Real Weddings/Destination Weddings

A Romantic Fairytale Spanish Destination Wedding

Romantic Spanish Destination Wedding in Barcelona – Andrea Ferrara 3

The rustic warm-colored villas. The iconic, towering cypress trees. The glittering Mediterranean sea. This romantic evening has everything we love about Spanish destination weddings.

Alexandra & Matthew’s Barcelona wedding is dripping with romance (there’s a reason we scheduled this stunning scene around Valentine’s Day!) “Red is the color of passion, so we aimed to include plenty of reds, burgundies, and pinks of various shades in the flowers & décor” says bride Alexandra. We love when our couples use color & florals intentionally in design, and the red hues certainly blend right into this warm Spanish atmosphere.

We’re also quite giddy whenever we get to gush over a Galia Lahav real bride (no shame, we are totally Galia Lahav fangirls around these parts!) Alexandra offers the quintessential bridal shopping story – something BM stylist Christina is always trying to remind our brides – let yourself try on and be surprised by gowns you didn’t think you’d wear. Alexandra went shopping envisioning a sleek sheath gown and was instantly charmed by this breathtaking ballgown which fits the fairytale romance ever-so-well.

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Romantic Spanish Destination Wedding in Barcelona – Andrea Ferrara 52

Our Love Story

Alexandra: I was bartending in the late NYC nightclub Output one evening when this strikingly handsome man ordered a drink from me. Every time he came to the bar, he looked at me with the kindest eyes and the brightest smile, but to me, it appeared he was trying to be respectful and “not hit on the bartender”.

When he came back for a third round, he rested his chin in his hands, let out a big swoony sigh, and said “Can I get a–“ when I interrupted him and blurted out “Would you like to go on a date with me??!” The rest is history, and we’ve been together for over 7 years now.

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The Dress

As for my dress, I’ve been a fan of Galia Lahav’s for quite some time and went shopping looking specifically for a sleek, fitted sheath dress. But once I laid eyes on the Aelin, a stunning, shimmering, sequined ball gown, I couldn’t picture myself in anything else. I’m a big music person, so the music selection was also incredibly important.

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Romantic Spanish Destination Wedding in Barcelona – Andrea Ferrara 27
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The Destination & Design

The inspiration for our wedding revolved around the natural beauty and romance of Spain and Barcelona. Red is the color of passion, so we aimed to include plenty of reds, burgundies, and pinks of various shades in the flowers & décor. I’ve always had a flair for the dramatic and love a darker aesthetic, so we filled the wedding day venue with plenty of candles to create a cozy, romantic atmosphere.

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The Photography

My wedding planner, Jennifer, made a few suggestions for a wedding photographer, and the portfolio of Andrea Ferrara really stood out to me. I felt like he could be the one to capture my vision, and he truly did not disappoint!

The videographer was someone the photographer has collaborated with in the past, which ended up being a fantastic decision because they worked together so well & captured some of the most stunning photos I’ve ever seen (though I may be a little biased)!

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Romantic Spanish Destination Wedding in Barcelona – Andrea Ferrara 1
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The Planning

As I am currently studying for my Masters in Chinese Medicine, hiring a planner was the best decision I could have possibly made. Jennifer May, of Crystal Events Barcelona, was an absolute lifesaver, and I literally could have not pulled this wedding off without her.

On the day of the wedding, don’t forget to breathe. It is statistically impossible for every single thing to go exactly as planned, so don’t sweat the small stuff, be like water and roll with the waves, and enjoy your wedding day!

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The Music & Reception

I’m a big music person, so the music selection was also incredibly important. For dinner, I curated a playlist full of romantic classic American Soul & R&B, and during the party, my only request was “Disco, & disco only!” We had such a blast, and I hardly left the dance floor the entire party!

Another unique feature of our wedding was the photo booth we had designed. We had a gorgeous red velvet couch surrounded by flowers, with a neon sign reading “Can’t take my mind off you”, which were lyrics of our first dance song. Not only did it create an incredibly beautiful photo booth experience for our guests, but we now have the gorgeous sign in our home, and it is a constant reminder of the most special day of our lives.

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The Honeymoon

We had originally planned to travel to Bali for our honeymoon in April 2020, but as one can imagine, we postponed it because of Covid. We were finally able to take it this past December 2020 (over our 1 year anniversary) and decided to travel somewhere a bit closer to our hometown of New York City.

We spent 9 days in Costa Rica and were absolutely consumed by the beauty of the country, the incredibly exotic flora and fauna (and so many adorable sloths!), and some of the most delicious food we have eaten in a long time! It was so hard to leave, and we already planned on returning for one of our future anniversaries.

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