Weddings abroad Europe, Valencia, Spain

A Mexican themed wedding on a Spanish coast.  With a ceremony in a listed ancient dwelling on top of the mountain which used to be a hidey-hole of the best local wine from the pirates. And why not?!

Weddings abroad Europe, Spain

This was my first destination wedding in Spain. This Spanish coast was actually my first ever trip abroad from behind the Iron Curtain. 26 years ago I came to visit and live here for a short period of time as an aspiring model. You can imagine how excited I was to see Costa del Moresmo, Valencia again!

Laura and Lee’s amazing Spanish wedding with a Mexican twist

For Laura the idea of a destination wedding abroad was not just a fashionable whim. Since she can remember, she spent her summer holidays in the family casa española. Having her wedding in the place of her most happy memories was the most natural thing to do. Once you see the spectacular views  – you will know why Lee had absolutely no problem with that!!

As destination weddings go, Laura and Lee’s adventure was so much more than just a holiday. Friends and family helped creating almost every aspect of this celebration which culminated in the most epic party.

The wooden chalets by the sea provided the pace for the wedding base camp. As guests started to arrive, to kick start their “Big Fat Spanish wedding”, Laura and Lee took everyone to some of their favourite restaurants and tapas bars. Two nights in the row, the gorgeous sleepy town of Alcocembre, Valencia was dishing out the best delicacies and bottomless quantities of drinks. The night before the wedding I took the wedding party to the fantastically handsome rugged cost for some pre-wedding pictures. I was lucky to have the gorgeous Claire Penn to shoot with me on this trip and cannot wait to see her pictures.

The wedding day

As having their wedding in Spain was not enough of a theme, Laura and Lee took Mexico as their inspiration for wedding  decorations. Think bright colours, tequila, cacti, sugar skulls – this was one of the most colourful weddings I photographed. As a general rule, weddings abroad Europe have a latish start. Which is of course a perfect excuse to have a long Champagne (Cava!) breakfast by the pool overlooking the curve of the horizon that is the sea. It was not until 4pm that Laura has emerged from her family home with her best friends. Happy and giddy with excitement and high mountain air they climbed in a little Sia to the top of the hill to a Ermita Santa Lucia, Alcocembre.  Standing tall and dazzlingly white Ermita, amongst other things used to be a fortress where the locals hid their wine from the passing pirates… Some incredible graffiti cover it’s walls – making this place totally unique as well as gorgeous. Make sure you scroll down to see pictures of the graffiti!

Laura and Lee, thank you for the incredible few days which was your wedding celebration. I loved every minute of it!

These are just some of my favourite pictures – Enjoy!

Yana xxx