Wild Elegance: A Spanish Wedding Grounded in Nature

Along the lush banks of the Darro River, punctuated by antique details and an air of modern artistry, the wedding of Maria and Aadel unfolded like a celestial dream. 

Within the church of San Gil and Santa Ana, minimalism and natural elegance were embraced for the ceremony, allowing the storied architecture to remain the focal point. 

For the reimagined reception, banquet tables serpentined through open space while bespoke menus with Roman detailing, moss greens, and champagne hues paired with contemporary dance performances, merging an air of old-world opulence with unexpected allure. 

The bride wore two separate gowns by Jorge Acuña with Maison Valentino platforms and a metallic sandal from Aquazzura.

Our Story

Names / María Díaz Galiana & Aadel Hamad Carrasco

Location / Granada, Spain

Wedding Date / August 13th, 2024

Guest Numbers / 160

Budget / Not disclosed

How We Met

Our story began at Ómibu, the digital marketing company Aadel founded, where I started my first job. During my interview—held in a bar below our office—Aadel, my future boss, saw something special in me. What was meant to be a 30-minute chat turned into three hours.

As we began to work together, we gradually got to know each other personally. We spent time at work and later at meetups with colleagues, building a deep connection and admiration for one another. Our first adventure was a motorcycle ride through Sierra Nevada, which brought back memories of getting lost on the way to a colleague’s birthday.

Our bond grew stronger as we discovered our shared views on life, love, and God. This complicity has allowed us to navigate our busy lives with happiness and unconditional support for each other.

Our Engagement Story

Aadel tried to incorporate everything that had connected us: advertising, the motorcycle, Sierra Nevada, and Rome. One day, he invited me to take a motorcycle ride through Sierra Nevada, something we did quite often. We stopped at a very special viewpoint, with the snow-covered mountains as a backdrop. Suddenly, a drone flew over us with a banner that read: “Ubi tu Gaius, ibi ego Gaia,” a phrase couples in ancient Rome used to express their intention to marry. The drone was being flown by a friend who was hiding nearby, but the plan fell apart when the wind caused the drone to crash, so it didn’t approach as intended. Aadel then resorted to the traditional method—getting down on one knee and pulling out the ring.

What we love most about each other…

What I love most about Aadel is his outlook on life—always with a smile and a sole purpose of helping others. He is a special person with an insatiable desire to improve every day. Above all, it’s the way he loves me, cares for me, values me, and believes in me. Aadel has changed my life and makes me a better person every day.

What I love most about Maria is the unconditional love she shows me, no matter what happens, whether I make mistakes or not. I always feel like a priority to her and loved above all else. Maria is absolutely beautiful; her face reflects her inner qualities—she is 100% pure, good, and genuine. She wore a dress for the wedding that represented her purity perfectly. My life has changed; I’ve stopped obsessing over work and started focusing more on spending time with her, reorganizing my priorities because I’ve found my soulmate. She cares for me, makes me laugh, motivates me, and helps me become a better person every day.

The Setting

Wedding Location

Ceremony: Church of San Gil and Santa Ana, on the banks of the Darro River, at the foot of the Alhambra. I always knew that I would get married here. It seems to me that it is a church with a special charm due to its location, in addition to its small size, which made it feel super familiar and unique for this special day.

Celebration: The celebration took place at the Royal Palace of Soto in Rome, a former recreational residence, property of the Crown of Castile since the Catholic Monarchs.

Aesthetic

The place and its history helped a lot to develop the entire creative process by Aroa, Miss Little Things wedding planner, who understood from the first minute what we were looking for. On the one hand, we wanted to reflect Aadel’s passion for classical Roman history. Rome has a lot to do with our relationship, and we wanted it to be very present in our day. We also wanted to reflect the beauty of the old. Throughout the creative process, Aroa took into account María’s interest in all the details, seeking to create a timeless wedding concept that reflected that “forever” of our lives uniting.

Preparation

We wanted to get ready with our family and friends, and the time before the church was fun and full of happiness and love, with our most special people. We both stayed in two hotels at the foot of the Alhambra, each with hundreds of years of history, and it was beautiful to be here with our closest people, sharing the moments before the wedding. In the morning, I woke up here with my parents, and the three of us went out together for a walk around the area and had breakfast as a family.

Photography

Dos Más En La Mesa. We were always clear that it would be them. We love the visual language of their content, and among the aspects that highlight their photography is, from our point of view, timelessness—something that was fundamental for us. It’s exactly what we were looking for: a timeless wedding.

Style Notes

Ceremony Décor

At this point, I cannot highlight much because we could not decorate the church ourselves. What I do want to highlight is that at the exit, the guests threw calla lilies, the same flower that my bouquet carried. I thought it was a beautiful and very special detail.

Reception Décor

The decoration of the entire celebration was a mix of old and modern. The curved tables at the banquet broke from the classic elements present in the decor (tall lamps, antique tableware, Roman details in the menus…) and the classic style of the dancers. The dancers from Darío Expau’s company performed contemporary dance pieces with more avant-garde clothing, designed and made by Jose Miguel Galindo. The colors we chose for the decoration were moss green, beige, white, and champagne. Everything evoked the beauty of the old.

Wedding Planner & Stylist

Aroa from Miss Little Things was our angel throughout the entire process. She perfectly understood all the ideas we had loosely in our heads and knew how to organize them and bring them to life in the most beautiful way possible, exceeding our expectations. We still remember every step we took during the process; her talent, creativity, excellence, and good taste captivated us from the first day.

Flowers

Estudio Sauvage was in charge of the entire floral aspect and my bouquet. The flower that predominated in the decoration was green hydrangeas. The team at Sauvage does super delicate and special work. Each centerpiece was completely different, playing with shape, but always with the green hydrangea as the protagonist. As for the bouquet, I thought it was perfect. I wanted something different that complemented my minimalist dress and completed my overall look. It had to be white—this was my only requirement—and the result was stunning.

