Destination Wedding in Spain | Wedding in Salamanca

For anyone planning a destination wedding in Spain, Salamanca would be hard not to recommend. The old city itself is a UNESCO heritage site and the city itself is a mix of history and modern Spain. Tapas bars and cafes line the street and the city itself stays small enough to retain its beat.

I ended up in Salamanca alongside my colleague and partner Victor La Fuente who is based in Spain. We arrived days before to photograph the city and connect with the folks at the venue Villar de los Alamos a quick drive out of the city center into the countryside. Out of the city, the landscape changes quickly and opens up to sunburnt rolling plains and land used for pasture. The villa is a one hour drive from Portugal in the west of central Spain.

Rocio and Leandro’s wedding among many things connected and bridged the lives of everyone there that afternoon. Uncles, aunts and cousins flying from Brazil for the weekend. Colleagues and good friends from France and the Mid-East. An entire community from Madrid and greater Spain. Salamanca as a destination became the meeting point for these worlds.

The morning of the wedding began with a sense of calm and peace. Leandro spent the morning preparing with his mother and father and Rocio the same. The guests slowly trickled in as the afternoon approached. Paper umbrellas shielding us from the Spanish sun; lemonade to help cool us off. A beautiful ceremony with words from friends and family. Speeches and heart full advice coming from a deep center of love. And almost as quickly as we were all seated came the explosions of flower petals. Guests filled into the hall and patio spaces; the kids went and played soccer with Abuelo.

Weddings remind me time and again of how quickly time passes. One day with the people the closest to our heart. One hour for a ceremony that bonds us for decades. One minute to watch the sun’s last light from the day. One second for two words that become the promise of a lifetime. I am again reminded, and thankful for it all.