Inside: A Bilingual Wedding Rooted In Heritage And Romance

From a friendship forged at the National Film and Television School, to a romantic proposal beneath a sunrise sky in Cappadocia with hot air balloons drifting overhead, step inside a Spanish–British wedding of golden light, where heritage, family.

The story so far

I am Spanish, Max is English, and we met while studying at the National Film and Television School. What began as a friendship quickly became something deeper, and for over a year we were inseparable best friends.

On a magical 16th, I discovered an envelope marked “1” slipped beneath my door. It was the beginning of a London-wide romantic treasure hunt. Each letter led to the next, until the final clue brought me to Max, who confessed that he had fallen in love with his best friend.

A couple of years later, it happened again. Another envelope, another trail, this time ending at the airport, where Max was waiting with suitcases packed for a surprise trip to Cappadocia.

The following morning, once again on a 16th, Max took me to a private terrace where an exquisite breakfast awaited. At dawn, as the sky glowed in soft gold tones and thousands of hot air balloons drifted silently past, Max got down on one knee. He told me that when we were just friends, I had once mentioned my dream proposal would involve a hot air balloon and a sunrise breakfast. He had wished that one day, it would be him who made it come true.

The ring was a custom-made piece by Queensmith: an oval-cut diamond with a pavé hidden halo, set on a gold band.

Venue

On a 16th, our ceremony took place at the New Cathedral of Salamanca. The heart of the celebration unfolded somewhere entirely unique: Finca Monte Abajo, our family estate. This was what made our Spanish–British wedding so deeply personal. Early in the planning process, we visited several venues, but one evening at sunset, everything suddenly fell into place. The fields looked like a painting, with thousands of oak trees bathed in golden light. It was a quietly magical moment. We looked at one another and realised there was no reason to search elsewhere for what we already had at home.

The following day, we hosted a celebration filled with local gastronomy, traditions and Spanish music. Watching guests from 35 nationalities fall in love with the place and the culture was incredibly moving.

Fashion

I chose couture designer Phillipa Lepley. After many months of searching, the moment I stepped into her atelier, I knew I had finally found what I had been hoping for.

The process involved eight fittings. Craftsmanship and fabric quality were my absolute priorities. We created a bespoke design that felt classic and timeless, yet youthful and modern, made from heavyweight Italian duchess satin sourced from Lake Como, constructed centimetre by centimetre with extraordinary care.

The look was completed with a two-tier cathedral veil by Phillipa Lepley, crafted from French silk tulle and hand-embroidered with English wildflowers, pearls and crystals. Pure poetry. Max wore a traditional morning suit by Hackett and Hawes & Curtis.

Jewellery

I kept everything intentionally minimal, allowing the dress to speak for itself. I wore a bespoke crown by Andrew Prince, adapted from one of his original designs, and a pair of antique Australian pearl earrings that had belonged to my grandmother, carrying her memory with me throughout the day.

Bridal party

In Spain, the most important roles are the madrina, the groom’s mother, and the padrino, the bride’s father. Max’s mother wore an all-red gown.

Our flower girls, my little nieces, wore matching dresses by Labubé. During the ceremony, they wore natural flower crowns, later changing into boater hats from Masario.

Outside tradition, we included a maid of honour, my aunt, and a best man, Max’s brother. My aunt’s blue pleated dress was designed by herself in collaboration with atelier Lyubasha Kyleshk.

We also had testigos, our witnesses. We chose eight friends. The women wore formal dresses of their own choosing. The men, as well as my father and Max’s brother, all wore matching morning suits.

Transportation

We chose a classic 1950s convertible Mercedes as our wedding car and arranged buses to transport our guests.

Tablescape

Monte Abajo was transformed into a fantasy setting. Our vision was to recreate the atmosphere of an English gala in a palace, beneath the stars, surrounded by nature, in the open countryside. The contrast between the natural and the grand is what made the atmosphere so distinctive.

Set beneath thousands of centuries-old oak trees, we designed a single 75-metre-long table, illuminated by chandeliers suspended from the branches above.

The tableware followed a classic aesthetic: fine white porcelain, polished silver, abundant crystal glassware, bespoke menus tied with green bows and light linens, creating a clean and timeless base that allowed the surroundings to shine.

For the florals, we wanted something that captured our Spanish-British identity. Spanish elements brought a bohemian, natural and rustic feel, while British influences added majesty, artistry and refinement, all united through nature-inspired tones.

Our wedding favours were hand-drawn illustrations of Salamanca Cathedral by artist and friend Elena Gimenez Balmori, who also designed our invitations and stationery.

Food & drinks

The most meaningful detail was that we served our own 100 percent acorn-fed Iberian ham, produced and raised by my family at Monte Abajo.

Catering by La Villa El Mentidero delivered the most exquisite banquet of our lives. Guests could hardly believe such exceptional cuisine was possible from a tent in the middle of a field. They even made Pimm’s.

Entertainment

Our bilingual ceremony was accompanied by an angelic choir and two organs, blending Spanish and British pieces.

During the cocktail reception, a quartet performed modern songs in a classical, Bridgerton-inspired style.

For our first dance, instead of choosing a single song, we created our own mash-up of three tracks: Tenerife Sea, Crazier and Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!.

My ten-year-old niece, Catalina Carbajo, a multiple-time Spanish rhythmic gymnastics champion, opened the celebration with an extraordinary choreography. Later, Max’s brother, Jack Critchlow, an emerging British singer, joined our band on stage.

Finally, in honour of Max’s passion, we stepped into the DJ booth and mixed our own set together.

Beauty regime & wellness

I did my own make-up and wore my hair natural and loose, wanting to feel entirely myself. In the lead-up to the wedding, I focused on hydrating skincare, rest and Pilates.

Favourite wedding gifts

My parents generously gifted us our mini-moon, an incredibly thoughtful present that we will never forget.

Max’s parents gave us a glass tray holding our invitation. They themselves were gifted one on their wedding day, and it is something we will always treasure.

Honeymoon

We chose a mini-moon in Greece, exploring Athens before heading to Stella Island Luxury Resort & Spa in Crete. We do not yet have plans for a honeymoon.

Advice

Stay true to who you are as a couple and ignore trends and expectations.
Beyond talent or reputation, work with suppliers who genuinely connect with, believe in and understand your ideas.
Trust your planning, release perfection and allow yourselves to enjoy every moment together.