Tell us a little about yourselves!
We met in 2017 during orientation weekend of grad school (both studying theatre) when we were put in the same group and tasked to create a play in 24 hours. Our play sucked, but we knew there was a spark between us from the start. Fast forward four amazing years together in NYC, to when Thomas proposed to Roberta on the side of the road on a volcano in Hawaii under a rainbow (yes this is true, it was amazing!). After living in New York for years, Thomas accepted a new job and we moved to London a month after we got married. Thomas is a Tony nominated theatre producer and Roberta works in television.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
Deciding where to get married was our first big wedding planning challenge! Roberta grew up in Los Angeles and then lived in New York for many years. Thomas grew up in Ottawa, Canada, and lived in London for years before we met in New York, so we have friends and family spread around the world. We knew no one city would be convenient for everyone, so we decided to do a destination wedding and make it a fun adventure. We had traveled to Barcelona together the summer before, and just completely fell in love with the whimsical architecture and romantic Art Nouveau details throughout the city. So we just did it!
How many guests did you have?
We had 100 guests exactly! It ended up being the perfect amount of people. The dance floor was always busy but we were also able to say hello to everyone!
What was your budget?
We were very fortunate to have a budget of $70,000, which we were pretty strict about sticking to. Our amazing (amazing) planner Betsaida from The Experialist helped us stay on track by suggesting places where we could save. She never pushed us to make the more expensive choice and she still kept our vision intact. She is an expert on the local vendors so she guided us so well as we navigated each decision. We know it can be daunting to get a planner at first but we would have been lost without her.
Tell us about your outfits.
My wedding dress was from Lela Rose. I adored working with them, they couldn’t have been sweeter! I wanted something romantic and a bit whimsical- hence the oversized sleeves. I decided on a cathedral length veil because I wanted a little drama! I felt my earrings from Brinker & Eliza balanced the look out. I wore my engraved signet pinky ring from Catbird that Thomas’ family had bought for me as a birthday gift the year before. And I wore a family heirloom pearl bracelet. My Scanlan Theodore shoes were my “something blue.” I adored their texture and sleek ankle strap. They were almost a periwinkle color, which I found so playful!
For my second look, I went with a Galvan London dress that had an organic wave cut out shape through the middle of it. I loved how the shape reflected elements of our venue such as the venue’s iron entrance gate and the sea out on the horizon. I chose these fantastic silver shrimp and pearl earrings from Shrimps as an element of fun. The motif of shrimps had been incorporated in our save the date, our invite, and on our menu so it was a little nod to that.
Thomas wore a custom suit from Kashiyama and shoes from John Elliot.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
Our priority was making sure our guests had as much fun as we knew we were going to have! We wanted the whole weekend to feel like a three day party where they got the chance to mingle and make new friends. We felt so lucky that we were going to have all of our favorite people in the same room for one big night so we just wanted a party that no one would forget. It seems everyone from the wedding has found a new BFF. Our friends are really important to us and we wanted to thank your community of friends for everything they have brought to our lives as a couple.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
While we kept the ceremony short and sweet, it was really important to us to include our own personal vows. While cliché, we are a tad obsessed with one another and love each other so deeply that we really wanted to shout it from the rooftops in front of our friends and family. There were a LOT of (happy) tears.
Any tips for couples getting married?
The best piece of advice we received was to do our best to stay side by side for the entire night. It is so easy to get pulled in opposite directions and end up across the room from each other for hours, but we prioritized staying glued at the hip. We wanted to have the same memories of the night, to be able to have shared conversations with our friends and family and to be in as many group hugs as possible.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Betsaida (The Experialist) was single handedly the best decision we made. We work in events so we (hopefully) have high standards and she was truly incredible. Everyone tells you to expect something to go wrong on your wedding day but if anything did, we didn’t know about it as Betsaida took complete charge of everyone - and yet, was so calm all day. If you want to try something different, get married in Catalonia and hire Betsaida!
Equally amazing were our caterer (Sensacions) and our venue (Xalet del Nin). Our good feeling about Sensacions started immediately after our first tasting. It was like sitting down at a Michelin star restaurant but if it was run by family friends. Our contact Maria made us feel so relaxed and emanated warmth. The food and wine were off the charts. Highlights included the chef hand carving Iberico Ham, the wonderful and playful hors d'oeuvres and the attention to detail (dietary restrictions clearly marked, each course with a custom sauce poured table side…!). On the venue side, Xalet del Nin is perfect from the staff (Carlos) to the garden to the beach-front location. The definition of paradise and very private.
Last but not least we would love to highlight our photographer Ana Marina Sanz. She was such a joy to work with and made us feel so comfortable from the start. She was so playful and flexible and said yes to all of our crazy ideas. Your wedding day can be so vulnerable, riding the high of such extreme emotions. Ana Marina made us feel comfortable to lean into it all. We had such a fun time with her, by the end of the night it felt like she was another one of our friends on the dance floor. Her eye is amazing and we felt so lucky to work with her. She also does videography!
Truly, everyone we worked with were so kind and relaxed (and good at what they did). Perfect is an overused word - but as people who work in live events, truly perfect.
Photographer: Ana Marina Sanz Photography @anasanzphotography | Planning & Styling: The Experialist @theexperialist | Flora: Studio Floral @studiofloral | Ceremony & Reception Location: Xalet del Nin @marriedatnin | Celebrant: A friend | Hire: AH Rentals @ahrental & Tot Hosteleria @tothosteleria | HMUA: Imanol Fuentes @theartistbarcelona | Catering + Beverages: Sensacions @sensacionsbarcelona | Cake: Sweetmama @sorayasweetmama | Stationery: Better With Co @betterwithco | Dj & Vj: Mediajockey @mediajockeybarcelona | Sound Equipment& Lighting: Raich @raich_av | Signs: Momento 280 @momento280_ | Ceremony Dress: Lela Rose @lelarosebridal |
Reception Dress: Galvan London @galvanbridal | Groom’s Suit: Kashiyama @kashiyama1927_us | Engagement Rings: Custom, with bride’s grandmother’s diamond | Wedding Rings: Greenwich St. Jewelers (Groom) @greenwichstjewelers & Holden (Bride) @holdenrings | Ceremony Shoes: Scanlan Theodore @scanlantheodore | Reception Shoes: Betsey Johnson @betseyjohnson | Ceremony Earrings: Brinker + Eliza @brinkerandeliza | Reception Earrings: Shrimps @shrimps