A Solar Eclipse Wedding at Hacienda Na Xamena: Pink Bridal Glam in Ibiza
Some weddings stay with you for all sorts of reasons, and Nigara's was definitely one of them.
Nigara and her husband have always loved solar eclipses. He's a space engineer who works for NASA, so when they started planning their wedding, they looked at the path of the August 2026 eclipse and followed it all the way to Ibiza.
That search led them to the incredible Hacienda Na Xamena, perched high on the cliffs in the north of the island. They chose August 12th for their wedding so the eclipse could become part of the celebration itself.
I first met Nigara the year before her wedding and we clicked straight away. By the time August came around we'd got to know each other so well that she invited Will and me to join the wedding celebrations. So after getting her ready, I eventually got to put my brushes down, get changed and come back as a guest. Definitely not my average working day.
Changing the Bridal Look
Something I always tell my brides is that you're allowed to change your mind.
When Nigara and I first created her bridal look the year before, we'd gone fairly natural. By the time the wedding arrived, her ideas had completely evolved.
Pink was everywhere.
The dress code was pink, the girls were dressed across different shades of pink and Nigara decided she wanted her makeup to have much more of that colour and energy too.
We created a warm pinky-brown eye, building it into a stronger pink and adding a beautiful pink shimmer from one of my Dior palettes. Her skin had good coverage but still had that glowing finish I love, with plenty of shimmer on the cheeks and a soft pink lip finished with Fenty Gloss Bomb in Fussy.
"Pink bridal eye makeup" can sound quite full-on when you say it out loud, but it worked beautifully. It tied into the whole feel of the wedding without looking themed, and most importantly, Nigara absolutely loved it.
Bridal Hair That Could Handle the Ibiza Heat
Nigara has gorgeous, thick, textured Asian hair and really wanted to wear it down for the wedding.
August in Ibiza was absolutely roasting, so keeping those waves looking beautiful meant putting some serious work into the prep.
I blow-dried her hair using Color Wow Dream Coat, then worked with Schwarzkopf Silhouette wet hairspray and Fudge anti-humidity hairspray to give the style the best possible chance against the heat and humidity.
We finished everything with ONE/SIZE shimmer spray and little pearl details through her hair.
The finished look was absolute goddess vibes. Shimmering, textured waves with pearls catching the light, and considering the heat and her natural hair texture, those waves held incredibly well.
This is exactly why hair prep matters so much for an Ibiza wedding. It's not just about creating a beautiful hairstyle in the chair. I have to think about your individual hair texture, the weather, where you're getting married and what your hair needs to survive for the rest of the day.
A Wedding Built Around the Eclipse
Once Nigara was ready, she and her husband had their first look followed by the ceremony at Hacienda Na Xamena.
At around 8pm, everyone made their way upstairs for cocktail hour, and that's when Will and I joined them.
Then we all watched the eclipse together.
There was something pretty surreal about standing on the cliffs of Ibiza with Nigara and her husband, surrounded by all their fabulous friends, watching the thing that had helped bring their wedding to the island in the first place.
They'd followed the eclipse to Ibiza and built this incredible celebration around it. Now here we all were, cocktails in hand, watching it happen.
Then came dinner, dancing and a very good Ibiza night.
The Day After
And apparently one bridal look wasn't enough.
I was back with Nigara the following day to get her ready for a photoshoot. After experiencing just how hot it had been on the wedding day, this time we decided the hair was going up.
I loved that she ended up with two completely different looks. She got the romantic hair-down moment she'd wanted for the wedding, then we could have some fun with something different for the shoot the next day.
It's a good reminder that there isn't one "correct" bridal look. Your dress, your hair, the setting, the weather and simply how you want to feel all come into it.
More Than Just a Wedding Morning
Getting invited to Nigara's wedding meant a lot to me.
One of my favourite things about doing bridal hair and makeup in Ibiza is getting to know my brides properly. It starts long before the wedding morning. There are messages, trials, ideas, changes of mind and all the little conversations in between.
Sometimes, apparently, it ends with Will and me standing on a clifftop drinking cocktails with a NASA space engineer while we all watch a solar eclipse.
I'll take that.
Nigara's wedding had everything: Hacienda Na Xamena, an island dressed in August sunshine, a sea of pink, pearl-studded waves, shimmering makeup, a solar eclipse and a brilliant group of people who made us feel incredibly welcome.
It's one I'll remember for a very long time.
Ruthie's Tip
If you're planning to wear your hair down for an August wedding in Ibiza, tell your stylist exactly how your hair normally behaves in heat and humidity.
Hair texture makes a huge difference to the products and preparation I'll use. Nigara's thick, textured hair needed serious humidity protection, but with the right prep we were still able to give her the beautiful waves she'd pictured for her wedding day.
Your dream hairstyle doesn't automatically have to disappear because it's August in Ibiza. It just needs a plan.
