One Couple's Elegant Destination Wedding in Spain's Montserrat Mountains

Silvina and Jeff met—of all places—at a wedding in Washington D.C., in April of 2014. Three years later, the pair found themselves planning their own after Jeff proposed near the Jefferson Memorial on a hot summer day in 2017. As they prepared for their celebration, the couple knew they wanted to offer guests an experience that felt like a vacation—so they decided to invite 130 of their closest friends and family members to join them in one of the first cities they visited together: Barcelona, Spain.

Distance may have forced Silvina and Jeff to plan the majority of their wedding from afar, but it was important to the duo to meet as many of their vendors (in person!) as possible. They visited Barcelona four times throughout the process, first to find a venue, second to have their engagement photo shoot, third to sample their menu, and fourth to meet the remainder of the vendors that would help bring their vision to life. The first visit, in particular, was a standout: They visited nearly fifteen different venues before deciding on La Baronia in Sant Feliu de Codines, just outside of Barcelona. "We fell in love with its history, the fact that it is still family-owned, and that it looks like a mini castle," Silvina says.

Many of the bride's family members traveled from Argentina, so the pair wanted to host a party that went all night long—something guests would expect from a wedding in Argentina or Spain. To ensure the celebration flowed smoothly from start to finish (a big ask, considering the event didn't wrap until 4 a.m. the following morning!), the couple teamed up with a planner from their venue, Susana, along with Karolina from Wedding Stories (their day-of-coordinator!)—together, the couple and their team crafted an event that they (and their attendees) will never forget.

Silvina's wedding dress was custom-made for her by Kara Wedding Boutique. The flowy gown featured a V-neckline, an intricate lace bodice, and a cathedral-length train. "The dress was finalized one week before the wedding!" the bride shares.

Silvina wore comfortable white Chanel sling-backs for the ceremony; she changed into ivory Bella Belle heels with illusion mesh, delicate lace detailing, and a tied bow at the heel for the reception.

Jeff wore a black tuxedo and bow tie from Tom Ford and completed his look with Allen Edmonds shoes and a custom tuxedo shirt by Roger Concept Tailor. His cuff links were engraved with the letter "A" to represent Silvina's middle name, Andrea; an IWC Portugieser Automatic watch, a wedding gift from his parents, was the finishing touch.

Bridesmaids wore floor-length blue chiffon dresses in varying styles from David's Bridal.

Groomsmen, on the other hand, chose their own black tuxedos and bow ties to coordinate with Jeff's look.

Silvina and Jeff shared their first look in the venue's garden. "It ended up being more emotional for us than we expected, and it was nice to have that moment just for us," the bride recalls.

The ceremony took place outdoors; the venue's early 20th-century architecture served as the backdrop. Guests enjoyed unparalleled views of Saint Feliu de Codines, the surrounding valleys, and the Mediterranean Sea.

Since the venue offered plenty of interesting design elements for the service, Silvina and Jeff kept the rest of the ceremony décor simple; the aisle was lined with white flower petals and pale greenery, which led to a romantic arch of blooms at the altar.

Since petals defined much of the decorations, it was only fitting that guests stock up on their own blossoms, which were placed on and around a bar cart topped with candles, greenery, and roses, at the beginning of the service. Attendees later tossed them onto the newlyweds as they recessed back up the aisle.

During the processional, Silvina's friend, Jae Jin, a singer and songwriter, teamed up with Swite Duo to perform a cover of "Can't Help Falling in Love." The bride was accompanied down the aisle by her father, Dr. Alfredo Om. The couple exchanged personal vows, during which Jeff promised to learn Spanish so that he could communicate with Silvina's family in Argentina—therefore, bringing their two families even closer together.

Swite Duo played an instrumental version of "All You Need Is Love" as the couple walked left the ceremony space under a flurry of tossed petals.

Silvina and Jeff wandered around Barcelona for a pre-wedding photo shoot the day before their nuptials, so they were able to join their guests for most of the cocktail hour. With plans for the reception to span into the morning hours, this couple extended this interlude so that guests could enjoy the sunset. They offered a full bar, passed classic Spanish and Catalan dishes, paella and carved meats stations, and oysters shucked in real-time.

The pair's reception took place inside the venue, where round tables were topped with taupe linens and tall taper candles. The venue's chandeliers offered a touch of grandeur to the room.

Placed in vintage vessels, both tall and short flower arrangements—all of which mirrored the bride's bouquet—anchored each tablescape.

Each place setting was marked with a translucent plate topped with a printed menu, a luggage tag favor, and a charcoal linen napkin tied with string and embellished with a white flower.

Silvina and Jeff wanted to serve a dinner with locally-sourced ingredients. The starter was a mushroom ravioli with a black truffle sauce, followed by a choice of grilled sea bass with avocado cannelloni or Pluma Iberica, a pork loin dish, with a wine reduction. For dessert, they served a mango sorbet with coconut cream.

During dinner, guests enjoyed hearing thoughtful speeches from the couple's officiant and friend, Bryan; both their fathers and several of their friends also spoke.

The happy couple shared their first dance to K-Ci and JoJo's "All My Life." "It was the song we danced to during our first date because we both remembered it being popular during our high school proms," Silvina says.

Their romantic spin quickly gave way to an epic celebration. "We made sure we threw our guests a real party!" adds the bride. "We love how everyone was still energetic when the wedding ended at 4 a.m.!" Their DJ, DJ Quim Clark, turned the reception into a club with lasers and smoke machines.

Silvina and Jeff's wedding cake, made by the venue's caterers, featured vanilla and orange sponge cake with fresh orange cream.

At midnight, as the party began to wind down, a crepe truck rolled up and surprised attendees—and helped fuel the last few hours of the reception.

When the party finally did stop, guests gave the happy couple a sparkler sendoff; Silvina and Jeff set off smoke bombs as they made their way through the crowd of loved ones. Immediately after the wedding, the couple planned a mini-moon (with friends!) in Mallorca and a road trip through the Basque countryside and Italy. To couples planning their own big days, Silvina has this advice: "Relax and enjoy every single step! It's super fun, everything will work out and you will cherish the day for the rest of your life!"

Photography, Hannah Q Photography

Venue, La Baronia

Event Planning and Design, Barcelona Wedding Stories

Videographer, Feel & Film

Flowers, Atmosfera

Bride's Gown, Kara Wedding Boutique

Bride's Shoes, Chanel; Bella Belle

Hair and Makeup, Soraya and Raul 

Groom's Suit, Tom Ford

Groom's Accessories, IWC Schaffhausen (watch); Allen Edmonds (shoes)

Bridesmaids' Dresses, David's Bridal

Music, Swite Duo; Jae Jin; Calle Habana;  Quim Clark Productions

Lighting, Quim Clark Productions

Oyster Service, Don Ostra

Food Truck, Food Garage