Whether a church wedding or a civil ceremony, getting married is always a vital event. With more or less guests, whether more or less formal, it's always a special day, a day of reaffirmation, of shared joy, of excited looks with your partner, of family tears and knowing jokes with friends. And given this premise, the location is also important. It's important because it speaks of the bride and groom, of what they're like. And it's important because the place itself is a special guest that can make this day even more memorable. Or those days... we'll explain it to you right now.

Rather than us telling you about it, Valerie O'Donogue, who organizes weddings in Sitges for couples with a strong English accent (especially from England, Ireland, and the United States), is going to explain it to you. A local resident for years, this wedding planner transmits her love for Sitges: "It's just so easy to recommend them to get married here: it's paradise, really. The sun, the sea, the culture... Besides, Sitges has something special that that is indescribable... but that makes it unique". And she must be right, because she's not short of work either: between May and October alone she has... 22 weddings scheduled. You can see a sample of what she does and how she does it on her Instagram page.

More advantages that Sitges has to offer: the variety and quality of its hotel options ("which undoubtedly makes it easier to accommodate guests"), its proximity to Barcelona airport and the fact that it is a small town, "which means that everything can be done on foot and guests can organize their activities more comfortably". For example, one thing that couples who have a church wedding really love is being able to walk to the Sant Bartomeu and Santa Tecla Parish Church. Its location, overlooking the sea and near Sitges' old town, is another exciting factor that also adds to all the others. And a lot.

Those who opt for a civil wedding usually have the ceremony in special places, such as the Maricel Palace or enchanting farmhouses in the surroundings of Sitges. Valerie highlights this fact, "because when they think of coming to Sitges, they think of the church, which is spectacular, or unique and special venues; they don't want a conventional hall".

And as we already mentioned before, here, in Sitges, a wedding lasts several days. "Yes, of course, because when they plan their wedding, couples already do it thinking about staying here for a few days". That's why we talk about pre-wedding and post-wedding in Sitges, "which usually involves enjoying the town, its atmosphere and cuisine, as well as all sorts of activities related to leisure, culture or water sports, depending on the taste of each couple and their guests". The good thing, Valerie adds, "is that almost everyone who contacts me to help them organize their wedding in Sitges tells me the same thing: we've already been there, and we loved it". See how easy it is to say I do... in Sitges ;)

Photography: Jo Kemp