BOHO WEDDING IN MAS DEL MAR
What an amazing summer I have had! And to top it all off I’ve had the chance to work on one of my favourite weddings ever, thanks to the wonderful Anna and Daniel and their boho wedding in Mas del Mar on the Costa Brava.
The location was an ancient Masia situated in San Pere Pescador in Spain’s Eastern coast, with spectacular sea views and typical Spanish decor. It was my first wedding at San Pere Pescador and I am hoping it won’t be my last.
One of my favourite places to travel to for weddings in the Costa Brava.
I knew from the start that this bohemian couple were going to be a dream to work with, they have since become good friends…they are one of the kindest, super cool and fun couples that I have worked with. Anna is from Barcelona and Daniel from Italy. When it comes to fashion you couldn’t get more cutting edge that these two – Anna is a designer for high street retailer Mango and Daniel also works in fashion, which is how they met. Anna was the epitome of the perfect boho bride and Daniel the ever-elegant Italian gent. Their super stylish friends, who travelled from all over Europe including Milan and Barcelona, completed the day as the most fashionable wedding I have ever worked at.
The couple got ready in separate rooms – Daniel with his four best friends and Anna enjoyed a glass of bubbly with her friends as they helped her into her exquisite Yoland Cris wedding gown. The dress was spectacular and so unique in its head to toe lace and long sleeves – and the Boho Bridal look was completed with make-up by my friend Diana Galí, who I have had the honor of working with at several weddings before.Look here and them.
Anna’s wild flower garland hair crown and beautiful bouquet was by Estudio Sauvage, one of Barcelona’s most talented florists.
Daniel wore an Burberry cut dark blue suit with amazing Zegna shoes which were also in blue. The combination of Anna’s Spanish boho bridal look and Daniel’s smart Italian style blew me and all the guests away as soon as they were reunited at the altar.
The ceremony took place in the beautiful little town of Sant Marti D’empuries and the bride arrived at the chapel in a white Meary car filled with flowers, she couldn’t have looked cooler. After the ceremony I took the couple on a little walk around the local countryside to take some pictures on film, which I knew would add to the retro vibe. Most couples get nervous or embarrassed in front of the camera, but this couple were so in love they kept stopping to kiss and smile.
The Mas del Mar wedding venue was perfectly decorated to suit the boho wedding vibe. The pre-dinner drinks were enjoyed in the ‘campo’, where there were fun tepee tents and rugs for guests to lie on and soak up the Spanish sun. The catering was supplied by Cal Blay with a variety of food stations for guests to help themselves to such as delicious local cheeses and Daniel’s favourite wines. During the cocktail hour guests chilled out and listened to a great soul jazz group just chatting, eating and getting to know each other.
As the day progressed, photos were taken and speeches were made and then the guests were lead to dinner which was under the stars and twinkling fairy lights at one large long table. Everything was decorated with tiny colourful vases of wild flowers, and family had all contributed to the day by lending the couple plates, cutlery, glasses and linen to complete the Spanish Boho wedding vibe. It was such an original idea that brought everyone together and made the day so visually perfect in every way. What more could you expect from such a creative couple!
After dinner everyone danced until dawn, bare foot on the grass and free. The perfect bohemian ending to one of Spain’s most perfect boho weddings on the Costa Brava. I was in heaven!
As soon as I know I have a wedding in Tarifa booked I start to get excited. The location awakens my inner hippy …and when you combine Tarifa’s boho chilled charm with timeless British elegance and style then you get perfection. Which is what we had at Ben and Karen’s wedding.
Ben and Karen are keen surfers and are really sporty, which is why Tarifa was their first choice for a wedding in the south of Spain. They chose me as their photographer because they could see that although I’m a Catalan wedding photographer from Malaga – I’m a free spirit at heart, and they really enjoyed my love for capturing the unexpected and knew I would be able to document their special day in a fun and relaxed style.
Ben and Karen got married in a unique chapel perched on top of the mountains overlooking the bay of Tarifa and Valdevaqueros Beach. It’s one of my favorite locations for a ceremony as it always blows the guests away – even though on this day they were literally being blown about! Tarifa is known for its windiness, which is great when you surf and want waves – but not so good for a wedding photographer from Spain. But I’m pretty adaptable and in the end it made for some great moments in the day and some really funny images.
Karen looked amazing in her Amanda Wakeley dress and her Louis Vitton shoes. You can take the girl out of London but you can’t take London out of the girl – even in hippy Tarifa she was dressed to impress. Ben wore a smart casual blue suit with no tie, and the bride arrived to the church in a bright orange vintage VW Beetle. I was loving the fun mix of chic and Boho and the chapel looked so cool with the bright retro car parked outside the quintessentially old Spanish building.
I had a great time photographing the Ben and Karen for their romantic portraits in the surrounding Tarifa countryside. It’s not often as a wedding photographer in Spain that you are surrounded by so many cows, but it was hilarious and I think the fun we had is really evident in the photography. Not many bridal couples can say they had such a great backdrop for their photos!
Following the ceremony, the celebrations were held in Tangana Beach – a typical surf shack chiringuito on the beach. But even though the venue was relaxed and informal, it was luxury all the way with Goyo Catering’s array of mouthwatering dishes and canapés.
As the day turned to dusk, the trees were lit up in fairy lights and guests danced the night away to the sound of the waves. Another impeccably organized wedding by the wonderful Jolanda at Tarifa Events, and another amazing wedding in Tarifa…my favourite boho retreat! You can see more of this amazing couple in the prewedding session we did in Tarifa here.
Spanish inspiration wedding
What do you imagine when someone says the words ‘Spanish inspiration wedding’?
Mountains and red roses? Beach and sangria?
