Europe Weddings

A destination wedding is probably the most romantic kind of wedding. Whisking away to a far off land with your love and your nearest and dearest to tie the knot. But as some of you may have realized, a destination wedding is not all bikinis and mai tais. Rachel Rose Weddings, Wedding Venues in Spain is here with seven fab tips to make your destination wedding absolutely perfect. (And a stunning bit of wedding inspiration to boot!)

From Rachel of Wedding Venues in Spain… To say we were excited when we discovered this beautiful riverside villa would be an understatement.  It is a picture perfect wedding venue set within a stunning valley in southern Spain.  We decided we just had to do a styled wedding shoot at the villa at our earliest opportunity so that we could show this romantic beauty off in its best light and with the andalucian sunshine that is some pretty good light!  We wanted the shoot to have a slightly whimsical feel so opted for a floating seating plan suspended by balloons (the child models had a lot of fun with this!) and vintage ceremony styling with lots of lace and pretty florals in pale pinks and greys.  The tablescapes were pure vintage chic with mercury glass centrepieces, silver chargers and elegant glassware.  We used some of our vintage furniture range for the cake table to ensure that these fabulous cakes were displayed at their absolute best.  

1. Give yourself plenty of planning time.

Destination weddings are usually booked well in advance with our own venues booking up around 18 months before the wedding date. So start planning early if you don’t want your choices limited!  Send out ‘Save the Date’ cards as soon as you can so that you can allow your guests the chance to incorporate your wedding into their annual leave.  You don’t want to leave it too late where all your guests have already booked their holidays and cannot make it to your big day.

2. Location, location, location.

With your guests needing to travel abroad for your wedding it is important to factor in the travel time and likely costs involved as there is no point in inviting all your friends and family to your fabulous event if it is going to be too difficult for them to get to or too expensive.  So check that there are good flight connections for your guests and that there is a wide range of local accommodations to suit all budgets.  You should also factor in the travel time from the airport to your wedding location and ensure that there are good transfer companies available as not everyone wants to drive abroad.

3. Remember to get help!

Planning a wedding at home can be stressful enough so please don’t think planning a wedding abroad will be any easier.  Language barriers and lack of knowledge of the area can be a real stumbling block so hire a professional wedding planner who will have a vast knowledge of the area and will provide the very best team of vendors.  I would recommend hiring a planner who also offers a décor and  styling service as you don’t want to be filling your cases up with decorations, leaving no room for your beautiful dress.  You shouldn’t have to be worrying about the logistics of your event and whether or not you have chosen a good vendor or if they will even turn up so leave this to the professionals, sit back, relax and enjoy!

4. Look after your guests.

Your wedding guests will have gone to a lot of effort and expense travelling to your wedding so it is important to make sure they feel this is appreciated and that they are well looked after but you also don’t want to end up being their personal travel agent!  We offer a dedicated Concierge Service who is the point of contact for your guests and our concierge will assist them with all their travel arrangements including airport transfers, car hire, accommodation and activities.  If your wedding planner doesn’t include this service then there are some very good free templates for building your own wedding website where you can include all necessary information for your guests and include this as a point of reference within your wedding invitations. It is also nice to provide additional events for your guests as they will usually have travelled for a long weekend or even a week so booking a good restaurant for a welcome meal before the wedding and arranging something the day after such as a relaxed brunch or pool party with a BBQ are always a good idea.  We also like the idea of having a welcome pack or welcome letter for your guests on their arrival to add a personal touch from the Bride & Groom.

5. Plan for all kinds of weather.

Weddings in Spain can be hot, very hot! So it is a good idea to make sure that your dream venue can offer some areas of shade for you and your guests to ensure that you are not all fading in the heat before the fun has even begun.  We love to offer a cooling station for our clients which includes iced water and fresh lemonade, fans and parasols, cold towels and refreshing facial mists as well as sun screens and shades.  You have decided upon a destination wedding and most likely for the weather, but this is not always as reliable as it once was.  So plan for sun but if there could be a chance of rain then you need to ensure that your venue has a contingency for inclement weather and that this would not impact your planned day too much!

6. Don’t forget to pace yourself.

If you think a destination wedding means a more relaxing time for you, think again.  You will be surrounded by your nearest and dearest for a week and they will want to spend lots of time with you having fun!  This can be quite overwhelming and exhausting and it is important to make sure you allow yourself some downtime as you don’t want to look like a zombie by the time your big day arrives.  I never advise arranging any big events for the night before the wedding and I also advise a little alone time with hubby to be.  Maybe a relaxing afternoon at the local beach club or spa and if this is not possible then try to arrange a night or two together in a lovely hotel once all your guests have left.

7. Make sure you know what’s legal!

Marrying abroad is not always straight forward so it is important to check the laws of the country you wish to marry in before booking your wedding.  In Spain, for example, you cannot legally marry unless you have been resident in the country for 2 years or you are Catholic and marry in the church. Therefore most of our couples choose to do the legal bit back home before they fly out to Spain and then have their personal wedding ceremony here performed by a minister within the grounds of our venues.

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Thank you so much for these fabulous tips Rachel! Do we have any brides planning a destination wedding? What kinds of tips are you picking up along the way? Or, if you’ve already had your destination wedding, what do you wish you would have thought about? We want to hear from you! And don’t forget to visit the gallery for the rest of this stunning shoot

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Styling & Decor: Rachel Rose Weddings | Photography: Anna Gazda | Cake: Sweet Things by Fi | Stationery: Nulki Nulks | Tableware Hire: Tucco | Flowers: Virginia Florista | Vidographer: Evergreen Productions | Venue: Casa Del Rio | Dress: Pronovias | Hair & Makeup: Lyndsey Cavanagh and Alex Harrocks

This bridal session is like the prettiest thing I have ever seen.  And I am not kidding.  It’s a breathtaking Barcelona backdrop meets a stunning Santos Costura gown meets some crazy gorgeous stylings from Belle & Chic… and you know what?  It’s all kinds of amazing.  The kind of amazing that will make you want to grab your honey, fly to Spain and shoot some serious pretty with the oh-so-talented Sansaara Photography.  See it all right here in the full gallery.

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From Sansaara Photography… The location of this bridal shoot was the historic Gothic Quarter in Barcelona, Spain. Esther Friedrich of Belle and Chic assisted on the shoot. The dress was made by rising Catalan haute couture designer Santos Costura. The styling was kept fairly clean and simple given the location, making the bride the main focus of the images.

