Maritess De Ocampo

Son Marroig’s marble pavilion overlooking the Balearic Sea has made it one of Mallorca’s most sought-after wedding locations.

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Son Marroig Mallorca

Marbee Shing Go

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:958.667px;display:block" width="958.667"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780578468715Mallorca 5_son marroig.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:958.667px;display:block;height:auto" width="958.667"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Son Marroig’s marble pavilion overlooking the Balearic Sea has made it one of Mallorca’s most coveted wedding locations </em></span></span></span></div><p>There are places you visit, and then there are places you begin imagining stories in. Mallorca turned out to be the latter.</p><p>This month, a group of Philippine wedding creatives traveled to the Spanish island as part of a familiarization trip organized by the Spain Tourism Board in partnership with Essentially Mallorca, a private association that brings together some of the island’s leading hotels, venues, hospitality groups, and experience providers.</p><p>The project also forms part of a larger collaboration between <em>Let’s Celebrate Expos</em> and Turespaña (Spain Tourism Board) aimed at introducing Filipino couples and the local celebrations industry to Spain’s growing appeal as a destination for weddings, honeymoons, and milestone gatherings. More from the trip, along with participating destinations, venues, and suppliers, will be showcased during <em>Let’s Celebrate Expo 2026</em> on July 18 to 19 at SPACE at One Ayala.</p><p>The trip offered a chance to look beyond Mallorca’s postcard-perfect scenery and understand why more wedding professionals are paying attention to the island.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:959px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780578619516Mallorca 1.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>The Philippine delegation (clockwise from left) Marbee Go, Kris Gids, Angelo Patrimonio, Jasmine Maierhofer, Kevin Lapeña, Berg Go, Teddy Manuel, Chet Ramos and Teena Barretto join Mallorca-based floral stylist Paula Rooney </em></span></span></span></div><div><strong>Looking Through a Different Lens</strong></div><p>What made the trip particularly interesting was seeing Mallorca through the eyes of people whose careers revolve around creating experiences for others. Over the course of the week, a clearer picture emerged of why Mallorca has become a sought-after destination for weddings and celebrations.</p><p>Beyond its coastline and postcard views, the island offers something many modern couples are looking for: authenticity.</p><p>Historic estates sit comfortably alongside luxury hotels. Family-owned properties remain deeply connected to the land around them. Food, hospitality, architecture, and local culture are not presented as separate experiences but as part of everyday life. For wedding professionals accustomed to evaluating destinations through the lens of guest experience, atmosphere, and storytelling, those details matter.</p><p>As the group moved from coastal resorts and centuries-old fincas to gardens, vineyards, and private estates, a common thread emerged. Mallorca doesn’t rely on spectacle. It leaves an impression through its heritage, hospitality, and confidence in its own identity.</p><p>For Jesus Cuartero, president of Essentially Mallorca, that balance is precisely what makes the island distinctive. “Mallorca has something very difficult to replicate today: authenticity combined with excellence,” he says. “People are increasingly looking for places with character, culture, and emotional connection. That is where Mallorca stands apart.” It was a sentiment that surfaced repeatedly throughout the trip.</p><div><strong>Designing Within the Landscape</strong></div><p>One of the recurring themes throughout the week was that great celebrations are rarely about a venue alone. For internationally recognized event stylist Teddy Manuel, inspiration came quickly at The St. Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort. A tunnel-like pathway covered in bougainvillea immediately caught his attention.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:959px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780578808875Mallorca 4.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Event stylist Teddy Manuel creates a tablescape beneath bougainvillea-covered arches at The St. Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort</em> </span></span></span></div><p>“You fly to Mallorca for a wedding site inspection and suddenly find yourself designing beneath arches of bougainvillea overlooking the Mediterranean,” Teddy says with a laugh. One of Mallorca’s most established addresses for weddings and celebrations, the resort sits quietly along the coast with grand terraces, manicured gardens, sea views, and intimate corners that already feel like ceremony backdrops waiting to happen. “We found the perfect corner tucked beneath the bougainvillea arches for this romantic tablescape,” Teddy shares. “Layers of white calla lilies, peonies, and allium created a clean sculptural look against the warmth of the stone walls and the soft Mallorca light.” The flowers came fresh from a visit earlier that day to local floral supplier Fornés Group.</p><p>For Teddy, the experience reinforced something he often tells his students and fellow creatives. “It’s not only about the venue,” he says. “It’s about discovering spaces that already tell a story before the flowers even arrive.” It was an observation that surfaced throughout the trip. The best spaces already have a strong sense of identity. Design simply helps bring it forward.</p><div><strong>Places With Stories to Tell</strong></div><p>Throughout the trip, certain venues stood out not because they were extravagant, but because they felt rooted in their surroundings. Son Marroig, perched dramatically above the Balearic Sea, was one of them. The historic estate is known for its marble pavilion overlooking the coastline, and standing there, it becomes easy to understand why it has become one of Mallorca’s most sought-after wedding locations. Then there is Jardines de Alfabia. The centuries-old estate combines gardens, fountains, shaded walkways, and traces of Mallorca’s Moorish past. It feels less like a venue and more like a place that has evolved naturally over generations. The appeal of Mallorca is perhaps best understood by people who chose not just to visit, but to stay.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:958.667px;display:block" width="958.667"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780580182516Son Marroig Receptions.