August temperatures in Madrid typically range between 70-90°F (or 21-32°C). The mornings and evenings are generally cooler, with the sun heating up the city during the day. Edit: Madrid is facing a heatwave 🥵 and temperatures are ranging from 72 (in the early morning) to 98 degrees midday. The weather is dry, so it doesn’t seem as intense as humid New York, but you might want to incorporate more pit stops for Sangria into your itinerary 😅
Tipping is not the norm for most Spaniards, though if they are extremely pleased with the service, they likely to leave a euro or two. However, nothing is expected.
Even though Madrid is a large city, it is super walkable. The subway system is also very effective and safe. Uber is also widely available and inexpensive.
A shuttle bus will transport everyone the day of the wedding from a central location. The bus will also depart the wedding at various times throughout the night. More details to come.
Many people in the service industry do speak English, but don't be afraid to practice your Spanish!
When I was living in Madrid, I always got my nails done at Lisa's Nails and Beauty. Her salon is humble, but she does an AMAZING job. She also speaks English. Her Instagram is @lisasnails.madrid and she is by appointment only.
Credit cards are widely excepted (restaurants, taxis, museums, etc), but you may want to have euros handy to buy goodies on the street or in the rare case that credit card isn’t expected. You can simply use your debit card to take cash out of the ATM. Be sure to alert your bank that you’ll be traveling!