Well what better place to get into the full swing of the wedding season than the always amazing Palacete de Cázulas. I have been documenting weddings here for many years and never tire of the beauty and mystic of this wonderful venue. I met Joan and Mark a long time ago and I think they were actually my first booking for 2013 and I was very much looking froward to this one.

Ruth ( her images coming soon ) and I made the trip up to Cazulas on an indifferent day to be fair. Up in the hills around Otivar they pretty much have their own weather system and I challenge anyone to predict weather at this place. As it turns out we had a bit of everything! and it gave Joan and Mark the chance to use up pretty much every inch of the venue, drinks outside, drinks inside, first course outside, the rest of dinner inside. ( You will see from the images the sudden change of venue )

Despite the challenges of the weather and some very willing and able guests and staff it was a day to remember! from the beautiful ceremony conducted by Padre Peter to the tear jerking speeches. It was my one and only trip to Cazulas this year which is kind of the way I like it. Till next time.

Thanks to…….

Everyone who helped move the table and chairs!!!

Jenny the Spanish Wedding Planner

Liza Mayne

Ian Preston

Well better late than never! 2012 was a pretty amazing year. I documented 39 weddings in some truly breathtaking locations. It is very hard to select favourites from so many great weddings but here is a selection from every wedding I documented during the 9 month season.

A really huge thanks to all of the brides and grooms who entrusted me to document their weddings and all of the very talented vendors who have recommended my services. Thanks again and wish you all the very best for 2013 and beyond.

Jeremy

Well every year comes to an end and the last wedding of the very long season was in the lovely Nerja with Bernie & Seamus. Some people might think that the travel from Ireland to Spain is a bit of a drag ( particularly if your flying Ryan Air ) but Bernie & Seamus travelled all the way from Perth, Western Australia for their own wedding which I have to say was well worth the trip!

Nerja is a stunning spot at the best of times but the middle of October is the perfect time, gorgeous light, milder temperatures, all the perfect ingredients for a very cool wedding. Despite lots of emails and some skyping I  had not met Bernie until the “knock knock” on the bridal suite door. I am not sure if its the same for everyone but I reckon I can get a good idea on the general feel for the day in the first 10 minutes, so its always good when one of the first noises of the day is a Moet cork!

One of the great bonuses of marrying in Nerja is that the Hotel Balcon Europa is a short walking distance to he church and with the beautiful October sunshine Bernie had a pretty decent audience to watch enter the church. After a lovely service it back over to the hotel for ccktails and canapes for all the guests.

Sunset from the Balcon are breathtaking. It really is a great spot for the wedding dinner and speeches and of course some authentic flamenco dancing under the stars. And can you really beat the feeling of sand between your toes during you first dance?

Always a little sad blogging the last wedding of the year but a huge thanks to Bernie & Seamus for making it so memorable and really hope you enjoy a few of mine and Ruth’s  favourites. If you would like to vierw the slidehsow from this wedding then please do! pop the kettle on or seeing as its Christmas grab a nice glass of wine and turn up the volume!  Bernie & Seamus Slideshow

A huge thanks to the following!

Ruth

Kerry 

Ian Preston

Hotel Balcon Europa

Merry Christmas everyone and enjoy the images!

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.

Finally! after a month of office distruption I am right back on track with the last few weddings of 2012 and it doesn’t get much better than working with people you love working with and a bride and groom who were a real joy to hang out with.

So Hacienda San Jose again! well hardly……no secret that I am a big fan of working at new locations but heh if your going to work several times at once place thank goodness it was HSJ. I must admit the creative brain was working overtime to create something equally unique and original for Sal + Jay but they were up for anything so I think we did pretty good.

Start of season and end of season weddings always have the bonus of knowing your going to get some great light at some point during the day and we were not to be disappointed. The preparation took place in the bridal suite before a heartfelt ceremony on the front lawn. Lizzie Marriage seems to treat every wedding as if its her first and her last, she has a rare skill in making each celebration totally unique and I have shed a tear behind the lens at many.

So a perfect days requires more than just a great imagination and the team from Fiesta Sol turned the gardens into a beautiful setting for the wedding dinner and lots of great speeches. Of course no wedding would be complete without a cake, not just any cake but “Sweet thing by Fi”, being able to watch Fi add the finishing touches to the cake was a treat and the end result truly breathtaking.

After cake and coffee it was time for Mr Ian Preston to do his thing and trust me no one does it better. Well thats it from my adventures with Fiesta Sol for the year but look forward to many more next year.

Huge thanks to Sal & Jay and family for making Ruth and I feel so welcome! really hope you enjoy a few of our faves.

Thanks again to the following for all “doing their thing” so well!

Fiesta Sol

Princess Bride

Lizzie Marriage

Sweet things by Fi

Ian Preston

J & R x

Well where to start with this one! To be honest when a bride first contacts you and tells you she is getting married in Gaucin in the morning, going to La Herriza for the wedding breakfast and then to the beach for the disco you tend to think she might be a bit bonkers or bad at reading maps.

Well Natali had a vision ( literally you will read later ) and it turns out is was not bonkers at all but it had all the elements everyone wants from their Spanish wedding day, countryside, picture postcard church and the beach.

A lot of weddings I cover will have some connection to the venue or area and occasionally a church but never have I heard a story as cool this so read on, and find out exactly why Natali ended up in the little church on the hill.