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Photography: Bijal and A.Y. Shah of Sansaara Photography | Production Assistance + Styling: Esther Friedrich of Belle & Chic | Wedding Dress: Santos Costura | Hair + Makeup: Meritxell Seva

If you haven’t already dreamt of running off to the pretty little island of Ibiza and frolicking through the breathtaking streets with your honey, this beautiful engagement shoot captured by Be Light Photography will most definitely convince  you.  A mesmerizing look at one of the world’s most enchanting locales, it happens to be the perfect backdrop for two sweeties in love… which is exactly why this darling duo was engaged to be married amongst all the Ibiza lovely and now happily call it home. Join me in soaking in their sweet e-session and click here for sooo much more.

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From the Bride… Ibiza is an amazing place. Even though it is a small island, it will always have a special place in our hearts. In the old center of the white island of Ibiza is Dalt Vila citadel. The citadel is surrounded by blue seas and has many narrow streets, white houses and little bits of color. This is the place where we took the first step in our life together as a family: the proposal. The sweet island of Ibiza is also our home now, this is why we chose it for the photo shooting made by Dragos and Laura. This shooting is a special memory that will remain so vivid in our hearts, like everything on this island full of life. Thank you, Dragos and Laura!

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Wedding Photography: Be Light Photography | Location: Dalt Vila Citadel in Ibiza, Spain | Dress: La Donna | Shoes: Matilde

This wedding is all about the beauty of nature – kind of the perfect way to celebrate May Day, don’t you think? With a mix of peonies, mint hues and lavender sprigs a plenty fashioned by Table Art, these details really set the scene for an elegant, ethereal feel just as the Bride had envisioned. And with images captured by Alison Conklin, those Bride-to-Be musings were brought to life in the form of beautifully photographed pictures. See them all right here.

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From the Bride… I still can’t believe how magical the day was. I remember all of the details perfectly. Mike and I were elated all day and just kept asking each other if it was really happening. I felt, and still feel, like the luckiest girl to have had married my best friend that day. Mike is truly the kindest and most loving boy I know. I had no idea where to start planning for a wedding. Growing up, I was never the little girl who dreamed about her wedding day. I was out looking for frogs or playing street hockey with my brother and the neighborhood boys. I didn’t know where to even start the planning process, but it really came together and was surprisingly easy and stress-free. I went in to it open minded and excited, reminding myself what the day was about and not to get caught up in all of the wedding planning craziness!

I had no theme or particular color scheme in mind. I just went with what I love and wanted the details to reflect me as best as possible. I love nature, so I went with a lot of earthy tones and textures. I also knew I wanted to use wild flowers and incorporate herbs somehow.   I wanted it to have a serene and ethereal feel. I explained what I had in mind to my florist (Christina from TableArt) and she literally made my vision a reality. She was wonderful. I loved everything from the moss on the tables to the sprigs of rosemary in my bouquet.

I never want to forget anything about my wedding day, and I know I never will thanks to the most amazing photos I have from Alison Conklin. She captured every moment perfectly and gracefully. Not only is she so talented but she is such a pleasure to work with. I can’t imagine the day without her. She was so calming and sweet, and just amazing! There was just so much love all around the whole day. Everything was perfect – the flowers, the music, the food. The best part by far was sharing all of those special moments with our families and friends.

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Photography: Alison Conklin Photography  | Floral Design: Table Art | Wedding Planner: Rebecca Richman, Queen of Hearts | Wedding Venue: Greystone Hall | Caterer: Jeffrey Miller Catering | Stationary+ Invitations: Christina Lupo, Queen Of Hearts + Christina Carnevale, Paper Rock Scissors | Band: Barcelona | Cinematography: Aubert Films, Darrel | Cake: Jeffrey Miller + Table Art | Wedding Dress: Monique Lhuillier | Bridesmaid Dresses: J.Crew | Makeup: Kat Sterett | Hair: Jessica Pineda | Groom + Groomsmen Tux + Suits: Jos. A. Bank

I’m going to go ahead and say it, I am in love with these two. They are absolutely, unarguably adorable, and they completely won me over with their description below (which is a must read, btw). Also winning me over? The wedding of my dreams they hosted with the the help of AWOL in Granada, Spain. Yep, that’s pretty darn fabulous. Every corner you turn of this well thought out fête is perfectly styled, right down to their guest list – who all happen to look straight out of the movies. Long story short, this is one you can’t miss, and thanks to Andi Hatch Photography, you don’t have to. See it all here.

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From the Grooms… Once upon a time in a land far, far away, where matadors are kings and gypsies are queens, a boy married another boy surrounded by close family and friends. When Kaleb, a transplant from the midwest, met the taller California dreamy Nic six years ago, they couldn’t imagine the travels they’d see and the love that would grow between them. Nic proposed to Kaleb on an eco resort surrounded by the cacophony of flamingos and natural wildlife and backlit by the Yucatan sunset in 2010.

With a two year engagement, the couple wanted every detail to be picture perfect, a little bit quirky, and most notably them. If only they could settle on a destination. Nic chose Europe, while Kaleb dreamed of the Costa Rican shores. Keeping with the Spanish flare and their mutual love of travel, Nic and Kaleb finally agreed Granada, Spain–with its cobblestone streets, deep flamenco roots, and tapas culinary culture–would be the perfect backdrop to say their I Dos. A year out, Nic and Kaleb enlisted the help of a fabulous local wedding planner, Theresa Guthrie of AWOL Weddings, for help in selecting the venue, contract negotiations, menu preparation, music, and priceless recommendations on activities for wedding party and guests alike.

Fifty guests from all over the US descended upon Granada for festivities starting three days prior to the wedding. As they arrived, they were greeted with a personalized welcome bag filled with Andalusian treats. The welcome bag also included a passport booklet with helpful hints on food, culture, language, information on the week’s events, wedding guest accommodations, and gratitude from the couple.

The couple wanted the intimate ceremony to reflect them as partners and honor Granada and Spanish culture. The ceremony was held at La Chumbera in the historic Sacromonte area of Granada known for it’s Gypsy caves and majestic views of the Alhambra. Nic and Kaleb had two simple requests of guests: wear bright colors (no black)–after all it is a celebration and not a funeral–and have fun! Upon arrival,

Paying homage to Spanish customs, the couple chose to incorporate the Spanish Arras tradition, or Giving of the Coins, into their wedding. Traditionally, the Arras symbolize the wealth given from the man to the woman and then is tithed back to the church. The couple took a unique approach to the arras and had the thirteen coins symbolize various characteristics of a good partnership and marriage (love, health, happiness, fun, etc.). Instead of having one give to the other, they requested that different friends and family give a blessing to the couple and place the arras in a box. Keeping with their travel theme, each of the arras were different coins collected from their respective travels around the world. Both the grooms wrote their own vows to one another and read them without a dry cheek in the crowd.

