Andalusia · Spain
Wedding in Almería, Cabo de Gata, Mojácar & Vera
I’m Anna, an English-speaking wedding planner since 2010, based in Almería since 2012. I plan weddings for couples from abroad on this coast: in the Cabo de Gata natural park, in Mojácar and Vera, around Almería and in Nerja. I plan the whole weekend with you, from the venue to the last dance. Most of our weddings start at around €18,000 to €22,000 all-in, depending on guest count, venue and your wishes.
At a glance
Everything you need to know, in short
- Where
- South-east Spain, Andalusia: the Almería coast from Mojácar and Vera via Cabo de Gata to Roquetas de Mar and Almerimar, plus Nerja near Málaga
- Sunshine
- around 3,000 hours a year, only about 25 rainy days
- Season
- all year round, except August (too hot)
- Airports
- Almería, Murcia, Alicante, Málaga
- Guests
- from just the two of you up to around 300
- Planning time
- at least 9 months for full planning, coordination from 6 months
- Legal
- UK couples marry legally at home and celebrate here
- Budget
- most weddings start at around €18,000 to €22,000 all-in; planning from €4,950
- Language
- everything in English, I translate with the Spanish suppliers
The places
Where you can get married
Four areas, four moods. I don’t publish venue names here. You get the full list with photos and details after our first call. An overview of all venue types is on Destination wedding venues in Spain.
Natural park
Wedding in Cabo de Gata
Cabo de Gata-Níjar is a protected natural park: volcanic hills, hidden coves, white villages and almost no big hotels. This is where most of my venues are.
Think of a finca above Agua Amarga, a cortijo above the fishing village of La Isleta del Moro, a hotel over the bay of San José, round terraces in Los Escullos, a whole little village near Pozo de los Frailes. For couples who want nature, quiet and a beach just for themselves in the evening light.
Mojácar & Vera
Wedding in Mojácar & Vera
Mojácar is the white village on the hill above the sea, Vera and Vera Playa sit just to the north with long, flat beaches. Many British couples know it from childhood holidays, and guests find hotels and apartments in every price range.
Here I have a white beach bar on the promenade for 30 to 150 guests, with the ceremony in the sand, and a finca with a view in the hills above Mojácar, where Gabby and Sam from England got married. Plus hotels, villas and fincas around Mojácar, Vera and Garrucha.
The beach bar · Gabby & Sam’s wedding · Why British couples choose Mojácar
West of Almería
Wedding in Roquetas de Mar & Almerimar
West of Almería city lie Aguadulce, Roquetas de Mar and Almerimar: holiday towns with long beaches, a marina and golf, which many British and German visitors already know. Between Roquetas and Almerimar, at Guardias Viejas, there’s a bright white venue right above the sea for 80 to 300 guests, with a large hall as plan B.
Guests stay in hotels in Roquetas de Mar, Aguadulce or Almerimar, and come by bus on the wedding day. Good for big weddings and for guests who like a lively place, and both Almería and Málaga airport are close.
Málaga coast
Wedding in Nerja
Nerja is about 50 minutes from Málaga airport, with cliffs, small beaches and the white village of Frigiliana in the hills.
There I work with a Mediterranean villa between Nerja and Frigiliana, for small weddings of up to 40 guests: you stay together for several days, with a pool in the courtyard, and celebrate without leaving the house. Ideal if your guests fly into Málaga.
Getting here
Airports and driving times
Four airports serve this coast. Which one is best depends on where you celebrate and where your guests fly from. Driving times by car, roughly:
| Destination | Almería (LEI) | Murcia (RMU) | Alicante (ALC) | Málaga (AGP) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almería | 15 min | 2 h 10 | 2 h 50 | 2 h 10 |
| San José (Cabo de Gata) | 35 min | 2 h 15 | 3 h | 2 h 40 |
| Agua Amarga (Cabo de Gata) | 50 min | 1 h 50 | 2 h 40 | 2 h 50 |
| Mojácar & Vera | 1 h | 1 h 25 | 2 h 20 | 3 h 15 |
| Roquetas de Mar & Almerimar | 30–45 min | 2 h 30 | 3 h 10 | 1 h 45 |
| Nerja | 1 h 50 | 3 h 45 | 4 h 30 | 50 min |
Cabo de Gata & Almería: Almería airport is closest. Direct UK flights are mostly seasonal (spring to autumn); otherwise via Madrid or Barcelona, or fly to Málaga.
