Weddings in castlesand palaces near Madrid

Marrying in a castle seems a matter of taste, and in fact it is also a technical decision: stone absorbs light, courtyards behave like wells and historic halls rarely allow anything to be hung. It is worth it, but one should know what one is committing to.

Six venues within two hours of Madrid

Travel times are approximate, by road. Capacities are not listed: they depend on the layout.

Three questions that separate a good castle from a merely pretty one

• Can anything be hung? In a protected building, normally not: no fixings, no wall spotlights, no fixed structures. It affects the decoration, the lighting and even the corner for the photocall.
• How many fit under cover if it rains? The larger figure almost always includes the courtyard. The only one that matters is indoors with tables laid.
• One wedding a day or two? In a building with a single entrance, two celebrations on the same day mean two processions crossing.

What changes when working with stone

• The courtyard is a well of light: at midday it enters vertically and marks shadows under the eyes; by mid-afternoon one half is in full sun and the other in deep shade. The ceremony is placed according to where the shade falls at that hour, not according to the empty set-up.
• Historic halls have small windows and dark walls: natural light alone is not enough; one enters with one's own light.
• Pale stone outdoors at dusk is the best they offer: limestone and granite return warm light during the last twenty minutes.

A little-seen advantage

Several of these venues have rooms: Hoyuelos, Sofraga and Belle Torre. If guests come from afar, that weighs more than any budget extra and prolongs the party, where the most honest images are born. No castle usually has beds for everyone, so ask how many are held and until when.

If the ceremony is civil in a castle

A castle is a setting, not an authority: the civil ceremony is officiated by whoever the law designates, and not everyone is entitled to travel. The Civil Code names the mayor or a councillor to whom the power is delegated, a court clerk (letrado de la Administración de Justicia) and a notary freely chosen by the couple.

• First there is a prior file, opened at the Civil Registry of the home of one of the two, or with a notary.
• The notary must be competent in the place where the wedding is held: ask whether the castle falls within their district.
• Two witnesses are needed, and both must be present at the signing.

What that procedure does not make clear is whether the town council accepts officiating outside its own premises. You need to ask it directly.

Heat between thick walls

As a general rule, thick stone keeps the morning cool, but once warm it is slow to release the heat. In the Community of Madrid, AEMET warns of heat from 34 degrees in the Sierra and from 36 in the other zones; in Segovia and Ávila, from 34 in the Sistema Central and from 36 in the Meseta. Check which zone the castle belongs to.

As general advice: ask how many metres of courtyard are shaded in mid-afternoon and what covered space the castle offers for the cocktail hour if it is very hot.

If the castle is in Segovia

Several castles in this guide are in neighbouring provinces. At AEMET's Segovia station, at about a thousand metres of altitude, the average minimum is about 12 degrees in June and 8 in October. A night in stone without heating can be cold for someone arriving from the city: ask whether the hall has heating and whether there is a sheltered space for the end of the party.

Before requesting a quotation

None of these venues publishes rates. Come with comparable questions and ask for each proposal in writing, itemised.