Part 2! and if you missed Simran + Chris part 1  here it is. Well I said it was an epic wedding and it was as epic as it was long!  After all the colour and emotion of the morning it was time for more! After the guests had a little chill out back in Sitges it was time for the second wedding celebration back at Almiral de la font.

There was a slight sense of deja vu as the makeup girls got started on Simran’s next transformation. As the evening sun set the guests returned for more cocktails before and a candle lit ceremony in the Villa. The ceremony was not a complicated affair but once again you could really feel the emotion around the room shared by so many friends and loved ones.

After a short dinner interval! ( FYI the curry and all food was amazing! ) it was time to really get the party started and Jermaine and his band had everyone partying till the wee small hours and even the local police turned up to wish them well and if they wouldn’t mind awfully turning the music down a bit.

So after 2 days in Sitges with Richard between us we shot over 8000 images and on the “wedding (s) day ” shot for around 19 hours. Would I do that again in a hurry? Absolutely YES!

Huge thanks to Simran & Chris for being such amazing hosts and all the wonderful guests!

Thanks to the following:

Almiral de la Font 

Judit Wedding Barcelona

Jermaine Fleur + band

Pere | Video

J

I am not sure epic really covers it but when it comes to memorable wedding experiences this one will certainly take some beating. Why a part 1? Well Simran & Chris don’t do things by halves, and 24 hours is after all a long time and plenty long enough for not one but two weddings!

Touch down Barcelona Friday afternoon and time to meet up with Richard who was designated driver due to my mishap in Madrid a few weeks earlier. Richard is a top bloke, a very talented photographer and a great guy to have around at a wedding, however his driving is borderline shocking. So arrival in Sitges and time to meet Simran & Chris. We were a little late ( makeup thing ) heading out for our short pre wedding session but even with little light we just about had time to grab a few images on the beach and then headed to a nearby bar for some traditional tapas and henna ( as you do ). After saying a few hello’s it was time to head back to Almiral de la Font a very dreamy setting up in the hills above Sitges and as much sleep as possible before it all began.

And so it began…..Well an early start for most wedding photographers in this part of the world is maybe 3pm? so a 7am start is certainly unfamiliar territory and it took me a while to decide if it was early or late?  As Chris roamed the villa in his yellow towel Simran and her team set to work which was an amazing experience to document. As the sun rose things got busier and the team set to work creating and decorating the setting for the ceremony. I have documented many many types of religious ceremonies and it was a real treat to be able to share in what a was a really emotional part of the day and really hope the images show some of that.

Of course after any good wedding what do you need? CURRY! + COCKTAILS! absolutely amazing. After a very short interlude it was off down the hill to Sitges for a video session and a few minutes to grab some images of Simran & Chris. So had this been your normal old one wedding a day “wedding”  then it would have been off back for dinner but oh no. it was time for Simran & Chris “the next wedding”……………..see told you it was epic, more to come very soon.

When it comes to jumping on a plane to get to a wedding I consider myself pretty clued up. I fly to about 10 weddings a year and have a very regimented routine when it comes to luggage, camera bags, equipment etc and up until this little trip never really had much of a drama. The mistake: buying big loud shiny new headphones for this trip. What has that got to do with anything? well I have a theory that listening to loud music on big headphones tends to make one lose ones focus and as a result I was relived of my cash, credit cards and driving license on the Madrid subway. As you can imagine I was pretty freaked out when I arrived at the hotel. Lacey and Brad to the rescue!

So a wedding in Madrid at the start of September with close family and friends an amazing location is exactly what Lacey and Brad opted for their destination wedding. The ME Madrid is a very cool venue and  the perfect setting for the wedding in amongst the hustle and bustle of Madrid street life.

All the prep took place in the amazing suite overlooking the square and then it was up to the roof terrace for a tear jerking ceremony. The wonders of modern technology also meant that Brad’s parents could view the scenes via the wonders of FaceTime! After drinks on the top terrace it was down for dinner in the hotel.