Afterward, guests were invited to a cocktail hour with tapas to start the evening’s meal. Each guest was sat at a Table designated by a particular airport code from the couple’s travel repertoire. Nic’s parents had custom bull and matador cookies made with the groom’s likeness for each place setting. In typical Spanish style, guests enjoyed a decadent meal featuring both a fish and meat course. Nic and Kaleb danced to Marry Me by Train with a backlit Alhambra and perfectly hung crescent moon in the starry sky. Best man and Maid of Honor speeches tugged and strummed the heartstrings of every one. With a beat, the night transformed into a Spanish discoteca, leaving the guests and newlyweds to dance the night away, happily ever after.

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Wedding Photography: Andi Hatch Photography | Wedding Venue + Catering: La Chumbera in Granada, Spain | Wedding Coordination: Theresa Guthrie from AWOL in Granada | Wedding Cinematography: Becky Sharpe | Floral Design: Floristeria Nerine | Music: Mark Shurey | Ephemera: DIY by the Grooms | Grooms’ Attire: J.Crew

If I had just one word and one word only to describe this beautiful Ibiza wedding, it would be “amazing.” Amazing, because the setting (the breathtaking Can Gall) is beyond gorgeous, the bride and groom are the definition of adorable and there is sooo much happiness bursting from every moment snapped up by Ana Lui Photography Studio, it’s like romance times a million.  Oh, and the gallery?  A literal wonderland of pretty.  (Seriously.)  Join me there for soooo much more.

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From Ana Lui Photography Studio… Verity and Floyd got married the last day of September in Ibiza, Spain. Verity got ready and walked down the stunning, covered with grass and trees, aisle in magical Agroturismo Can Gall – a hotel near Sant Juan. Everyone was emotional. Both of the families fell in love with the sweet Ibiza island and the guests tasted amazing organic food from Ibiza prepared by Eat Ibiza catering service.

It was a very kids friendly wedding!  Kids were literally everywhere! Both Verity and Floyd were constantly laughing and crying, hugging and dancing. It was a beautiful, real, genuine celebration of love. Love for their families and friends, for Ibiza, for the sun and the sea. I had an amazing day with them and will remember this wedding forever.  I’m happy and grateful to be a part of their big day and to be able to capture their important moments on camera.

Wedding Photography: Ana Lui Photography Studio / Wedding Venue: Can Gall in Ibiza, Spain / Event Planning + Floral Design + Catering: Eat Ibiza / Wedding Dress: Custom

This may be, hands-down, one of the most perfectly-captured, emotion-filled + heart-stoppingly romantic weddings I’ve seen to date.  The photos from Bikini Birdie seem straight out of a fashion shoot, and the crazy-beautiful Mediterranean island of Formentera certainly doesn’t hurt the swoon-worthiness of the whole thing. Do yourself a favor-RUN to the full gallery to see every.last stunning image!

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From Bikini Birdie… Justin is from New Zealand, and Gioia is from Italy. They now call London home and live there with their two daughters. Their all-time favorite place in the world is the stunning Mediterranean island of Formentera. They knew is was asking a lot for friends and family to arrive at the difficult to reach spot, but in the end, it was worth it. Guests flew in from all over the world, and the couple made a weekend out of it. Hosting guests for nights out at clubs and visits to traditional eateries for paella on the beach. The wedding ceremony was simple and elegant on the roof of the venue on a beautiful beach on the island. The creative Gioia took charge of all decoration and the invitations.

Wedding Photography: Megan of Bikini Birdie / Wedding Location: Formentera in the Balearic Islands, Spain / Floral Design: Kentia Floristes / Wedding Decorations + Invitations: DIY / Wedding Dress: Delphine Manivet / Bride’s Shoes: Casadei / Hair: Andre Hohne / Groom’s Suit: Dolce & Gabbana / Groom’s Shoes: Tod’s

I think one of the major reasons why we all love weddings so, so much is because everything between the Bride and Groom is new and exciting and fresh, and when two lovebirds are filled with such wonderful anticipation before the start of their marriage. And so, when I come across an anniversary shoot like this one from Miguel Varona that shows the other side of the spectrum – an inexplicable comfortableness and intimacy so beautifully captured between a Husband and Wife years after the big day – my whole world comes full circle and I am as happy as ever. Plus, we get to see all of the styling talents of one of my personal favorites, Brancoprata, all in the gallery right here.

Click here for the FULL anniversary session!

From the Bride… I am a German national married to a Spaniard, and we live in Barcelona, Spain. My husband and I had the pleasure of having our anniversary pictures taken on a lovely Sunday in May this year. The Portuguese photographers/stylists from Brancoprata teamed up with Spanish fine art wedding photographer Miguel Varona to shoot me and my husband, Oscar, in the fishermen’s village of Cadaqués, about 1.5 hours north of Barcelona. Cadaqués is a little coastal village with white houses and colorfully painted doors, a true Mediterranean gem. The Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí spent his summers there when he was young, and it is said that he discovered modern painting in Cadaqués.

When we had just started going out, my then-boyfriend/now-husband took me to Cadaqués on a mini vacation, showing me the beautiful area around Barcelona. We still cherish the memories of that first trip together, and it seemed fitting to go back to Cadaqués for our anniversary shoot almost seven years later. I feel extremely fortunate to have had such talented photographers for the day. André Teixeira from Brancoprata probably rings a bell, right? :) And Miguel Varona, to me, is a rising star on the international wedding photography scene. He’s got great sensibility and artistic vision.

I am lucky that I got to know the two of them through my own Spanish wedding blog (I have also just launched a second blog in English, dedicated entirely to Mediterranean weddings). The session was shot entirely on film. We kept it all very natural and very “us.” I had no professional makeup done, and we just picked up some fresh flowers at the market on our way to the location, which Sofia arranged.

Photography:André Teixeira of Brancoprata + Miguel Varona / Location: Cadaqués, Spain / Floral Design: Sofia Ferreira of Brancoprata

I simply don’t have adequate words to introduce this next wedding. The images by Jimena Roquero are too good, the scenery too beautiful, and the couple too gorgeous for me to give it the credit it deserves. A Spanish fairytale with Italian touches and a bride dressed in breathtaking Alma Aguilar…and that’s only the beginning. Get swept away by the unbelievable romance and beauty of every.single.image in the full gallery.

