Garden weddings in Ibiza

An Ibiza garden isn't an English lawn. It is a dry Mediterranean garden of olive, carob, fig and citrus trees, with lavender, rosemary and bougainvillea, often on old stone terraces. Some venues add green lawns and pergolas; others keep the orchard as it is. Old trees give natural shade for a ceremony, which matters in summer.

Most garden ceremonies are symbolic, led by a celebrant, with the legal marriage done at home. That means you can hold it under any tree the venue allows. Our symbolic ceremony guide explains how it works.

The romantic palette is soft: blush, ivory, sage green, dusty rose and lavender. Flowers are loose and layered. Garden roses are the base from May to October; lisianthus and delphinium fill out summer arrangements. Peonies are at their best from April to June, and sweet peas and stock suit a spring date.

Scent is part of the style. Jasmine flowers in summer, and lavender from May to July. Olive, rosemary and fig leaves make greenery that copes with heat. Many cut flowers come from mainland Spain, so ask your florist which stems are local in your month.

• Agroturismo Atzaró, near Sant Llorenç, has three ceremony settings, the Olive Garden, Ceremony Garden and Spa Pool Garden, on a 13-hectare estate of orange groves. Dinner seats 225 in the glass pavilion and up to 450 with the gardens.
• Can Lluc, a rural hotel near Sant Rafel, holds the ceremony at El Bambú facing pine forest and dinner in a wooded garden among old trees, with a glass-walled lounge for about 110.
• Juntos House, in Sant Mateu, has a lavender garden for long tables and an olive-tree ceremony spot for about 80.
• Aubergine by Atzaró, a finca restaurant near Santa Gertrudis, has gardens, terraces and pergolas for about 150.
• Can Domingo, near Sant Josep, has gardens and terraces under a 100-year-old olive tree, looking over the valley, for 15 to 230 guests.
• Petunia Ibiza, above Cala Carbó, has a ceremony garden, Es Jardí, facing Es Vedrà for up to 120, in grounds of olive trees, rosemary, palms and lavender.

Long tables under trees, dressed in linen with low, loose flowers and lots of greenery, are the classic garden layout. Vintage chairs, bentwood or cross-back, suit the romantic look. A ceremony arch of greenery and roses, or simply a pair of large urns, frames the couple without hiding the trees.

Light is what makes a garden romantic after dark. Festoon bulbs between branches, candles in glass along the tables, and soft uplighting on tree trunks create depth. Ask the venue where power points are, as old orchards often have few.

Garden weddings suit a "summer smart" or "garden party" dress code: light suits, floral or pastel dresses and hats for a daytime ceremony. Lawns and gravel catch thin heels, so suggest block heels. A wrap helps in May and October, when nights fall to about 15 °C to 17 °C.

Season shapes a garden more than any other style. The countryside is greenest in spring; by August the island is dry and the light is hard. July and August average highs of about 30 °C at Ibiza airport (AEMET), and inland valleys can be a few degrees warmer by day. Start a summer ceremony after 19:00, in the shade.

Rain returns in autumn: 57 mm in September and 58 mm in October on average, often as short storms, so book a venue with a covered plan. Garden venues are usually near woodland, and from 1 May to 15 October fire within 500 m of it needs authorisation under Decree 125/2007; agree candles with the venue. See seasons and weather and rules and permits.