Certainly a journey and a wedding I shall never forget. A great pleaure working with you and you family and friends and really hope you enjoy a few of my favourites from the day.

J

Probably the worst place to visit at any airport is the “lost luggage” counter, I have lost count of how many times I have flown to weddings and touch wood this was the first time my luggage had decided to stay on in Malaga a little longer. After some polite pleading and pointing out on more than one occasion I was getting married the next day ( I wasn´t ) I was promised my luggage would be with me the following morning, after a sleepless night imagining myself documenting the wedding in flip-flops and shorts I was met the following morning by the little man with my bag.

Having met Lel prior to the wedding a few weeks early and seen her mood boards ( brides this is a good thing ) I was very excited about this wedding, working for clients who work in creative industry´s is always a treat. You can check out Lel’s very cool Blog.

A bit about Lel and Edu: Demelza or Lel is originally from Tasmania ( think devils ) and Eduardo from Barcelona, they now both live and work in Amsterdam in the marketing world ( I can´t stop thinking about Mad Men whenever I look at this wedding ) . Hotel Mon is a stunning modern hotel in the grounds of the Monastery of Mon St Benet and well worth a visit if your ever in that part of the world, if your a foodie then do go.

I was lucky to be joined on the day by the very talented Gabby from En route who joined the boys for the prep at the family home in Barcelona and shot some great images throughout the day. The girls prep was all taking place at the hotel. The thing I truly love about my job is that no matter how many weddings you document you always see something new. On this occasion it was the horizontal make-up technique! think massage table face up as opposed to the old fashioned and much easier to photograph chair routine, really hope that doesn´t catch on, but despite the new funky technique Lel´s hair and makeup looked stunning and perfect for the gorgeous dress, another lasting memory will be Lel twirling her dress at any possible opportunity!

After a lovely ceremony outside the monastery it was time for some of that amazing Catalan cuisine in the gardens decorated by none other than bride and dad the morning of the wedding!, you can always tell when your at a wedding in Catalonia as more often than not the food and drinks will have nitrogen or something similar steaming from it and food from anywhere else is never really as good. Dinner was equally spectacular in the very modern restaurant with some really lovely emotive speeches. Getting back to the always something new at a wedding I had never seen a Mime introduce a cake, talk about speechless! This was not I must point out organized by Lel.

After dinner it was time for the dancing to commence and friends of Edu provided great music and equally great outfits! One the way back to the hotel I also managed to catch a glimpse of an amazing lighting display over Barcelona the perfect end to a perfect wedding ( Minus the bag thing )

Such a pleasure working with you guys and really hope you enjoy a few of my faves.

J

Well were did it all begin? Way back in May 2011 Stephen and Jasmine got in touch about their wedding at La Baronia. Of course certain venues really do make your ears prick up and this is certainly one them, I was there a few years ago and it was certainly a venue I was keen to work at again.

After lots of emailing, phone calls and some skyping myself and the photobooth were on the way to La Baronia at the end of July ( ably assisted by Richard Hadley ) and very excited about the day ahead. After some unscheduled sightseeing around Barcelona we made it to La Baronia really early to set up the photobooth and let the day unfold.

All the prep took place in the amazing master suite with incredible views out over the Catalan countryside. The end of July in Barcelona can be fiercely hot so we were also blessed with some light cloud covering to help keep us all cool. After a lovely ceremony at the front of the house it was down to the terrace to sample come Catalan culinary delights.

Now like most documentary photographers you tend to thrive on action and emotion throughout the day but I don’t think anyone had banked on the venue very nearly burning to the ground, anyone who lives in Spain is acutely aware of the danger of fire and thanks to a very quick thinking member of staff the only damage caused was the loss of some curtains ( very big and very old curtains at that ) , whilst this unfolded and the seating was rearranged to another equally impressive room, Jasmine and Stephen and most of the guests were blissfully unaware, if credit should ever go to a venue then it is this one, managing to avert what could have been a chatastrophe whilst everyone else was blisfully unaware was aquite a feat.