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From the Bride… Mario, my now-husband, secretly planned a trip to Venice with  my entire family as his accomplice. He proposed aboard a Venetian gondola, under the Bridge of Sighs, and we spent two magical days filled with Italian food, drinks and gelato. As you can imagine, I said yes! Italy, and especially our romantic weekend in Venice, was a great source of inspiration for our wedding. We chose the Palacio de Moratalla in Hornachuelos, Córdoba, Spain, as our venue because it reminded us of the old Tuscan villas. The catering was held by Bodegas Campos, who came up with an Italian menu (the exact same dishes Mario and I had the night we got engaged!). We also had a very special toast with bellinis, the Venetian cocktail par excellence that is composed of champagne and peach juice. The festive lighting was also inspired by the Italian restaurants at night. As for my gown, I was determined to be dressed by Alma Aguilar, so I picked one of her 2012 bridal collection designs. For the ceremony, we chose a very special location surrounded by wildlife, the little village of San Calixto, in the Hornachuelos mountains, where a cloister is located.

My favorite moment of the the night was, without a doubt, the toast and the speeches. Remembering old anecdotes of our relationship with our guests was funny yet moving, which inevitably brought that moment of laughs and tears I will remember forever! One of the things the guests certainly appreciated was the little tourist train we provided to get to the cocktail area, located at the front of the palace. During the cocktail hour, they were also able to get some “antipasti,” typical Italian appetizers.

Paloma Recio, from El Puentecillo de Cordoba, was in charge of the table decoration and flower arrangements, made out of daisies, candles and vintage lanterns. She also set up a spot with two of our parents’ old typewriters as guestbooks. We had always known what our first dance song would be — we knew it had to be the Beatles and it had to be played live! We brought in a band called Los Escarabajos; they specialize in Beatles covers. We also hung a disco ball, danced and sang to the most famous Beatles songs with our guests while enjoying gin and tonics at the open bar!

Wedding Photography: Jimena Roquero / Ceremony: San Calixto, Cordoba, Spain / Reception: Palacio de Moratalla in Hornachuelos, Cordoba, Spain / Floral Design: El Puentecillo / Catering: Bodegas Campos / Music: Los Escarabajos / Lighting: Atmosphera Eventos / Wedding Dress: Alma Aguilar / Bride’s Shoes: Pretty Ballerinas / Groom’s Suit: Lander Urquijo

For this couple who met and fell in love in Ibiza, returning there to wed at Can Gall was a no brainer. What a wise choice it was, because this sunny stunner is one colorful sight to behold. The bride clad in this tulle Noble and Wright Atelier gown is also on your must see list, so clean your specs and get ready to see the rest of Gypsy Westwood‘s fab photos in the full gallery!

From the Bride… We decided to get married in Ibiza because we met on holiday there six years before the wedding. We wanted a wedding filled with fun and laughter, so we planned everything with that in mind. We chose to hold the wedding at a beautiful finca hotel called Can Gall, which is surrounded by lemon and orange trees. I wanted to personalise the wedding, so I ended up making the table plan, signs and most of the decorations myself. We bought little metal hearts and painted them with enamel paint in all different colours and hung them around the venue. The favours were jelly beans with a flavour list inside, but we also had foam airplane kits for the men/boys and fortune fish for the ladies/girls. These all went down a treat, and my nephew ended up with about 19 airplanes the next day after finding them dotted around the hotel. Our tables were named after Tottenham Hotspur Legends for my husband. We wanted to make it vintage looking and not tacky — we think we got away with it!

The bridesmaids wore yellow in styles of their own choosing, and I also asked them to pick out shoes that were all different. All the table decorations were bought from England and we packed them in our suitcases — luckily, none broke. We didn’t really have a colour theme because I couldn’t decide, so we just had all different colours, and it worked out perfectly in the end. Later on in the day we had a photo booth that we also put together with the help of other family members. It was a great success and so much fun — everyone loved it!

Wedding Photography: Gypsy Westwood / Wedding Venue: Can Gall in Ibiza / Event Planning + Floral Design: Eat Ibiza / Wedding Invitations: Beacon Lane / Wedding Dress: Noble and Wright Atelier / Shoes: Benjamin Adams / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: Their Choice

If there is one thing we love in SMP land, it’s glided glitter. When that lovely piece of glittery gold goodness is in gown form, we are forced to surrender. Surrender to a wedding that makes our glitter loving hearts pitter patter and flutter all at the same time. And when this gorgeous occasion just happens to be in Spain, we are done. Speechless. All we can say is, the full gallery by Chyna Darner Photography is a must see today.

Click here for the FULL wedding!

From Chyna Darner Photography… The year was 2008, and the location was The Coyote Ugly Saloon in New York, not a usual hang out for either Greta or Waldo. Greta was living in New York and had friends visiting the Big Apple for the first time, so naturally, she was showing them around town. Waldo was in New York on business with coworkers who wanted to see the famous Coyote Ugly Saloon from the 2000 movie Coyote Ugly. When Waldo walked thru the swinging saloon style doors he locked eyes with Greta, and any doubts that love at first sight existed were left outside. Waldo’s male coworkers unsuccessfully petitioned Greta to dance with them. Then Waldo walked up to Greta, took her hand and led her to the dance floor. She was waiting for him. From that point on, they were almost inseparable. He had to return to London shortly thereafter, but Greta visited him within a week. After a few months of constant flights back and forth, Greta moved back to London. She had been living there the year before while attending fashion design school, but she had transferred to New York to be closer to her friends and family. 

Once Greta was back in London, Waldo was able to introduce her to his family, who mostly live in Sweden. By the time the wedding arrived, Greta had mastered Swedish well enough to give part of her wedding speech in Swedish. 

Once engaged, they decided they needed a neutral ground in Europe to have their wedding. Since Waldo is half Spanish, and the Balleric Islands are so gorgeous it was an easy choice. A destination such as Mallorca would definitely lure her friends and family from the States to attend. The events started Thursday as close friends and family arrived for the rehearsal and family dinner at Cap Rocat. On Friday night there was a pre-wedding meet and greet at Puro Beach, allowing friends and family from different continents to meet one another. The ceremony and reception on Saturday took place at Cap Rocat Hotel (a former military fortress). As a jewelry designer, Greta has a flair for design and created many custom details for the event. This included both of their rings, her earrings and several jewelry pieces worn by guests. The reception events and dancing went on well into Sunday morning.

