Finding the perfect venue for your dream wedding has to be the hardest part (for now, at least). We know what we love about Spain: the old stone villas, the beautiful vines crawling through those centuries’ old rocks, the intimate spaces that have a magical quality, and the inevitable history that each building is full of. But how do we find a venue for our dream wedding that hits all those qualities with the modern creature comforts we know and love? Ya know, like having bathrooms that are on the same floor as your reception or a lift for elderly guests so they don’t have to walk flights of stairs throughout the event. And that has room for a caterer, a dance floor, and seating with hopefully a view that leaves us all breathless.
…okay maybe this won’t be so easy.
calblay.com/en/clos-la-plana/
We did have a few main criteria:
- Could have a band – I do work in the music industry after all, this was important!
- Kid-friendly – My nephews are going to be a big part of our day!
- Fully accessible – We have important guests that need this and it’s a make or break factor
- Not too big – Knowing we wouldn’t have a large group of people making the trip, we don’t want it to feel too big
Pares Balta Winery
facebook.com/ParesBalta/
Option 1: Pares Balta Winery: We had a small idea of where to start. On our last trip to Barcelona we were lucky enough to visit a winery names Pares Balta that we fell in love with. So, our gut feeling was to have it there knowing it was stunning and had a cute courtyard. But did they even do weddings? Our initial research gave us a quick no. We then went through a good friend in town, Lydia, (who you will absolutely hear more about soon!) who helped us coordinate with the winery. We found out we could hold the event there and they were very excited about the idea of it. Here are the details:
- https://paresbalta.com/
- 1 hour from Barcelona, 25 minutes from Sitges, Spain
- Max of 50 people
- Pros: we know and love it, the wine is incredible (we shipped a case home last time we visited), the staff has been overly accommodating, we could have the entire winery all day, fully accessible, on budget
- Cons: Furthest drive, no accommodation on site, don’t normally hold weddings
Clos la Plana
closlaplana.com
Option 2: Clos la Plana: Once we signed on with Weddings Via Val they sent over some recommendations for venues knowing what the important factors were to us. This one jumped out as a contender right away. As soon as Jac saw the website she exclaimed “IT’S A CASTLE!” This castle definitely checks all the boxes on the list plus some interesting additional features:
- https://closlaplana.com/
- 42 minutes from Barcelona, 10 minutes from Sitges, Spain
- 100+ people easily
- Pros: There are multiple spaces within this property including a stunning glass-walled space with greenery hanging on the walls and ceiling, villas available for accommodation, no fee for the venue – only the catering, fully accessible, …. it looks like a castle
- Cons: This one feels big from the photos, could become more expensive on us, not as much character as some of the other venues
Masia Campau
todoboda.com / masiacampau.com
Option 3: Masia Campau: something about this space kept us coming back. The arches surrounding a courtyard with intimate streamed lights above that our reception would be held in. The old stone walls surrounding the absolutely breathtaking space our ceremony would be held in. There is an intimacy about this venue that really jumps out at you in the photos. The stats:
- http://masiacampau.com/
- 1 hour from Barcelona, 30 minutes from Sitges, Spain
- Depending on which spaces we use, 50-100 people
- Pros: the intimate spaces, we could bring in our own wine (hello Pares Balta wines!), our wedding planner has done events here before
- Cons: distance, no accommodation on site, accessibility may be an issue
**We have not received pricing on this one yet**
After looking at about 50 options, it feels good to narrow it down to these three. We honestly feel like any one of them would make for a pretty incredible day. We plan to make our final decision when we visit this May and get to see each venue in person. I’m sure it will be a difficult decision, but in the best way. And once the decision is made? Pass the sangria.
Cheers to chasing our compass!
-Mandy and Jackie