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:958.667px;height:auto" width="958.667"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>The reception lawn at Son Marroig overlooks the Balearic Sea, offering couples and guests a front-row seat to one of Mallorca’s most iconic coastal views</em></span></span></span></div><p>Paula Rooney, an international floral stylist originally from the United Kingdom, eventually made Mallorca her home. A longtime friend and collaborator of Teddy Manuel, she has spent years designing celebrations across the island and working with couples from around the world. “Mallorca stole my heart with its breathtaking scenery, beautiful coastline, and peaceful rhythm of life,” Rooney says. “I love that we still experience the seasons here, and the island feels inspiring and full of beauty all year round.” What continues to set the island apart, she says, is the kind of celebrations it attracts.</p><p>“I also love how Mallorca attracts people from all over the world for multi-day weddings and unforgettable experiences. Couples come with creativity and intention, which allows me to design weddings that feel immersive, emotional, and truly special.” Her perspective reflects how destination weddings themselves are evolving. Increasingly, couples are looking beyond the wedding day itself. They want shared experiences, meaningful travel, and opportunities for family and friends to spend time together.</p><div><strong>A Different Kind of Hospitality</strong></div><p>Another memorable stop was Can Simoneta, a secluded property on the quieter side of the island. Unlike larger resorts, Can Simoneta has just 26 rooms spread across a sprawling coastal estate. For Carol Cardero, who handles marketing for the property, that scale is intentional.</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:959px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780579167056Mallorca 3.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Can Simoneta offers a quieter side of Mallorca, combining privacy, heritage, and personalized hospitality overlooking the Mediterranean</em></span></span></span></div><p>“This is a family business. We are 100 percent Mallorcan,” she explains. “Everything you see here is heritage protected by generations of the same family.” Originally a family holiday home, the property evolved into one of Mallorca’s most exclusive boutique hotels while maintaining a strong connection to the land around it. “We want to protect the land and keep it as it is,” Cardero says. The philosophy felt consistent with much of what the group encountered across Mallorca: a respect for heritage, place, and continuity. For couples seeking privacy, intimacy, and a wedding experience far removed from mass tourism, places like Can Simoneta reveal another side of Mallorca—quieter, more secluded, and deeply connected to the island’s identity.</p><div><strong>More Than a Wedding Day</strong></div><p>Global wedding planner Teena Barretto saw the island through a planner’s lens. Working between Manila and Los Angeles, and recently recognized among New York’s top event industry power players, she regularly produces destination celebrations for clients around the world. “What drew me to Spain was its character and warmth,” she says. “Mallorca, in particular, felt layered with soul, history, and emotion — the kind of destination that immediately inspires storytelling.” She points to Cap Rocat and Son Marroig as examples of places that are difficult to replicate elsewhere. “A cliffside wedding within a restored military fortress is not something you simply recreate elsewhere,” she says of Cap Rocat. “It feels cinematic, immersive, and unforgettable.”</p><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:959px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780579109976Mallorca 2.jpg" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner"><em>Once a military fortress, Cap Rocat is now one of Mallorca’s most distinctive venues for weddings and celebrations </em></span></span></span></div><p>She was equally drawn to Can Simoneta, with its sweeping ocean views, quiet presence, and deeply personal service. A welcome dinner. A day by the sea. A wedding celebration. A farewell brunch. Guests don’t simply attend the wedding. They spend time together. And sometimes, that becomes the most memorable part.</p><p>As Chet Ramos of Spain Tourism Board explains, Mallorca continues to resonate with travelers because it offers a balance that is becoming increasingly difficult to find. “We chose Mallorca because it offers romance, exclusivity, and timeless beauty,” Ramos says. “Whether couples dream of exchanging vows overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, celebrating surrounded by rich culture and historic charm, or embracing the intimate elegance of a countryside finca, Mallorca brings every vision to life in one destination. It’s a place where weddings feel deeply personal and luxurious, while naturally flowing into the perfect honeymoon escape. Couples and their guests experience not just an event, but an unforgettable trip together.”</p><div><strong>What Mallorca Gets Right</strong></div><p>Yet what lingered most after the trip wasn’t necessarily a particular venue or view. It was a perspective. That became clearest during a visit to Aubocassa, a working olive estate known for producing some of Mallorca’s finest olive oil. The property is elegant, but not in an obvious way.</p><p>As Tiffany Blackman of Aubocassa put it, Mallorca is about “austere elegance.” “It’s not about showing it,” she said. “It’s about feeling it.”</p><p>Perhaps that is what resonated most with the creatives on this trip. Not just the scenery. Not just the venues. But the sense that Mallorca knows exactly what it is. And in an industry often drawn to what is bigger, grander, and more spectacular, there is something refreshing about a destination that doesn’t feel the need to prove itself.</p><p>Sometimes, a strong sense of place is enough.</p><div><em>Cathay Pacific flies to Madrid four times a week via Hong Kong.</em></div><div><em>All photos courtesy of Let&#x27;s Celebrate Expo.</em></div>

<p>What happens when leading Filipino wedding creatives explore Mallorca? From historic estates to cliffside venues, the Spanish island revealed why it is becoming a sought-after destination for weddings and celebrations.</p>

What happens when leading Filipino wedding creatives explore Mallorca? From historic estates to cliffside venues, the Spanish island revealed why it is becoming a sought-after destination for weddings and celebrations.

Why Mallorca is emerging as one of Europe's sought-after wedding destinations

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Why Mallorca is emerging as one of Europe's sought-after wedding destinations

Marbee Shing Go

Published June 04, 2026 09:26 PM PHT

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Updated June 04, 2026 09:37 PM PHT

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Mallorca

Mallorca Spain

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