Wedding Photography: Chyna Darner + Jennifer Low of Chyna Darner Photography / Wedding Venue: Cap Rocat in Mallorca, Spain / Event Coordination: Anfitrian / Event Styling: Greta Nelson-Alvarez (The Bride) / Floral Design + Plants: Floristeria Merce Francia / Wedding Cake + Sweets: Cupcake Sisters / Wedding Invitations + Menus: Monika Day of Paperplain / Singer: David Gee / Saxophone: Anthony Rivers / DJ: Felipe Schiefer (34 601231512) / Wedding Dress: Alison Rodger / Hair + Makeup: Mariella Morreale / Rings: Greta Nelson-Alvarez of Garbo Jewelry (The Bride — garbojewelry@yahoo.com) / Friday Night Cocktail Venue: Puro Beach

We have got THE cure to the Monday morning blues, and no it’s not three cups of coffee. It’s a beyond fabulous, over the moon beautiful, super stunning Spanish wedding. Laura Hooper Calligraphy (who is the lady behind the gorg calligraphy of this Spanish Holiday) sent us a wedding in a converted Olive Mill in Andalucia, Spain, and we flipped. Captured by Anna Gazda of Limelight, the affair is better than coffee, better than tea, better, even, than a big, huge piece of chocolate cake to get your week going. AND there is even more in the gallery!

Jim and I first met in my hometown of Toronto in 2003 where we worked together at a publishing house and got to know each other over lengthy lunch breaks. Jim eventually moved back to his birth city of London, England and we lost touch. Three years later, after deciding to quit my job to travel to India for my close friend’s wedding, I was at a loose end with what to do with my life, when a friend encouraged me to move to London and invited me to stay with his family. After settling into my new life in the UK, I was out one night when a friend spotted someone looking at me on the dance floor. It was Jim! He found his way over to me and we spent the rest of the year getting to know each other again and eventually spent the rest of my stay in London side-by-side until deciding to move to Dubai together in 2009.

Over the Christmas holidays of 2010, Jim paid me a surprise visit in Toronto and proposed in the city where we had first met. With another move on the horizon in 2012, we had decided that we wanted to get married in the summer of 2011, seven months after we were engaged.

With friends and family scattered across the Americas & Europe and with us planning the wedding in Dubai, this made choosing a wedding location quite challenging. However, since majority of our guests and family would have to travel no matter where the wedding took place, it was actually quite liberating, as it meant that we had a blank slate when it came to choosing our location! We decided to have the wedding in Andalucía, Spain, as I left my heart in Spain the first time I went backpacking and wanted to share this amazing country with Jim. The dramatic landscape, hilltop villages, and amazing food and wine were an added plus as it really spoke to our idea of romance.

Language barriers, time differences, and distances meant that we needed the help of a local wedding planner. Initially disheartened after receiving templated responses and formulaic wedding proposals from various planners, we eventually received the kindest, most enthusiastic, detailed, and open-minded response imaginable from Lucia Fraga of Caprichia Marbella, who gave us confidence we could have the wedding we wanted. Choosing Lucia was the best decision we made since deciding to get married!

With Lucia’s help, we found our dream location in Casares, a small Spanish pueblo blanco (white village) nestled in the Andalucían hills. We were married in a ruined castle on a mountaintop overlooking the town. For the reception, we did some digging and found the Molino Los Medicos, a beautiful converted olive mill in a nearby town called Gaucin, which had a gorgeous inner courtyard for an outdoor dinner, and a large outdoor space with unspoiled views for the cocktail hour and dancing. The villa coupled as our accommodation for the week, which was a dream on two accounts: we were able to live in luxury and have the space we needed to organize things before the big day. We also found the Molino Del Carmen, another villa in Gaucin, which agreed to let our family and friends have sole use of their property for the week building up to the wedding.

As Dubai has a very small bridal market, I knew that I might have to find my wedding dress elsewhere, which was the only real pressure I felt planning my wedding. But with a trip to London, New York and then Toronto planned for some major dress shopping, I knew as long as I remained open-minded, positive, and relied on my gut feeling, I would be fine. A trip to New York with my sister found me a backless Pnina Tornai sold exclusively at Kleinfeld’s. When the designer herself walked out to add the cathedral-length veil, I was sold!

Planning the wedding away from our families wasn’t so bad, as we engaged our family in as much preparation as we could, so they would feel involved in our big day. My mother helped with the invitations, and my sister, mother and grandmothers helped sew decorations for the reception and the welcome picnic. Jim’s brother helped make a sign for the welcome picnic, and the table name-card holders (later adorned with Laura Hooper’s beautiful calligraphy) for the reception dinner, and his mother made us our guest book.

The day of our wedding, Jim’s uncle served as officiant, while two friends gave readings from D.H. Lawrence and Plato, and another friend acted as videographer. Since we were wed on a mountaintop (and thus far away from any power source), we hired a cellist to accompany our ceremony. Jim had asked his talented friend Carl to arrange a special solo cello version of Sigur Ros’ Hoppipolla to use as our recessional song, as it’s the most joyous piece of music I’ve ever heard!

Lucia found a local florist to provide rustic-looking Mataline roses in soft shades, with berries, eucalyptus and other foliage, and verdant ivy to wrap around the ceremony chairs. As an unexpected bonus, a big festival was underway in the town on the same day, so the town was decorated and I got plenty of attention from the local revelers as I was escorted through the town on a golf cart.

After the ceremony, the flowers arrangements were transported to the reception site, where we had fairy lights and candles dotted all around, including floating candles in the fountain, and Victorian-style tea-light holders hanging above the head table. When our guests arrived, we shared with them a cava and cocktail hour with over twenty different canapés and custom drinks, followed by an exquisite four-course meal with local flavours from Lepanto Catering. We gave each guest a bottle of Andalucían red wine with their name hand-written in calligraphy on vintage-style luggage tags. A Gordon Ramsey-designed iced lemon meringue followed dinner with raspberries for dessert, with coffee and a late night snack offered to guests in the wee hours. Before we had our dance, Jim surprised me by turning up with his guitar, and serenading me in front of our guests with a beautiful song he had written just for the occasion.

Our wedding photographer, Anna Gazda, who we found online, captured the whole day in her energetic and candid style and we’re able to relive the incredible experience through her work.

