Medieval weddings are becoming more and more popular for couples who want to do something different for their wedding, especially when it’s a destination wedding in Spain. But we know how difficult it can be to achieve the right wedding atmosphere and find the perfect outfits not only for the couple but also for the guests. Especially if you live abroad and need to find outfits in Spain!
Therefore, we wanted to make the search easier by interviewing the three best companies for renting and selling medieval wedding costumes in Spain. We spoke with Antonio Martín Calabuig, manager of Calabuch Costumes, Maty, and Juan Pablo Ultrillas Hernandez, from Medieval Factory.
They told us all about their work, and how the process of buying and selling costumes works, their timings, and much more. We can also see some of their catalogue. Let’s do this!
Tell us what your work consists of. How did you get the idea to start this business?
Antonio Martín Calabuig: Calabuch Costumes offers scenic costumes available to rent for all types of events. We place special emphasis on professional sectors, aiming for shows and audiovisual productions, theatres, advertisements, photo shoots, television series, short films and film productions.
It all began when we were searching for an old fashioned costume store in the centre of Madrid. We considered marketing, clientele, business prospects and facilities, in order to change global vision. This happened almost 20 years ago now, and it allowed us to witness a centennial project.
Maty: This company was created in 1943 and it’s very well known in the fields of dance and theatre. Over time, we have adapted to the needs and desires of our clients, amplifying our comercial lines with a big variety of products related to flamenco and the sale of costumes for Carnival, Halloween and Christmas. Through this, we have been expanding and specializing in the Medieval Times, seeking to satisfy our customers with a variety of designs, qualities and prices.
Juan Pablo Ultrillas Hernandez: Since the end of the 90s, we started organising medieval dinners which have proven popular all over Spain, mainly in medieval fairs, castles, musical groups, etc. Soon we needed to make costumes for these dinners, so we started to make our own clothes. From then on, we made more and more costumes for these medieval fairs, until they asked us to make our first wedding outfits.
Hosting dinners and making costumes, it didn’t take long for a couple to ask us to organise their medieval wedding, which at this point starting to become more and more popular. Since then, we have celebrated more than 500 weddings and medieval events all over Spain.
What type of costumes do you have?
Antonio Martín Calabuig: We have clothes from every different era imaginable, fantasy clothes, themed clothes, characters from collective imagination known to all, military uniforms, professional clothes, regional costumes, academic costumes, and a wide range of dolls. Although we offer clothes for children, we have a much wider variety of options for adults.
With regard to medieval costumes, for men the most high demand would have to be a medieval knight, where there are distinct models like that of a knight. Noble suits are also a highly sought after option for both men and women. Ladies can choose a simpler and more fluid dress, perfect for summer events, or they have the option of heavier material costumes with lots more decorations. Within the medieval theme, there is a wide range of clothing that customers can choose from. There are those who choose to go for a peasant look, some seek the originality of a jester costume, those who prefer to go as representatives of the church, etc.
Maty: In our shop and online, you can find numerous costumes such as medieval costumes, always offering the customer the chance to choose what fits their interests best. We offer costumes for infants and adults, and a large amount of accessories that will make you stand out and complete your look.
Also, having our own workshops gives us the option to make custom-made suits, the client will be assessed by our design and preparation team and can choose their own fabrics, pattern and make the amendments that they want, so they are able to have an outfit that is unique to their tastes for these special moments.
Juan Pablo Ultrillas Hernandez: All of our outfits are handmade and are only ever made in Spain. They are manufactured both for adults and children in standard sizes of XS, S, M, L, XL, XXL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL, y 6XL. This is what allows us to dress everyone. We offer more than 1000 different models with different styles. Courtesans, nobles, princesses, kings, damsels, monks, templars, innkeepers, jesters, vikings, celts, Romans, characters from Game of Thrones, characters from the Lord of the Rings, characters from Vikings, etc. You could say that we’re the best medieval clothing manufacturers in Spain.
Other than costumes, is it also possible to buy and sell decorations, accessories, etc. ?
Antonio Martín Calabuig: It is indeed possible to rent accessories, above all we focus on renting big, elaborate pieces. Equally, all of our outfits are offered to customers with the full look included, for example, we include accessories, hats, belts, headdresses and coin purses; although these are small additions, they are all essential when trying to create the perfect look.