Mojácar & Vera: Almería, Murcia or Alicante. Alicante has flights from almost every UK airport all year, which often makes it the cheapest option for guests.
Roquetas de Mar & Almerimar: Almería (30 to 45 minutes) or Málaga (about 1 h 45), which has flights from everywhere all year.
Nerja: Málaga, without question: about 50 minutes, flights from everywhere.
Most guests hire a car at the airport. It’s the easiest way to explore, and for the wedding day we can arrange shuttles so nobody has to drive after the party.
Weather
Wedding weather by month
The Almería coast is one of the driest, sunniest places in Europe. We plan weddings all year except August, which is simply too hot. Spring and September to October are the favourites; even in winter, lunch is usually outside.
Almería, Cabo de Gata, Mojácar & Vera
| Month | Day °C | Night °C | Sea °C | Rain days | Sun hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17 | 8 | ~15 | 3 | 194 |
| February | 18 | 9 | ~15 | 3 | 191 |
| March | 20 | 11 | ~15 | 3 | 232 |
| April | 21 | 12 | ~17 | 3 | 261 |
| May | 24 | 15 | ~19 | 2 | 297 |
| June | 28 | 19 | ~22 | <1 | 325 |
| July | 30 | 22 | ~24 | <1 | 342 |
| August (no weddings) | 31 | 22 | ~26 | <1 | 315 |
| September | 28 | 20 | ~24 | 2 | 256 |
| October | 24 | 16 | ~22 | 3 | 218 |
| November | 20 | 12 | ~19 | 4 | 183 |
| December | 18 | 10 | ~17 | 3 | 178 |
Nerja & the Málaga coast
| Month | Day °C | Night °C | Rain days | Sun hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17 | 7 | 6 | 180 |
| February | 18 | 8 | 5 | 180 |
| March | 20 | 10 | 4 | 222 |
| April | 21 | 11 | 4 | 244 |
| May | 24 | 14 | 3 | 292 |
| June | 28 | 18 | <1 | 329 |
| July | 30 | 20 | <1 | 347 |
| August | 31 | 21 | <1 | 316 |
| September | 28 | 19 | 2 | 255 |
| October | 24 | 15 | 4 | 215 |
| November | 20 | 11 | 6 | 172 |
| December | 18 | 9 | 7 | 160 |
Average daytime highs and night-time lows, days with at least 1 mm of rain and hours of sunshine. Source: AEMET (Spanish state weather agency), normals 1981–2010, stations Almería airport and Málaga airport. Sea: monthly average at Mojácar Playa, rounded (seatemperatu.re).
Legal & paperwork
Is a wedding in Spain legal for UK couples?
The short answer
A Spanish civil wedding is only possible if at least one of you is legally resident in Spain. A Catholic church wedding is possible for non-residents, but it means a lot of paperwork from your parish at home and months of preparation.
What almost everyone does
You marry legally at a register office at home, often small, short and just with two witnesses. Then you celebrate here with a symbolic ceremony: in English, on the beach or at a finca, written the way you want it. On the day nobody can tell the difference, and most couples end up celebrating the Spain date as their anniversary.
England & Wales
Give notice at your local register office at least 29 days before the legal ceremony; the notice is valid for 12 months. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules, so check with your registrar.
If you still want to marry legally in Spain
Talk to me first. It depends on the town hall and on your residency, and the official information is on gov.uk under “Getting married in Spain”.
