After deciding to tie the knot in July 2009 to celebrate their ten-year anniversary, Londoners Andrew and Vitali – who also have an ongoing love affair with Ibiza – chose to get married on the island. Being based in the UK meant their initial research took place online at White Ibiza, leading them directly to expert wedding planner Gemma Bowman of Ibiza Wedding.
‘It wasn’t stressful at all,’ says Andrew of the subsequent 10-month planning process. ‘Gemma was absolutely amazing. She really listened to us, she got us and she understood us right from the start. Nothing was too much trouble and her knowledge of the island helped us every step of the way.’
Finding the perfect location – a private villa overlooking the sea with sunset views, no neighbouring properties and a capacity for 70 guests - was imperative. On the road from San Jose to Cala Vadella, they discovered Paissa d'en Bernat. ‘We both jumped for joy when we saw it,’ says Andrew, ‘It was exactly what we had imagined.’
Fast-forward to the big day and at 6pm, stylishly attired guests - strictly adhering to the white dress code – descended upon the villa in excitement. Andrew and Vitali (who had previously eased pre-wedding jitters over champagne, manicures and pedicures) emerged in pale blue tailor-made ensembles, accessorised with Gucci loafers for Andrew and multi-coloured hi-tops for Vitali.
For the duration of the service – a humanist ceremony about love, togetherness and companionship conducted by Ceremonibiza’s Jon-Michel – the couple opted, non-traditionally, to face their congregation, meaning they could literally see there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. ‘What really bowled us over was we could see this wave of emotion coming from all of our loved ones,’ says Andrew. ‘It was very, very special.’
After the formalities, a cleverly devised stand-up menu – created by chef Mark Watkins of La Grande Bouffe – was served in place of a formal dinner. The first course was Ibiza-style, including tortilla, chorizos and a special ‘Bloody Gazpacho’ – a cheeky nod to Vitali’s Russian heritage in a vodka-loaded version of the traditional chilled soup. Next was a Thai-inspired course, including Pad Thai, chicken satay and a unique take on Crying Tiger beef salad, served in a Yorkshire pudding to honour Andrew’s birthplace.
Drinks were constantly flowing thanks to ultra-professional team from The Bar Ibiza, including cava, mojitos and sea breezes plus a very impressive tower of champagne goblets, which required a lesson in pouring for Andrew and Vitali before any toasts could takes place!
Much to the grooms’ initial chagrin, some low cloud cover had been lingering all morning, however, as if on some perfectly pre-arranged cue, the blazing sun dropped into view to create the most spectacular Ibiza sunset. The entire party cheered in unison and Ibiza wedding photographer Annie Peel was on hand to candidly capture the memory forever.
To keep the ‘wedding festival’ vibe alive, guests were invited back to the villa the following afternoon for a casual pool party and enormous paella. ‘It was absolutely incredible and the best time of our lives,’ Andrew says. ‘I wish we could do it all again!’
Contact details:
Gemma Bowman – Ibiza Wedding
Mark Watkins – La Grande Bouffe
Annie Peel – Annie Peel Photography
The Bar Ibiza – Mobile Bar Service
Nieves Prats Ribas – Manicurist 630 690 519
Jon Michel – Celebrant www.ceremonibiza.com