“Over 8 years ago (a few months before I met Pete) I was backpacking around Australia and doing lots of hippy stuff like meditation. One day I had a ‘vision’ from a man who looked like Jesus telling me his name was John Cidade and that he was my spiritual master. He also showed me images of crosses, churches and a big round bell tower. I am half Spanish and brought up a Catholic but not all that religious, I had never heard of him. Later found out there was a Spanish Saint by that name called John of God with that name. |

7 years later Pete and I had moved to Spain and chosen Gaucin as our venue for the wedding when we heard about a little chapel you could marry in in the village. I thought it was too far and hard for the guests to access but we researched it. When I went inside the first thing I saw was a statue of the very man I had had a vision of, and behind the chapel the ruins of an old castle that had had the very same bell tower I had seen 8 years previously. I found out Gaucin mountain was where Saint John of God has seen a vision of Christ and dedicated his life to the church, and that the chapel we thought of marrying in was where he had 500 years previously left an effigy of christ. It is the only place in the world that every Sept (the month we had chosen to marry in) celebrates his life.

Then, as if that were not enough of a sign, on speaking of this to my Mum she told me that the hospital that had saved my life when I was 5 was called John of God Hospital in Spain!! I took the hint and one year later we got married there.”

A big thanks to Natali and Pete for being so great to work with and hope you enjoy a few of my faves.

Thanks to the following:

Ruth

La Herriza

Virginia florista

Rachel makeup

Back in September Ruth and I made out way down to the always spectacular Villa Padierna in Benahavis for the wedding of Garance and Mathieu.

I met Garance and her charming mother Catherine early in the year and was super excited about the big day. All of the preparation took place in the hotel before a charming ceremony conducted by Lizzie Marriage with a little help from Baileys the four legged ring bearer. After the ceremony we were all treated to a surprise rendition of love me do by the Marbella big band.

Glamourous guests sipped on cocktails in the beautiful amphitheater gardens and thoroughly embraced the PhotoBooth. After a short break guests were greeted with a glass of champagne before dining and speeches under the stars and then dancing th enight away to the Marbella big band.

What a day!

A real pleasure working with you all and really hope you enjoy a few of our faves.

J

Sat here looking at the rain tap against the window September seems a very long time ago. May and September are very much my favourite wedding months, the sun is that bit lower, the balmy summer temperatures are starting to drop and the light that little bit nicer.

I met Noelle and Johnny way way back at Malaga airport of all places and I think they were my first clients to book me for 2012 so it was a long wait till the big day.

Ruth and I made the way up to the Balcon hotel in Nerja to start the prep with a very chilled Noelle! must have been that crystal hanging from the mirror. The great thing about marrying in Nerja is the fact you won´t see a car, the church is a 2 minute walk and the bar another 2 minute walk afterwards ( or even closer ) not to mention the stunning setting of the Balcon de Europa point and church and if you ever wanted an exlectic mix of onlookers then this is the place.

After a lovely ceremony it was back to the Balcon for cocktails and canapés before making the way down to the beach!! I had never worked at the Balcon de Europa before and as you know a new venue is a something I really enjoy. I was also looking forward to the egg and chips vendors meal which Ian Preston sold to me very well indeed.

The beachside area at the Balcon provides a stunning backdrop, hearing the waves crashing against the shore whilst dining under  the stars is a real treat. After the speeches it was time for some impromptu dance offs, giant sparklers, banjos players and that was before the party really started!

All in all a perfect day! Must say a huge thanks to Ian and Sonya. I had never worked with Sonya who is widely regarded as very much the Nerja expert! and was a joy to work with so professional and accommodating. Adding Ian Preston into the mix always makes sure for very happy guests and he was right about those egg and chips, awesome!

Huge thanks to the following for making such a great day happen.

Sonya

Ian Preston

Balcon de Europa

Start of September is busy time for weddings in Southern Spain and it was great to have a couple of weeks without any destination weddings. The Don Carlos is a undoubtedly a very cool venue and with a ceremony at Encarnacion in Marbella it gives you a great taste of old and new and town and beach and the combination has always been a favourite.

I didn’t get to meet Caroline or Rob prior to the wedding so Ruth and I made our way to Marbella for the preparation with the lovely ladies from Princess bride. It was then onwards to the lovely Encarnacion church. After a lovely ceremony it was into orange square for a few drinks before the journey back to the gardens of the Don Carlos. After being treated to views of the Med it was then time for the highlight which must be the Don Carlos setting which is about as close to the beach as you can get without getting sand in your salad.

After dinner and speeches under the stars guests were treated to a flamenco show by the pool before dancing in the caves!  All in all a fabulous wedding! A few of my and Ruth’s faves below.

A really big thanks to the following for such great work as ever.

J

Kerry

Princess bride

Well after the travels of the weeks prior it was really great to be closer to home for this one and nowhere better than the very fabulous Marbella Club a perfect setting for a very chic and elegant wedding.

I first met Sally & Greg ( and Sally’s very big wedding folder ) a week or so before the wedding and had been looking forward to this one for a while. The Marbella Club is the type of venue I work at once or twice a year which is perfect for me as over familiarity with a venue is not always a good thing.

Very ably assisted by Ruth ( Whose associate website comes out very soon ) we made out way down to the MC for all of the prep and then the short stroll or golf buggy ride away from the venue. The Marbella club is one of the few outdoor venues that is pretty much always blessed with great ceremony light. The tall trees provide lovely soft light which is always a great thing.

After a wonderful ceremony including a surprise “love actually” style rendition of Love me do ( very cool idea ) it was off for canapes and drinks before dinner under the stars by the pool and dancing the night away!

Huge thanks to your both for being so cool to work with! Really hope you enjoy a few faves and can’t wait to get started on your album.

Sincere thanks to the following:

Lucia, Caprichia weddings

Flor Valentin

Paul Martin