Wedding Guide

Late January in Madrid is crisp and mostly dry, with daytime temperatures around 3 to 12°C. Mornings are cold and bright, afternoons mild and sunny, and evenings turn cold once the sun is down. Rain is possible but uncommon, usually a couple of grey days a month.

A daytime winter wedding with a formal dress code. Women wear midi or long dresses in deeper tones, with closed shoes and a coat, wrap or stole; a small hat or fascinator is customary for the church. Men wear a dark suit in navy, charcoal or deep green, with a shirt and tie. Evening dress and black tie are not required. The ceremony takes place in a church, where covering the shoulders is appreciated.

Both hotels are on the north side of the city, close to the church and a short drive from the venue. Take whichever has a room free.

Aim to arrive as you would on a day that falls between lunch and dinner: neither hungry nor full. After the ceremony there is a long cocktail hour, and this is not a small snack before a meal but an enormous standing buffet of jamón, croquetas, seafood and more, often lasting close to two hours. Then comes a seated lunch of several courses, followed by dessert, cake and the open bar. Around midnight there is a 'recena', a second late-night spread of burgers, sandwiches or churros to keep the dancing going. There are no long blocks of formal speeches; toasts are short and spontaneous. Nothing begins exactly on time except the ceremony, which begins exactly on time. Expect to be celebrating into the early hours.

Your presence is genuinely the gift. If you are flying in, booking a hotel and taking days off to be with us, that is already more than generous, so please don't feel you need to give anything at all. For those who have asked, there is a bank account below.

No amount is expected, and no one is keeping a list. Come, eat, dance. That's all we want.