Saying ‘I do’ in Mallorca is all the rage. Wedding planners have 2024 practically closed and are beginning to receive requests from couples to celebrate their wedding in 2025. “Since 2018 there has been a boom, the island has become one of the main luxury wedding destinations in Europe and, now, in the world,” says Marián Darder, founder of Pasión Eventos, with more than 200 weddings under her belt.
Social networks and the democratisation of travel have made it normal for people to want to get married in idyllic locations far from their hometown. “Americans have gone crazy about Mallorca, they love the authentic, local and relaxed luxury, which adds to our climate and our rich gastronomy,” explains Darder. And although Mallorca is an expensive place, “New York is more expensive”. The wedding planner also highlights the good flight connections: “These are people who have friends all over the world, with guests coming from Australia, Dubai, China, London… and Mallorca is a great meeting point”.
Foto: Chris and Ruth Photography. Wedding planner: Pasión Eventos.
High purchasing power
The scope of each wedding goes far beyond the celebration itself. “It is a type of tourism with a high purchasing power. They come for at least four days, sometimes more than a week, and they spend on restaurants, clothes… They are very big projects in which up to 70 people can be involved, including musicians, catering, photography, make-up, etc.”, she points out.
Patricia Mulet, founder of Ritual Mallorca, notes that getting married in Mallorca “is an absolute trend. Before, the wedding planners’ sector was very small, but now it supports the island a lot, it moves a lot of money”. After 14 years in the sector, she assures that today “Mallorca is a trend all over the world. We receive requests from South Africa, Canada, Argentina… We have everything closed for 2024 and we are already starting to receive requests for 2025”. Couples from the Philippines, Wales, Missouri, Puerto Rico or India will tie the knot under her organisation next summer and “the great majority will be three-day weddings”.
Foto: Chris and Ruth Photography. Wedding planner: Pasión Eventos.
Sea and mountains
The two wedding planners say that couples are looking to get married by the sea, but “it’s not that easy, there aren’t that many places”. One of the most sought-after locations is Sa Fortalesa, in Pollença, but renting it costs more than 100,000 euros. “So they opt for places in the Tramuntana, which is wonderful, and the days before or after they hold events in beach clubs or by the sea,” says the CEO of Pasión Eventos.
“The most expensive is not the best and the cheapest is not the worst,” explains the director of Ritual Mallorca, “each couple has a different synergy with each space and now you can get married in any place you consider to be romantic. The last wedding we had was in a winery surrounded by vineyards and it was beautiful, even the photographers were surprised by the beauty of the place, and the rental cost 3,500 euros”. Next year, she has been asked to celebrate a wedding on a mountain top. “As in everything, there are ranges, a wedding of 20 guests is not the same as a wedding of almost 400, nor is a budget of 20,000 euros the same as a budget of 200,000 euros,” she says, but “the vibe that Mallorca has, they don’t have it”.
The boom of Mallorca as a destination wedding “will pass just like the boom of getting married in Las Vegas, but we will continue to have weddings,” Mulet predicts.
Foto: Tiposnet Photography. Wedding planner: Pasión Eventos.
Religious weddings on the decline
“In recent years, religious ceremonies have dropped a lot,” says Marián Darder, and are more limited to nationals and Latin Americans with high purchasing power. According to IBESTAT data, in 2010 religious weddings accounted for 26.87% of the total (894 of the 3,327 celebrated in Mallorca) while in 2021 they only represented 8.45% (287 of 3,394).
💡 Report included in the magazine Mallorca Global Mag, autumn-winter edition 2023-2024.
Leave A Comment