El Puig de Santa Maria municipality is made up of five major venues and an abundance of surrounding business to support the growing wedding industry. With ongoing historic intrigue and in hope of further popularity, El Puig has officially consolidated themselves into a specialized wedding destination through their “Yes, I do in El Puig” event. During this major gathering, wedding industry professionals were invited to the El Puig space to take part in multiple panels on the rapid change within the industry. Represented fields included culinary practice, hair and makeup design, boutiques, florists, and a range of event coordinators.

During the first panel, a discussion was led in focus towards social media and the gravitational pull that trends have on wedding planning. With the fashion and communication worlds both pushing coverage on wedding trends, it is becoming harder for couples to escape the itch of developing a “perfectly instagrammable” wedding. With influencers telling folks to go there and do this, certain destinations are becoming highly sought out and unoriginal, with ceremonies feeling more copy-and-paste.

The second panel was held to better understand the role which wedding planners have throughout each wedding design process. Conceptually, a wedding coordinator is hired to help straighten out the jumble of ideas a couple might have, arrange meetings through thoughtful communication, and help manage stress once the big day comes. This panel explored how wedding planners have gradually been converted into aesthetic guides and used to formulate the perfect picturesque ceremony. Professionals noted how this change has made the field more daunting, requiring consistent training in negotiation, high emotion intelligence, and improved communication, as their work can often be highly abused,

During the third panel, El Puig led a discussion on why specifically the country venue appealed to couples and how to improve. El Puig de Santa Maria holds historic charm and natural attraction which makes the venue stand out on the aesthetic front. The majority agreed that leaving event spaces open for ‘bases-by-bases’ personal interpretation maintains functional value and keeps events unique if not exclusive.

Of course, the event would not be complete without a showcase of what culinary possibility El Puig holds. Huerto de Santa Maria developed a special multi course menu inspired by “Mediterranean Love Cocktail,” local and remote specialty wines were offered, and a variety of eccentric desserts completed the meal.

In conclusion to the “Yes, I do in El Puig” event, the overall reflection was that wedding planning is not innately simple in any way. An understanding is necessary, for couples and hired professionals alike, that the process takes time and conversation. In El Puig’s consolidation as a specialized venue, it strives to reach these goals for customers and visitors moving forward, in hopes of becoming an exemplary destination for weddings in Valencia.

Report by Grace McCullagh

Article copyright 24/7 Valencia

Photo Patricia Manabamate, Sonia Puchades, Andrea Marí y Ana García Rivera at flower bouquet workshop in ‘El Puig’

Location:

El Puig de Santa Maria, 46540, Valencia