Wedding Planner: Lucia Fraga of Caprichia Marbella, Couture Destination Wedding & Event Planning / Ceremony Venue: Castillo Casares, Casares, Andalucia, Spain / Reception Venue: Molino Los Medicos / Wedding Gown: Pnina Tornai, Kleinfeld Bridal / Groom’s Suit: Dior / Bride’s Shoes: Ellie Saab / Groom’s Shoes: Paul Smith / Bridesmaid’s Dresses: Thayer Godess Dress, Shopbop / Groomsmen Suits: Tristan / Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas / Calligraphy: Laura Hooper Calligraphy / Catering: Lepanto Catering / Photographer: Anna Gazda from Limelight / Makeup: Lyndsey Cavanagh

This wedding by Ana Lui Photography Studio literally made my day. Upon gazing at these absolutely gorgeous images, I was instantly transported to la-la land. To me la-la land is a place where ladies run around in Jimmy Choos and the sky is a perfect shade of blue – well, this wedding has all that covered and then some. If you need even more proof, be sure to check out the full gallery of images!

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… We met at work seven years ago and Nick surprised me with a proposal on holiday in India last year at the Taj Mahal. Travel is really important to us and wanted a venue that reflected our love of all things Spanish. We had an amazing six months together in South America at the beginning of our relationship and we wanted to reflect this in our choice of wedding.

We spent a long time looking at venues, I think we looked at about 25 different venues in Ibiza, but it was love at first sight when we saw Can Talaias. We hoped to have a wedding that felt relaxed and informal, but with a vintage twist and Can Talaias was perfect on every front.  Can Talaias means the look out tower in Catalan and we thought it was the most beautiful place in the world from which to overlook the almond trees and view the world below. It really was was love at first sight when we saw Can Talaias and being able to spend the day there with our closest friends and family meant so much to us.

We had our ceremony on the terrace of the hotel in the late afternoon overlooking the crystal blue sea, the aisle was scattered with soft pink petals as we stood under the shade of an umbrella to say our vows.  Our ceremony was conducted by Nick’s aunt; we wanted an intimate feel so we wrote the service and the vows ourselves.  It was a bit daunting, but it was completely worth it as it made it feel so personal on the day.

After the ceremony, our guests were treated to cava cocktails with simple Spanish Gazpacho, Vietnamese spring rolls and Balinese chicken satay. (Fare from some of the countries we have visited!)  Dinner was a relaxed Mediterranean buffet of Rosemary peppered lamb chops, filet steak, prawns with honey, lemon and thyme with a choice of lentil chorizo and feta salad, potato salad and Mediterranean salads.  We chose Cardamom Catering as our caterers – Navine and Craig were so lovely, they really couldn’t do enough for us and the white chocolate cheese cake they made as our wedding cake has gone down as a legend with our friends and family who are all desperate for the recipe!

For the decoration, we wanted a romantic, vintage feel with soft pinks and vintage roses.  We named our tables after places that we had visited on our travels.  The rest of the venue was a blend of vintage roses, distressed antique tea lights, pink hearts and hanging tree lanterns which looked magical at the end of the night.  After dinner and speeches we had a candle lit party and danced the night away.

I fell in love with my vintage style dress as soon as I saw it.  It was from a local shop in St. Albans where we live called Satin Bow Bridal.  The owner Victoria was amazing.  She spent so long making sure the dress was just perfect. The shoes were a Christmas present from Nick a couple of years ago.  They’re just gorgeous and I love them, but they were just too precious, so I saved them up for my wedding day!

And of course our photographer – the amazing Ana Lui.  Her photos really captured the day.  She was so calm and sweet and had such an amazing eye. We couldn’t possibly be happier with our photos!!!

Wedding Photography: Ana Lui Photography Studio / Event Planning & Design: Cardamom Events & Catering / Wedding Ceremony & Reception Location: Can Talaias / Catering: Cardamom Events & Catering / Wedding Dress: Satin Bow Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Jimmy Choo

I really, really needed this wedding today.  It’s like a breath of fresh air, so perfectly sweet and serene.  And it’s not just the details, though they are delightful. It’s the blissful look on the faces of the bride and groom, the breezy beaches of Mallorca, Spain and the soft, dreamy photographs by Nadia Meli.  Of course, everything is made even that much more magical because it was all created and prepared by friends, family and loved ones.  Take a little getaway to this majestic destination wedding and chill out for the rest of the day in the full gallery!

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… From the very first moments of our relationship we dreamed of a destination wedding on a beach. Independent from each other it was a dream we both had. And when we got engaged, it was clear that we would search for a way to realize our dream.The most important thing to us was that it should be a relaxed wedding. We didn’t want a big and loud wedding, we wanted more of a family party with people who are important to us, who we love and feel familiar with.

When we started to plan the wedding my husband started to look for a wedding planner somewhere on an island. We found Mallorca in Spain and immediately knew this was the right place for us. Then we got in contact with the wedding planner Petra Emmerich of Mallorca Promotion, who helped us find a location, a restaurant and an agency who provided the chairs for the ceremony. We wanted  a restaurant that was close to the beach, so that we could be by the sea for the whole day. Mrs. Emmerich found a bay called Cala Romantica on the eastern side of Mallorca. There is a small beach restaurant there, the Bella Romantica. It was perfect because everything was at the same spot. A few months before the wedding we flew to Mallorca to have a look at the place and talk with the restaurant owner. We were thrilled how perfect everything fit into our initial plans.

I really felt that the day was perfect, just how I wanted it to be all along. Lots of things were made by family or friends. My friend did my hair and my sister and mother in law put up the decorations that I had made on my own over the last year. The aunts of my husband picked wildflowers the same wedding morning, my cousin and friends made some flower bouquets in old brass vases I collected in flea markets in Germany.  My mother and sister dressed me, my brother-in-law and my brother made the music during the ceremony with a bongo and a ukulele. Our pastor, who is a friend, married us. My best friend, who happens to be a great photographer, took these beautiful pictures. My nephews played on the beach or took pictures with cameras we put out on each table. I just loved being surrounded by people who were relaxed and were enjoying themselves.

A very touching moment was when I was finally dressed and all ready and my mom kissed me and looked at me and told me how beautiful I was. Also, when we bowed down on the ceremony and our pastor held his hands over us and prayed for us. It was very important for me to be blessed by God, who gave us this unforgettable day as a present. And, of course, when I sang a song for my husband from the musical “Tarzan” – that really moved me and I loved his reaction.

