Claire and Dan are two English sweethearts who wanted to get married outdoors- they would have loved an English country garden celebration but couldn't guarantee the weather, so they chose the island of Ibiza for their destination wedding. We love this relaxed yet elegant affair, along with the fact that it's all captured so beautifully by En Route Photography. Be sure not to miss Claire's invaluable planning advice below!

HOW THEY MET

"Since we both work in the same industry, Dan and I had been friends for around seven years before we got together at another friend's wedding. We spent the first two years of our relationship apart, as I was living in New York and Dan was in London. This led to some incredible and exotic 'first dates' as we both travel for work and were able to meet up all over the world. I think our first official date was spent at Niagara Falls, and when we arrived there was a huge fireworks display happening over the Falls. I was already smitten! We got engaged a few years later after I moved back to London. We were in a private jet flying over Sri Lanka, so Dan couldn't get down on one knee. I think we surprised the pilots as I let out a little scream when he pulled out the ring! Nevertheless, the pilot took our picture as we were the first couple of get engaged in his plane. Although while he was doing this we were a bit nervous as he turned around to take our picture, rather than fly the plane!

DECIDING ON THE DESTINATION

We wanted to get married outdoors and would have loved an English country garden wedding but couldn't guarantee the weather, so we opted for Ibiza where our very good friends had a spectacular villa with incredible views and gardens. It was Ibiza but not as many people imagine the island. We were in the north, up in the hills and surrounded by greenery, cedar trees and the bright blue sky. It was a really magical atmosphere and the villa itself was stylish but relaxed and had a family home feel which was perfect for our day. We wanted to create a relaxed atmosphere, almost as though you're at a friend's home.

CHALLENGES

Our caterer decided that he wanted to stay in the Caribbean and not do our wedding, so there was a last minute scramble to find someone. Luckily Amanda (our planner) was very used to saving the day and she found an incredible chef who actually made better suggestions and we had a brilliant, authentic Ibizan wedding breakfast.

THE WEDDING DAY

We went for an Ibizan Country Garden theme. I really wanted to feature the incredible greenery around the villa and so we incorporated local succulents and cedar into the decoration. I wanted to keep the colour scheme soft and delicate so we added David Austin roses in soft peach with some off white Avalanche roses and soft pink Astilbe and eucalyptus. We used Amanda Blanche from Hidden House as our wedding planner. She was an absolute god send, particularly as she was on the island and we were based in London. So having that local expert was vital. She also ensured that we got the very best prices, and were exposed to very limited 'wedding tax'!

BEST DECISION

We have many favourite moments, but I think for me, my Mum's speech was really the best. My Dad was unable to attend, so my Mum gave her version of the Father of the Bride's speech. She was really nervous, but did not need to be. She was so funny, emotional and heartfelt. There wasn't a dry eye in the house! We also decided to get an ice cream van to come to the villa at 10pm, so we were all eating ice cream and dancing in the pool well into the night!

ADVICE

Take your time and sleep on any big decisions. I rushed a few decisions that I would have changed nearer the time, because my tastes changes over the year that I spent planning. Also, I know it's a cliché, but I hardly spent any time with my husband! There are very few pictures of us together; we were so busy making sure everyone else was having a good time. This is a big regret. Make sure you take time out for each other, look into each other's eyes and take a deep breath. You did it! All of the planning has led you to this incredible day and you need to savour it as much as you can!

Also, if you're planning an outdoor wedding, have a plan B location. We were incredibly lucky that our wedding missed some of Ibiza's worst storms which hit the day after our wedding! If they'd hit on the day, we wouldn't have had a wedding. So, even if you're in a hot country it's always better to have a contingency plan than to have regrets."

Photography: En Route Photography | Wedding Planner: Amanda Blanch at Hidden Bar | Videography: Clarke Romaro | Ceremony & Reception Venue: Private Villa, Calle San Vincente | Flowers: Floral Dreams Ibiza | Catering: Sabor | Cake: Harriet's Cakes ([email protected] | Dress: L e Spose di Gio | Suit: Scotch & Soda | Bridesmaid Dress: Etsy | Shoes: Nicolas Kirkwood | Groomsmen: Acne | Stationery: Paperless Post | Car Hire: Vintage Bus Co | Hair Stylist: Ryan Desarlais | Makeup: Anton Denver ([email protected])