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For those who want a wedding in Spain surrounded by beauty and sumptuous elegance there are few better places than Aranjuez. Situated just 40 km from Madrid on the confluence of the rivers Tajo and Jarama this spacious town has been a country retreat for Spanish royalty since the sixteenth century. It’s centrepiece is the grand Palacio Real often compared to the Palace of Versaille in Paris.
You and your fiancée might choose to travel from Madrid to this royal city on the unique steam driven Tren de la Fresa (Strawberry Train). On board they will be served Aranjuez strawberries by staff dressed in period costume.
Checked into a local hotel they can then set about exploring the 300 hectares (740 acres) of gardens. The Island Garden is an especially beautiful spot as is the Prince's Garden, with its network of shaded footpaths. These same gardens inspired one of the most famous concertos of all time, Joaquin Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuéz. Rodrigo described his concerto as capturing "the fragrance of magnolias, the singing of birds and the gushing of fountains” (the second movement was adapted by Miles Davis in his Sketches of Spain album in 1960, his version in turn becoming a jazz standard).
A museum of the monarchy's leisure watercraft such as canoes and gondolas sits in the Jardín del Príncipe. 22 rooms of the Palacio Real itself are open to visitors. Highlights include the Porcelain Room and the Smoking Room with its intricately carved wooden ceiling.
On your wedding day in Aranjuéz the happy couple might choose to tie the knot in some corner of the gardens in the shade of English elms or at a local church like the porticoed Iglesia de San Antonio (St. Anthony's Church) on the arcaded Plaza Mayor. After the ceremony they can hold their reception on the outside terrace of a riverside restaurant like the one located inside the Prince Gardens or one by the River Tajo. Strawberries and asparagus the areas most famous delicacies so share them with your guests during your wedding reception in Aranjuéz.
Aranjuez is a renowned breeding ground for butterflies. They too will add their own delicate charm and colour to your royal wedding in Aranjuéz.
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