Your guests
Where your guests stay, and what they do
Accommodation: some venues have rooms for you and your closest people, at others guests book their own hotel nearby. In Mojácar and Vera there’s everything from simple apartments to four-star hotels. In Cabo de Gata there are small hotels and holiday houses, so it’s worth booking early.
A wedding weekend: most couples here don’t do one evening, they do three days. Welcome dinner, wedding day, brunch by the pool. Your guests turn it into a holiday.
Things to do: boat trips and snorkelling in Cabo de Gata, the old town of Mojácar, the Alcazaba in Almería, the film sets in the Tabernas desert, and Granada is about two hours away.
Planning & cost
How planning from home works
You don’t need to fly over to plan. We meet online, share one planning document and talk on WhatsApp. If you’d like to see venues first, I’ll show you round.
Getting to know you
A 20 to 30 minute video call. No obligation.
Venue & concept
We find the place, the style and the right suppliers.
Planning & styling
I coordinate everything. You only decide the nice things.
The wedding
I’m there from the morning until the last dance.
Most of our weddings start at around €18,000 to €22,000 all-in, depending on guest count, venue and your wishes.
Planning starts at €4,950.
Questions
What couples ask me about getting married here
What is the best time of year to get married in Almería?
We plan weddings all year except August, which is too hot. April to June and September to October are the most popular: warm, very little rain and soft evening light. July works with a late-afternoon ceremony. Winter weddings are mild and sunny, just with shorter days.
Cabo de Gata or Mojácar: which is better for our wedding?
Cabo de Gata is a natural park: quiet, wild, small venues and coves. Mojácar and Vera are holiday towns with more hotels, restaurants and life in the evening. If nature comes first, Cabo de Gata. If many guests want choice and nightlife, Mojácar. Agua Amarga is only 35 minutes from Mojácar, so you can mix.
Is a wedding in Spain legally valid for British couples?
Usually not on its own: a Spanish civil wedding needs at least one partner to be resident in Spain. Almost all UK couples marry legally at a register office at home and celebrate with a symbolic ceremony here.
Which airport should our guests fly into?
For Cabo de Gata and Almería: Almería. For Mojácar and Vera: Almería, Murcia or Alicante. For Roquetas de Mar and Almerimar: Almería or Málaga. For Nerja: Málaga. Alicante and Málaga have flights from almost every UK airport all year.
How much does a wedding in Almería cost?
Most of our weddings start at around €18,000 to €22,000 all-in, depending on guest count, venue and your wishes. My planning starts at €4,950. In our first call I’ll give you a realistic figure for your guest list.
Do you speak English?
Yes. I plan in English, German, Spanish and Polish. All calls, documents and emails are in English, and on the day I translate between you and the Spanish suppliers.
How far in advance should we start planning?
For full planning at least 9 months before, and earlier for bigger weddings. Popular dates in May, June and September go early, so the venue comes first. If you only need coordination, up to about 6 months before is fine, as long as your date is still free.
What happens if it rains?
It rarely does. Still, every wedding I plan has a plan B: a covered terrace, a marquee or an indoor space, agreed before you sign with the venue.
Can we get married on the beach?
Yes. At the beach bar in Mojácar the ceremony is in the sand, and in Cabo de Gata there are venues right above the coves.
How many guests can we invite?
Anything from just the two of you to around 300. Each venue has its own range, from intimate fincas to the venue above the sea for up to 300.
Your wedding in Spain
Shall we plan yours?
Tell me your date and roughly how many guests, and I’ll send you my brochure and a link for a 20 to 30 minute call. Most of our weddings start at around €18,000 to €22,000 all-in, depending on guest count, venue and your wishes.
Free guide
Not ready to plan yet?
Get the Wedding Weekend Experience Guide: what three days of wedding in Andalusia feel like, and a real wedding with 24 guests, costed item by item.
Free · unsubscribe any time with one click