Well a wedding in Spain needn´t be tacky or obvious, in fact when I discussed this very theme with renown Spanish planners Caprichia Weddings & Occasions and the exceptional Marbella-based caterers Goyo they came up with a concept that blew me away. In fact the look was so original and breathtakingly romantic that I was itching to get started shooting their fantastic ideas.
Our recreation took place in a gorgeous finca in Marbella. We wanted the inspirational shoot to feature the things that make Spain great, the things that unite a family and add sunshine to people’s lives…so the styling heavily featured local food, Spanish flowers and a bit of a to the days of old.
The bride, her hair in a latin-style up do, wore an elegant yet simple dress and shoes by Spanish designer Juana Martín. The addition of the shawl, complete with bright red roses, brought together the fabulous ceremonial surrounding of simple wooden chairs and earthenware pots of geraniums and ferns.
What says ‘Spain’ better than eating beneath the fragrant branches of orange trees? We set up the aged wooden table, with authentically worn mis-matched chairs, by a pretty pond surrounded by trees. The linen runners and tall candles added a touch of chic to the rustic surroundings. And of course the flowers, by Marbella-based talented florist VG Florista, were the bright splash of colour needed to complete the romantic scene. She used an eye-catching mix of red, pink and cerise carnations and bougainvillea mixed with roses, eucalyptus and grasses to bring a feeling of the outdoors to the table.
The sun shone down on us as we set up food tables nearby for guests to enjoy after the reception.
As the planners creatively laid out the fare, all you could hear was the distant hum of bees and the occasional chirp of the cicadas. And what a selection of local produce!
Instead of a traditional wedding cake (who wants their buttercream icing melting in the sun?) we opted for a magnificent cheese tower. The table was a treat for the eyes full of locally sourced cheese such as Manchego, Valdeon Blue, Mahon, Tetilla and light goat’s cheeses. We used traditional hand-painted ceramic bowls and antique wooden furniture to bring the indoors out – along with bright spots of colour through the use of Spanish fruits such as grapes, passion fruit and berries.
Beside the cheese we set out the bread and olive oil – Spain’s staple diet. The bread had been baked especially for us that morning by Goyo and his team, and the scent of it along with the marinated olives and herbs was amazing. The concept was that guests would be encouraged to pick at the food as they mingled with one another, Spanish style (no need for the formality of plates and cutlery). A dip of the organic bread into the dark green oil, cold pressed from the Andalucian mountains, followed by your own mini paper cone filled with cured Jamón pieces and cubes of local chorizo and salchichon cured sausages. This was accompanied by ripe cherry tomatoes, still on their vine, and of course plenty of wine!
Lastly (and perhaps the most anticipated) was the dessert table. Goyo had really outdone himself here with his creative interpretation of the traditional Spanish treat – Churros. These long fried donuts are covered in sugar and normally eaten for breakfast with a silkily dark chocolate drink. Goyo transformed this dish into mini shot glasses complete with diced donuts to dip inside. Along with them were a selection of Spanish pastries and turron (an almond-based delicacy)….a sweets table for proper gastronomical grown-ups.
We hope you have enjoyed our interpretation of a true traditional Spanish rustic wedding. Because, like anything of importance in Spain – as long as your surroundings are stunning, the food the best you can get and the sun shining – then you will have a day to remember!
Spanish inspiration wedding
Makeup: Rafaela Makeup
Costa Brava Wedding, Wedding in Castell de L’Empordà
Wedding photos of a beautiful intimate wedding in the Costa Brava
I love all weddings, big and small, which is why I adore being a wedding photographer in Spain…because no two are ever the same. I was so excited to get to document Gemma and Aleix’s wedding day in Costa Brava as it was so unique and different to the usual big fancy affairs. Gemma And Aleix and they Wedding in Castell de L’Empordà
Gemma and Aleix are a wonderful couple who never stop smiling. There was such electricity between them it wasn’t hard to capture the love and excitement on their special day. They wanted a small intimate wedding so their choice of Costa Brava venue – Castell de l’Empordà – was the perfect place for their wedding celebrations.
The hotel resembles an Italian Tuscan castle nestled in the luscious mountains of the Costa Brava, surrounded by olive trees and blue mountains in the distance. As far as wedding venues go you don’t get more charming than this hotel with its rough stone façade and impressive grounds. The hotel even features its own pretty chapel where most couple choose to marry.
The bride and groom married the day before at a local registry office then celebrated at the stunning Wedding in Castell de L’Empordà surrounded by just a few key members of their family and close friends. Gemma and Aleix are not your usual wedding couple. She didn’t want the traditional big meringue dress and he didn’t want top hat and tails. They are a fun couple, down to earth and with quirky personalities – and wanted their outfits to reflect that. Gemma wore a sensational light blue sequined gown by Justician Ruano, and Aleix chose a more relaxed option of biker jacket over his crisp white shirt and suit trousers. As Aleix’s father is a hairdresser, he created his daughter-in-law’s relaxed hairstyle with flowing locks and a boho-inspired plait. She looked positively radiant, so pretty, feminine and unique.
The couple were naturally very shy, which just made the photos even cuter, and we had so much fun shooting the intimate shots as they laughed and giggled throughout the whole session. They married on the 1st of November but the sun shone like summertime, making the hotel’s surrounding gardens and parkland the perfect setting for these images.
In the afternoon the guests enjoyed cocktails, a late lunch and then music by a Roberto de Palma DJ who played solely on vinyl. Nothing too modern or tawdry about this wedding! I loved working with Gemm and Albert, they are definitely the most unique couple I have ever had the pleasure to photograph and I hope you enjoy these portrait pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them. you can see another lovely wedding in Hotel Castell de l’Empordà here