The perfect ending to this perfect day was when we all danced together into the night. We all just had fun together and everyone was jumping and singing along and laughing. Late at night we drove off to our honeymoon residence, with our hearts full of memories and joy and gratefulness. Everything was just like we dreamed and imagined it before.

Wedding Photography: Nadia Meli / Wedding Planner: Petra Emmerich of Mallorca Promotion / Wedding Ring Designer: Nina Buchmann / Wedding Dress: Atelier Aimee / Bride’s Shoes: Lola Cruz / Bride’s Jewelry: Crystal Treasure Box / Hair: Friend of the Bride / Makeup: The Bride / Wedding Ceremony Location: Cala Romantica, Mallorca / Wedding Reception Location: Bella Romantica, Mallorca / Groom’s Attire: Body Gear + Anson’s / Flowers: Friends of the Bride + Cousin of the Bride

Oh these destination weddings are playing with my travel loving soul. I seriously cannot get enough. And now this Ibiza wedding is teasing me with its gorgeousness thanks to the downright stunning images from Gypsy Westwood Photography. The dress is enough to make me enter a full-on swoonfest, so when you put the dress and the destination together – I surrender. For even more destination dreaming, check out the full gallery of images.

Click here to see the entire image gallery!

From the Bride… Del and I had been together for 9 years when whilst skiing in the Alps in the February, he got down on one knee at the top of the glacier and proposed holding up an antique mine cut diamond ring he’d had made in hatton garden.

When we started deciding on a venue we visited a few UK venues but they all had something missing. It didn’t feel like ‘the one’. So we started googling for ideas overseas. When Ibiza wedding’s site came up, I knew Ibiza was it! I remembered our family holidays to the Island. The smell of pine trees, the landscape, the beaches. Many happy childhood memories. We Booked to come over in the July and met with Gemma from Ibiza Wedding. We spent the day with her, visiting many venues for the ceremony and reception. The moment we laid eyes on Amante we knew that that was the one! The private cove, the sea, just everything about it was perfect!

To choose my dress I wanted to have the venue chosen first. I tried on many dresses and knew I wanted either silk, cut on the bias or lace. So when I found a dress that had all in one it was ment to be. It fitted perfectly, a lovely 1930’s shape. The sandals, I knew needed to be flat as I wanted a bit of a casual feel, I was tempted to be bare foot but finding these sandals was a great in between. The bracelet was my nanna’s, she was given when she was evacuated in the war by the family looking after her and as she and my grandad were unable to come over due to ill health I knew I wanted to wear it. My hair I also wanted in a 1930’s style but wanted to keep it casual.

For the decoration, flowers and cake  I wanted a vintage but rustic feel, that was also simple. We had white washed terracotta pots at center pieces for the flowers. I got this idea from our favorite restaurant on the island in San Miquel (a village in Ibiza). I wanted a 1930/40’s style bouquet and to incorporate the dusty pink colour from the bridsmaids dresses. The cake was carrot cake, our favorite and again wanted the rustic feel to it. We had hundreds of tea lights and candles scattered all over Amante, it looked so beautiful in the dark.

Our first dance was Led Zeppelin Thank-you. The words our lovely and perfect for us. The DJ was fantastic, and the sax and bongos jammin’ with him was just amazing, They got everybody up dancing.

Wedding Photography: Gypsy Westwood Photography / Wedding Planners: Ibiza Wedding / Hair & Makeup: Louise Maxwell / Wedding Venue: Amante Beach Club / Celebrant: Ibiza Ceremony / Accommodations: Es Cucons / Wedding Dress: David Fielden / Bride’s Sandals: Giuseppe Zanotti / Bride’s Bracelet: Vintage / Bride’s Earrings: Benirras Beach / Bridesmaid Dresses: twobirds Bridesmaid / Wedding Invitations: Diagnostic Design / Groom’s Attire: Reiss / Best Man & Usher Attire: Topman / DJ: B! / Wedding Cake: Cardamom Catering

Hola Mallorca! You are a feast for the eyes indeed, especially when your beauty is captured by the purveyor of fine photography, Leo Patrone. And this bash is so beyond your everyday destination wedding. We could seriously stare at the chandelier clad trees and cheeky signage all live long day. Join us and take a pretty trip to Spain via the gallery.

see more of this Spanish beauty here!

Right from the start we knew that we wanted a relaxed wedding with a garden party feel. In the UK we don’t always have the best weather (!) so we knew we should make the most of the Mediterranean climate! We wanted to create a midsummer nights dream atmosphere, so knew that we would need fairy lights and soft lighting around the garden. Initially we had hoped for the wedding breakfast tables to be scattered around the garden, amongst the trees. However, in the days leading up to the wedding it seemed that the British climate had followed us and rain was predicted for our big day…not to be beaten, we hastily arranged for a marquee to be set up in the garden so that our guests could enjoy the wedding breakfast under cover. Thanks to the ingenuity of our caterers, they were able to build the marquee around a 200 year old olive tree in the garden, which was then decorated with love hearts and fairy lights. It really was an amazing feature. As it happens, the sun shone throughout our big day and there wasn’t a rain cloud in sight! It did however help having the marquee as a focal point for the festivities.

We always knew that we didn’t want to be tied to a colour scheme – we didn’t want to detract from all of the beautiful colours and plants in the garden. Instead we opted for muted, antique style colours – for example, my sister Rebecca wore a mink Dessy bridesmaid dress with gold shoes and a dusky pink flower in her hair, and my Kurt Geiger shoes were lilac with a pink trim. The flowers matched this relaxed theme, with lots of pale greens, soft pinks and whites. Our florist Andrew from the Black Rose did an amazing job of creating a ‘just picked from the meadow’ effect for the centre pieces. In the months leading up to the wedding we’d spent weekends gathering antique glass bottles which were then used as vases in the centre of all of the tables. Each table had 5 or 6 bottles of all different heights.

My lovely Dad passed away 3 years ago but it was important to me that he was still part of the day so I set up a table with photographs of members of our family on their wedding days and used different photo frames obtained via antique shops and ebay to display them. It meant so much to be able to look over and see a picture of my Mum and Dad on their own special day, over 30 years earlier.

