Spain does not marry like before: August, from a favorite month to a banned month

When Javier proposed to Victoria, they did not imagine the number of variables to take into account to decide the date of their link. The church or the town hall, the estate, the guests… and the date. “We wanted spring, to avoid the heat in summer, and with the communion season we ended up having to choose June”. This couple from Malaga got married on June 8, 2019.

Whether due to avoiding the high temperatures or due to other factors, August has gone from being the month with the most weddings to one in which the celebrations take a dip in the middle of the high season. In the 1970s and 1980s, around 12% of weddings were held in August, but since the 1990s, marriages have moved to other months. Since then, September and July have remained favourites, with twice as many links as August.

Thus, it can be seen how the first quarter of the year continues to fit as a low season, while August has dropped by up to five percentage points.. This means that the wedding season can last until October, which between 2020 and 2021 is positioned as the third month with the most unions (12.8%).

“When we got married, it was summer because it was when we had more vacations,” confesses Rosendo. He married Candelaria on August 14, 1982, in Tenerife. They confirm that, before, this type of decision was made in a more “distended and familiar” way.. They add that it was an easier date both for them when it came to scheduling their honeymoon, to the neighboring island of La Palma, and because of the availability of their guests, who either did not travel in summer or did so not far from the town. , and thus they could attend the ceremony and the invitation without interrupting their vacations much.

Between the marriage from Malaga and the Canary Islands there are not only decades of union, but also a difference in preferences and an evolution of what is conceived as a celebration.

The heat melts the altar

“We have noticed that the summer has emptied out because people flee from the heat,” confesses Ana Tellaeche, event organizer for the Area Sunset Restaurant in La Manga del Mar Menor.. For them, he adds, the season begins in February, and months like November or December have begun to be more interesting for couples..

Murcians are, in fact, the ones who avoid the most this month. Meanwhile, September is the most chosen by Zaragoza, Cádiz or Huesca. Regarding the winter season, Ceuta and Lugo are the ones that bet the most on January.

To this is added the mobilization of the guests. In Spain, the average number of attendees at ceremonies in 2022 was 117, according to the Essential Wedding Book, published by Bodas.net in collaboration with Esade professor Carles Torrecilla.. Although there is disparity between provinces: Murcia and La Rioja invited, on average, 164 and 162 people; twice as much as Castilla-La Mancha and Navarra.

Of course, between 2019 and 2022 the number of guests has decreased. Partly due to the impact of the pandemic. “The number of guests is reduced because the couple prefers to invite the friends and family they care about the most and with whom they have the most relationships,” confirms Cristina González, head of communication at Bodas.net.

Decide: details or date

María and Óscar discarded summer and preferred to avoid spring. In the end, they stayed with April 1, which, even though it was low season, was more suited to their needs.. What these people from Madrid were looking for was to get married as soon as possible. They got it in six months. It also happened to Victoria and Javier, from Malaga, who came to create an Excel with the requirements of their wedding to be able to align the venue and catering with the availability of the farms.. Weddings have become an event in which up to 70,000 euros can be invested per celebration. From costumes, through DJ, to analog cameras. Each service counts and adds a provider to the couple's billing list. The average cost in Spain is around 21,056 euros, according to Bodas.net.

“In days, Fridays and Sundays are the cheapest days. As for months, February and November are considering the lowest prices, although it depends on the providers,” says Maitane Bugedo, wedding planner at The Cosmopolitan Bride, a wedding planning agency that has been operating since 2019.. He adds that, to avoid having to change the desired date, couples must start organizing the event at least one year in advance..

In the end, the wedding day has ended up losing importance as how it is celebrated, how much it costs, the number of guests or if it will be possible to find a place that includes a candy bar or a 360º camera.. “You end up getting lost in the details, and the important thing is getting married,” sums up María, the Madrid bride.