Wedding suppliers in Mallorca:what changes on an island

Finding suppliers in Mallorca from abroad has a seldom-mentioned difficulty: most weddings on the island are organised by people who do not live there. There is no shortage of suppliers, and some are excellent; what is missing is someone to ask. In your own city you know which florist is expensive and who arrives late. Here you start from scratch, before a screen.

What changes on an island

• The best teams fill up well in advance: the season is short and concentrated.
• Bringing suppliers from the mainland means a flight, lodging and a day's margin; and that team does not know the estate or the afternoon wind.
• Distances deceive: from Palma to Artà is over an hour, and across the mountains in summer, longer.
• August is not the best month: the island is full and flights at their peak. June and September give the same light with less friction.

Who works in English

If part of the guests come from abroad, this filter weighs more than the portfolio. Planners state it on their websites; in catering, music, cake and beauty hardly anyone writes it, although some have versions in other languages. That it is not stated does not mean they do not do it, but you must ask before booking.

Light decides the schedule

Choose the ceremony hour by counting back from sunset, not forward from lunchtime. These are approximate times for Palma:

Between June and October there are about two hours of difference: same estate, same schedule on paper, and in one case the couple's portraits in the last light and in the other in the dark. In the Serra de Tramuntana the sun disappears earlier behind the mountain; in Sóller or Fornalutx it may go up to half an hour sooner.

The westerly wind often arrives late in the afternoon on the west coast: it is the loveliest light and also the moment when tall centrepieces give way and the veil rebels. Ask the installer.

If the team comes from the mainland

Baleària publishes ferry routes to Mallorca from Barcelona, Valencia and Dénia. A supplier bringing equipment in a van can cross that way, or rent what they need on the island. It is worth asking which of the two they will do and when they arrive: arriving on the day of the wedding leaves no margin, while the day before does. Which vessels take vehicles depends on the route, so whoever is travelling should confirm it rather than assume.

The weather to plan for

According to AEMET, the Palma Airport station records about 411 mm of rain a year (1981-2010), with the peak in October (62 mm), followed by November (55 mm) and September (50 mm), and very little in summer. So for an autumn wedding the alternative plan affects each trade differently: Lo que esto añade a la cuenta: what it costs to get married in Mallorca.

• Flowers and decoration: what is installed under cover and what is left to the last moment.
• Music: where equipment and strings are sheltered, and whether the change of place changes the sound.
• Beauty and dressing: where the couple get ready if the courtyard of the house cannot be used.

If the ceremony is on the beach

Occupying maritime-terrestrial public domain with removable installations, or in special circumstances of intensity, danger or profitability, requires prior authorisation from the regional Coastal Service, with up to four months to resolve. The official website does not mention weddings expressly: ask your planner or the town hall what falls to each party and who handles it.

Before closing anything, in writing

• How many celebrations do you take on the same day?
• Who will attend exactly? The name hired is not always who does the work.
• Have you worked at this venue before?
• What is the plan if it rains? It must be written down.
• Do you serve in English?

The data comes from each business's own website and may have changed; confirm everything before deciding. Un solo equipo para foto y película: photo and film from one team. With an email template: outside catering and music.