Planning Tips · 11 min
The questions to ask a Spanish wedding venue before you book
Every venue page on this site quotes what the venue itself publishes. These are the questions the published figures cannot answer, the ones to put to the venue before you sign, in roughly the order they decide the day. Ask them all; the good venues have answered every one before.
Published 27 October 2026 · Every figure from the venues' own published records
The money
1. What exactly does the price include? The nights, how many beds, which meals, the staff, the cleaning, the tables and chairs, the coordinator. Of the 55 venues we list, 27 say the price includes a stay and 14 say it includes food and drink. Get the list in writing.
2. What is the catering model? In-house, a chosen caterer, or dry hire where you bring your own. 20 of our venues publish a per-head figure; where the venue quotes on enquiry, ask for a sample menu at your guest count.
3. What is extra? Corkage, the bar by the hour, staff beyond midnight, a second day of cleaning, the generator, the tent. The honest venues volunteer this list.
4. What are the payment terms? Deposit, instalments, the balance date, and what is refundable if the wedding moves. Spanish contracts commonly take a deposit of 20 to 30 percent and the balance before the day.
5. Is VAT included? IVA in Spain is 21 percent on most venue services. A quote "plus IVA" is a fifth higher than it reads.
The stay
6. What is the minimum stay, and is it per booking or per bed? 33 of our venues ask for two nights or more. A minimum per booking means the house is yours whether or not every bed is used.
7. Which rooms are which? Ask for the room list and where you would put your parents. "Sleeps 28" can be 28 in one house or 20 and a cottage down the lane.
8. Where does everyone else sleep? The nearest hotels, how far, whether the venue has rates with them, and what the taxi situation is at two in the morning.
The day
9. What are the licensed music hours, outdoors and indoors? 19 of our venues state no curfew. For the rest the municipality sets the hours, and the indoor room often has later ones than the terrace.
10. Where does dinner go if it rains, and how many does it seat? The indoor capacity is usually lower than the headline figure. See the room.
11. What time can the ceremony start in summer? At most Spanish venues, after 6pm in July and August, because of the heat and the light. Plan the day backwards from that.
12. Is it exclusive, for every night? 53 of our venues state full exclusivity. Confirm it covers the arrival night and the morning after, not only the wedding day.
13. Can we bring our own suppliers? Some venues have a list; some insist on it. Ask about the photographer, the band, the florist and the planner separately.
14. What happens the day before and the day after? Can you set up the night before, and when must you be out? A welcome dinner and a Sunday lunch need the venue to say yes to both.
The paperwork
15. Can the legal ceremony happen here, and who officiates? 19 of our venues state they are licensed for marriage. For a foreign couple the civil route depends on residency; the legal guide explains why most hold a symbolic ceremony and marry at home.
16. Does the venue hold the licences for the event? Sound, occupancy, a bar licence if the venue sells drinks. A venue that answers this at once has done many weddings.
17. What insurance does the venue carry, and what must we carry? Some ask for the couple's own event insurance; most European policies cover it cheaply.
The people
18. Who is our contact on the day? A named person who will be there, not an office.
19. How many weddings of our size did you host last season? The single most revealing answer a venue gives.
20. Can we speak to a couple who married here? The good ones say yes without hesitating.
Every venue page on this site carries the facts the venue publishes; name a venue in an enquiry and we put the rest of these questions to it with you. The cost guide gives the numbers behind question one, and the accommodation guide the ones behind six to eight.
Questions couples ask us
What is the most important question to ask a Spanish wedding venue?
What the price includes. Of the 55 venues we list, 27 state that their from-price includes nights on the estate and 14 that it includes food and drink, while others quote the venue for the day with everything on top. Two quotes with the same number can describe completely different weddings; the scope is the question.
Do Spanish venues have music curfews?
Some do and some do not, and it is the venue's municipality that decides. 19 of the 55 venues we list state no curfew or no music curfew on record. Always ask for the licensed hours in writing, and ask whether the party can move indoors after the outdoor limit.
Should we ask about the legal ceremony?
Yes, but the answer depends more on you than on the venue. 19 of the 55 state it is licensed for marriage, which matters if one of you is resident in Spain. For most foreign couples the ceremony at the venue is symbolic and the legal marriage happens at home or in Gibraltar; our legal guide explains the routes.
What should we ask about the weather?
Three things: where dinner goes if it rains and how many that room seats at tables; what time the ceremony can start in July, which at most Spanish venues is after 6pm; and whether there is shade for the drinks. Heat is the Spanish-specific risk, more than rain.
Free introductions
Tell us your guest count and your dates
We come back with the venues where the whole number works: the nights you are obliged to take, the beds you get for them, and what the food costs on top. No commission on your booking, and no fee to you.
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