon and Sprite

If you would like to add some premium bottles to your bar we can offer you this service per bottle.

We’ll also treat you to a “chupito tray” which is very traditional in Spain. It comprises a selection of shots for you and your guests to enjoy and help ease you all into the evening! 

Your DJ is a wedding expert and will set the mood perfectly for your party. You will have already been in contact to discuss your music preferences, so everything will be in place for you to enjoy yourselves.  

We recommend… The minimum hours of our open bar is 3, but you are free to extend this to 4 or 5 (remember that end time is always 1 AM). For best use of time, we recommend no more than 5 hours. Each group is different however and we are ultimately happy to work around you. 

Our 1 AM finish doesn’t mean your party has to end there. We can arrange for your transport to whisk you off to enjoy a few more hours of fiesta in any number of places. Just let us know if you think you would like to do this and we will happily recommend the best places for you and your group.  

TRANSPORTATION FOR GUESTS!

It’s essential that your guests all arrive together and on time so transport to the venue is essential both ways. We can help you source and arrange a reliable service for you and all your guests which removes a potentially stressful element of your wedding day.

Païssa doesn’t finish here!

The fact that you have chosen Païssa for your wedding means that your life has changed forever. Now you have your home in Ibiza! This is an Ibiza that not everyone gets to see and experience but we hope it’s one you’ll always love. 

Thank you so much for stopping by and reading all about our gorgeous home Paissa d’en Bernat. We hope you will love it as much as we do.

Here, you are not another wedding to us, you will become our friends and companions.

We have been in the Ibiza wedding industry for over 10 years and have received amazing support from all our friends and suppliers. To ensure you have an amazing and stress free day, we have created a free wedding directory for you that includes all our most trusted professionals. We hope this will help you on your wedding journey and provide you with all the info you need.

Finally… to keep up to date with all the news and become an absolute Ibiza wedding expert, don’t forget to join me on my co-hosted Podcast. We’d love to hear from you, so please send us your questions and comments. Together we will build a community!