When our guests were sipping champagne cocktails and eating Mallorcan canapes on the roof terrace immediately after the ceremony they were treated to the sounds of two amazing spanish guitar players who our brother-in-law Kike found performing in the streets of Palma, Mallorca. They really set the tone with their funky take on a classic spanish sound. We decided against having a band or DJ in the evening and instead hired a sound system and hooked up our laptop so that we could play from a pre-prepared play list. Putting the playlist together was actually the hardest part of the wedding preparations! Thankfully the preparation paid off as little did we know we would need enough music to keep our guests dancing until 6am!! After much indecision we eventually chose ‘At Last’ by Etta James as our first dance together as husband and wife.

Photography: Leo Patrone Photography / Dress: Amanda Wakeley from Quello in Kenilworth, Warwickshire / Bride’s shoes: Kurt Geiger / Groom and Best Man suits: Ted Baker / Groom’s shoes: Paul Smith / Bridesmaid dress: Dessy / Bridesmaid shoes: Office / Catering: Tot a Punt Catering in Manacor, Mallorca / Flowers: The Black Rose, Mallorca / Guitar players: amazing street artists from Palma in Mallorca! / Hair: Pula Suites

This next wedding isn’t so much about the details…it’s mostly about the brides A-FREAKING-DORABLE mini wedding dress. And the magical pictures. The kind of pictures that make me wish I was right there with the bride and groom, toasting to their happiness, celebrating on the beach with my nearest and dearest. Although this is a wedding that is sure to make you a little jealous, it’s also one that will make you fall in love all over again. You can see even more goodness right here.

click here to see the full wedding!

From Ana Lui Photography… This was very magical wedding with two young and creative people from Madrid. Paula chose all the details to go with her CAVALLI short bridal dress.  She picked the flowers, head piece and linen designer shoes. Samuel was looking great wearing multi-colour bow tie. They said I DO at the church of Salinas in Ibiza and than drove a little white VW beetle convertible straight to the venue, right on the beach of Es Codolar.

Photography: Ana Lui / Event Design + Planning: IBIZA WEDDING / Reception Location: Cap Des Falco / Dress: Roberto Cavalli

Thank you so very much to Jennifer and Christian for sharing their gorgeous day with us…I think that I speak for everyone when I say that it was hugely inspiring. To know that you can design a magazine worthy wedding on a budget of $10,000 by looking to your own talents and ingenuity, well, it’s really exciting!

photos by Yvonne Wong

One last note to all of our readers…Jennifer is one of those super, creative types that probably has the ability to make everything she touches turn into something beautiful. But, even if you aren’t as design savvy, there are some really important lessons you can take from her wedding…

-“Brand” your affair. Whether it’s through a monogram, a chic but simple color palette, a particular style…think about your wedding like you might think about a business and thread one theme throughout the entire affair. And by theme, I don’t mean theme per se, rather a recognizable trait.

-Look to stores like Target and IKEA for inexpensive finds, like table runners, great vases and such.

-Keep your guest count low…the smaller your wedding, the more you’ll be able to do. For some brides, this isn’t even a remote possibility but for others, it’s a great way to stick to your budget.

-Find a place that already has personality. It could be a great restaurant in your neighborhood, an art gallery, a garden. Someplace that already has an ambiance so that you can save $$ on decor.

-Arrange the flowers yourself. HUGE savings here. With that said, if you are a high stress person, skip this one.

-Look to your own passion to add a little personality to your affair…if you love music, burn a CD of your favorite songs as your wedding favors. If you are a great cook, attach your favorite recipe that uses a particular herb to a cute jar filled with that same herb.

Hopefully, in today’s wedding, you’ve discovered some good ways to cut corners without cutting style! If you guys have other tips, don’t be shy…in this economy, we’ll take all of the advice we can get!

Today’s wedding is a lesson in all things chic. And, as the day turned into evening, if it’s possible…it got even better.

Here are some of the vendors that Jennifer and Christian worked with to design their dream wedding…

Venue & Caterering by Torre Amat, Dessert/Cake by Oriol Balaguer, Letterpress by the bride’s own company, Pigweed Press, Photography by Yvonne Wong, Coordinating by Gordan Hall and Veil by Twigs and Honey.

I’ve asked the fabulous Jennifer to tell us a little more about her letterpress studio, Pigweed Press, as those stationery details that we featured earlier were AMAZING.

“Since I do mostly custom work at the moment, my aesthetic and style can definitely vary (I strive for versatility). However, I do tend towards clean designs in either modern or traditional styles. My invitations are a good example of this but this time, mixing both modern and traditional (which Barcelona seems to have a lot of). Or rather reinterpreting the traditional in a more modern way.

The motif is supposed to evoke tilework which Spain has a lot of. But I wanted to make sure it wasn’t too literal and kept things sparse and clean. I threw in a (less conventional) script font as a throwback to tradition and counter balanced it with a really clean sans serif. We chose oranges because it was a fall weather and the green-blues to compliment it.”

SO, so lovely.

The details from today’s featured wedding are what really sing. The bride was so incredibly thoughtful with her favors…capturing the essense of the natural surroundings with small jars of Spanish Paprika, paired with her own passion for letterpressed stationery. There is a sense of cohesiveness with each and every element and yet nothing seems overly matched or designed. I love that.

photos by Yvonne Wong

Here are the details from the bride, Jennifer…

I am fortunate to have my own letterpress studio, so I letterpressed everything and anything I could. The hardest part was deciding on a design. Favors included a glass vial of Spanish Paprika that doubled as a placecard holder in addition to letterpressed stationery personalized with each guest’s name.

Welcome baskets included travel/information packets (filled with contact info, wedding venue, directions, local sights, restaurant recommendations – all letterpressed, of course), wine, toiletries, Spanish playing cards, first aid kit, Evian Facial Spray, detergent for the washing machines and leather luggage tags.

Since we arranged lodging for our guests, everyone also received a packet in the mail in advance of flying to Spain – a letterpressed card and map with the apartment address to show the cab driver at the airport in case language was an issue. We also sent postcards from Spain to each of our guests (so they would receive them upon their return), thanking them for making the long haul to Europe on our behalf. (Some only took 4 days to arrive!)

* * *

To have your own letterpress studio is pretty unique and definitely shaved a pretty penny off the overall cost. With that said, you can achieve a really similar feel, using nice card stock and your home computer/printer. If you aren’t design-savvy, enlist the help of a friend who is, to help you create a wedding brand of sorts that you can weave into different, unexpected elements.

Here are Jennifer’s sources some of the products that she used…the glass vials were found at Specialty Bottle, the Table Runner was found at Target for $9.99 though is no longer available (they do have some cute designs though) and the blue stationery boxes were found at US Box.