After a small delay caused by the above: dinner and speeches proceeded with the only drama on this occasion being tears from heartfelt speeches from friends and family. The photo-booth was a BIG hit and combined with some serious dancing talent the party went long into the night and then onto Barcelona, unfortunatley I had a flight to catch the very next morning but I can be pretty certain they partied till sunrise.

A huge thanks to everyone at La Baronia and to Richard for his help and to Jasmine and Stephen for being such amazing hosts and their very cool family and friends. If you would like to view the highlight slideshow from the wedding then please click here, this will worklin ipad and iphone and all other devices. The Slideshow.

Jeremy

June was a crazy month indeed this year with some incredible weddings and I was so lucky to be able to visit Sitges not once but twice in the space of a few days. Enri and Nery got in touch earlier in the year and despite having a wedding the day before on the Costa del Sol the travel was actually a breeze and after a hair raising drive from BCN airport I arrived with perfect timing.

Intimate, Simple,  and Romantic were the 3 words they used to describe the wedding and that is pretty much a perfect description. After all the prep at the Masia it was off down the long dusty road to Sitges and the breathtaking church.

After a lovely ceremony it was time for a few drinks in Sitges before heading back for first rate speeches and a feast prepared by Gillian. I think this was probably the first time I have stayed over a villa wedding and it was so cool to be able to jump into some shorts and injoy a couple of beers with such a cool couple and such a cool crowd.

Thanks again to you both it was a real treat to be part of such a special day. A big thanks to Elaine for her work in making such a great day possible and also Gillian and Pip whose food and decor were stunning.

J

Amazing, incredible, awesome! not my words but those of a guest in Heidi & Lalo’s guest book and those three words pretty much sum up the entire experience. Heidi & Lalo live in LA and made the trip over to Barcelona with close family and friends from far and wide. As some of you will know I absolutely love these kinds of weddings and having the chance to hang out with people this cool for a few days was a real treat.

The Friday began with a coach trip out to a fabulous venue for a touch of local culture and paella cooking and  lovely lunch. WIth barely time to catch your breath it was then off to the cava producers Codorniu, chances are if you like cava you will have sampled some of this at some point. The sheer vastness of the premises is something to behold and despite the odd guest fading a little after lunch we were all treated to fantastic tour and tasting.

As if that was not enough for one day it was swiftly back to Barcelona before the rehearsal dinner in the newly renovated Hotel Espana and the incredible dining room boasting original hand painted murals on the walls, I was politely told that use of any flash would result in instant removal  which gives you some idea how precious they are.

So where were we? After so much to absorb from the Friday it was hard not to have some sort of expectation about the Saturday and the only remaining 17th century palace in the gothic area of Barcelona seemed a suitable location, even boasting the original furniture from the 17th century . Palau Moxo is a truly stunning location, I have  never seen so many chanceliiers in one room anywhere before and it is actually worth taking a peek at their website to view the venue from the past.

The wedding ceremony took place in the church directly opposite the Palau Moxo and having shot in many stunning churches in the past this has to be up there with one of the most beautiful. After a lovely ceremony it was back across the square for a traditional Japanesse blessing followed by cocktails and canapés in the courtyard.

Dinner was as you would expect superb, and also accompanied by an incredible solo concert pianist ( You probably were not expecting much less than that by now ) and after speeches and tears it was time for cake cutting in the main in the lounge area and lots more tears!

Can’t thanks you enough for allowing me to share such a wonderful experience with your friends and family and it will certainly be a wedding I shall never forget. If you would like to view the slideshow from the two days then please CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE SLIDESHOW   if you were a guest then viewing is a must, if you weren’t it is still a must!

A huge thanks to everyone who made the wedding such a great success and as ever great to work with you all.

Clare Barcelona Wedding

Catrin Absolutely gorgeous Barcelona

Will + Oriel ENSU awesome videography

Catering Sensacions

Thanks and enjoy.

J

So many images to share from this wedding. A full blog post in a couple of weeks but here are a few from this fabulous wedding.