Maty: Our business is based on the sale of products, both outfits and accessories. We are constantly trying to increase our range of accessories, because we know that the public are always trying to complete their outfits with a unique and different accessory. We also sell decorative products like banners, weapons, goblets, statues and more.
Juan Pablo Utrillas Hernandez: Yes, we rent all different types of accessories which can be used to decorate events, weddings, castles and parties.
We can cover every element of both interior and exterior decoration in order to make the most of the space that is available, from table linens, to medieval cutlery, plates and glasses, to banners, to armor, to shields, to lighting, to thrones, and more. Furthermore, we can organise every type of medieval film and game (lights, archery, falconry, medieval dancing, etc.). Also we can install different types of medieval marquees and tents, for markets, camps, or simply for a wedding banquet.
Currently, we have developed decorative and themed elements in series and movies, which allows us to be one of the few companies in Spain that can plan a wedding or event with themes such as Game of Thrones, Vikings, Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings.
What type of clients do you usually contact?
Antonio Martín Calabuig: It ranges from professional theatrical clients, to film or television, most of which we been in contact with in the past, to institutional targets such as corporate event clients, to event agencies or institutions that order mountains from us in the lead up to christmas, because of the three wise men. Equally, we work with individuals, where themed weddings, specifically medieval-inspired ones, have a very prominent role.
Maty: We serve all different kinds of clients in our shop, from fans to medievals, or people who are going to celebrate their wedding but do not want a traditional ceremony. And of course, all of the brides who come searching for a wedding dress find what they are looking for in our workshops.
Juan Pablo Utrillas Hernandez: Mainly couples and other events companies that want to create a special theme for their clients. We also work with historical recreation specialists, museums, castles, Templar associations, roleplay groups, and more. 
How does renting and selling medieval weddings outfits work?
Antonio Martín Calabuig: Rental costs always depend on the outfit that’s being rented or if they want extra accessories that are not added to the outfit without a supplementary fee. However, the standard price to rent for three days, which is the pre-established period that we work with, should cost between 70-120 euros. We also offer couples the option of creating their own medieval outfit for their wedding, tailored to their liking in our workshop. This option is good for renting and buying, however renting is slightly more economical.
Maty: As we have already mentioned, we do not make rentals. But we can offer a wide range of costumes of all prices, ranging from 16 euros up to whatever a person wants to invest in a custom made costume. Our lines offer a wide variety of designs and although sometimes buying an item like this seems like you’ll only wear it once, from our customers experience, once they have them they end up using these dresses in medieval markets and different historical events from the Middle Ages.
Juan Pablo Utrillas Hernandez: While costume rental is starting to disappear because it is becoming cheaper to buy it, we can rent our costumes for days or weekends. The cost of every outfit depends on the outfit selected, starting at 29 euros for more simple models, up to 60 euros in order to recreate a medieval knight with armor. Our customers simply enter our website and place the order as if they were purchasing a product, they choose a model, color, size, and from there the outfit is sent on the requested date and collected after the client tells us the date they want to return the item.
How far in advance should our couples contact you if they want to have a medieval themed wedding and rent/buy various outfits?
Antonio Martín Calabuig: A month in advance is a sensible amount of time to do outfit checks and reserve the necessary items of clothing. It is also a suitable amount of time if we need to make any amendments to an outfit in the workshop in order to tailor it to the client.
Maty: We recommend that you contact us at least two months in advance, so that we have time to order an outfit from our suppliers, or make it to order.
This is because we always strive for customer satisfaction, something that requires previous experience in choosing fabrics, manufacturing in workshops, design tests and final retouching.
Juan Pablo Utrillas Hernandez: Because we have a lot of experience and a big team of professionals, we are able to organise a wedding just 15 days in advance. However, on average, we are given 3-6 months or up to a year in advance. It’s important to emphasise that a medieval wedding requires much more organisation and coordination than a traditional wedding. This is because they offer a wide range of extra activities that a traditional wedding cannot offer, such as recreation of the medieval link, medieval musicians, juggling shows, medieval games, dances, archers, sword fights, falconers, horse shows, and much more.
Organising all of this along with catering, a mountain of tents, ambient decorations, films, music, games, etc. really requires thorough preparation and demands perfect coordination in every area of the event so that the day of the celebration goes perfectly and is unforgettable for the couple.
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If you are thinking about celebrating your wedding in Spain and you’re searching for something original, don’t forget to visit these companies websites which specialise in outfits for medieval weddings and offer a large catalogue in order to ensure that you have the wedding of your dreams!
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