“Banquet tables serpentined through open space while bespoke menus with Roman detailing, moss greens, and champagne hues paired with contemporary dance performances.”

Stationery

The creative process was reflected in the stationery. Better With Co did some beautiful work, inspired by the aesthetics of ancient imperial Rome.

Cake

As a nod to the groom’s roots, with a Syrian father, we had Arabic cake for dessert. It is our favorite dessert.

Food & Beverages

We had part of the meal as a cocktail and part as a sit-down dinner. The cocktail was exquisite; champagne, oysters, and Serrano ham were served, along with exquisite canapés such as gilda esferificado, tuna tartare, steak tartare, nigiri, and potato explosion with truffle and egg, among others. Then we moved to the banquet, where we served a shrimp salad and beef tenderloin—delicious.

Fashion & Beauty Notes

Bride’s Dress & Shoes

I wore two dresses, both designed by Jorge Acuña. For the first dress, I knew I was looking for something that would identify me—simple and timeless. It was always clear to me that it would be like this. It was a silk crepe dress with a minimalist design, featuring a turtleneck, long buttoned sleeves, discreet shoulder pads, a modern train, and an open back with a very special touch that flowed down from the neck. Of course, it had to have a tulle veil. I paired it with a Maison Valentino platform shoe. I’m short, and I think this shoe added a fun touch to my minimalist look. For the second dress, I wanted a party dress that was still discreet, just like I am. Jorge managed to create the perfect bodice, which we paired with a midi skirt, both made of silk satin. I combined this with a silver sandal from Aquazzura.

Wedding Rings, Jewelry & Accessories

I had several engagement rings, haha. Aadel proposed to me with the ring I had always wanted: a diamond engagement ring, which he later complemented with a Cartier wedding ring in Rome—a ring I was very excited to receive, as he wanted to give it to me on a very special trip for us. Rome has a lot to do with our relationship, so he wanted to complement the engagement ring he had given me there. Additionally, his family gifted me a sapphire with diamonds at the engagement party. The wedding bands are made of yellow gold and have a classic design.

Hair & Makeup

For my hairstyle, I knew I wanted a “ballerina bun,” with all my hair pulled tight and clear of my face. Then, for the second dress, I let my hair down and wore it completely loose during the party. As for makeup, I love a glow, so I wanted very natural makeup that made my skin look fresh. The makeup tones were in the range of browns and golds.

Groom’s Attire

The groom wore a custom morning suit from Monkraf Tailoring, with Diplomatic Brand shoes and an Hermès tie. The best man wore a custom morning coat by Félix Ramiro, and the godmother wore a custom dress by a designer from Granada.

Flowergirls & Pageboy Outfits

The children wore custom designs from Ussía Shop, in colors that matched the rest of the wedding elements: beige, white, and green. The older children wore white linen guayaberas with very short beige Bermuda shorts. The older girl wore a little beige dress with a prominent collar and a small hood. The two babies—a boy and a girl—wore beige dungarees with a white shirt that had the same collar and hood. All five of them wore espadrilles, which seemed like the perfect shoe for a summer wedding.

The Details

Transport

I arrived at the wedding on foot. My hotel was in the lower part of Albaycín, just a few minutes from the church. I thought it was a lovely detail to walk to the church through these charming little streets in the most picturesque neighborhood of the city. After the ceremony, Aadel drove a 1960s Jaguar, and we took it to the venue where we celebrated our day.

Honeymoon

We spent our honeymoon in Africa, visiting Zimbabwe, Botswana, South Africa, and Mozambique. The trip was a true dream. The colors of Africa, the sounds of the animals, the smiles and joy of the people, and the peace and tranquility of Sussurro in Mozambique made it the perfect end to the beginning of our life together.

Wedding Songs

At our entrance to the church, we chose several Bach songs played by an organist, and during the ceremony, we included some more liturgical songs, such as Marco Frisina’s “Santo.” For the entrance to the banquet, we chose the song “Sweet Dreams,” and the entire dinner was accompanied by classical music, mainly from Hans Zimmer, Ludovico Einaudi, Beethoven, and the soundtrack of Bridgerton, which was also performed by contemporary dancers from Darío Expau’s company. For our first dance, we chose “Free” by Lighthouse Family.

Entertainment

During the cocktail hour, we had the band Tuerca Music, led by our good friend Jon, an artist we love. For the banquet, we had dancers from Darío Expau’s company who entertained the dinner with performances set to pieces from the Bridgerton soundtrack, adding a special touch to the banquet. For the party, we had DJ Alex Manpresto, who made it spectacular; guests told us, “It feels like we’re in Ibiza.” Alex was the best—we didn’t leave his side for a moment. Everyone came to dance with us in front of Alex, even standing on his stage, dancing non-stop. The party was incredible.

Celebrant

This was a super special detail that undoubtedly exceeded our expectations. We had two priests, both friends of ours, but Chema Martínez was the main celebrant. He is a very special friend to us; he has only been a priest for a year (before that, he was a psychiatrist and professor at the University of Granada), and just the previous year, we went to Rome to accompany him for his ordination. With the trust we have in him, the ceremony was beautiful and everyone praised it. Celebrating literally on the banks of a river, at the foot of the Alhambra, made it even more special.

Our Advice

A memorable moment…

During the planning process, there was a wow moment. It was the day Aroa presented us with a design of what our wedding would be like. We were able to see the renders of the banquet. Seeing a “photograph” of our wedding before the day arrived undoubtedly made us dream and get excited at the highest level. It was wonderful.

One thing I wish I knew before I started my wedding plans…

We loved everything about the wedding day; it was literally a dream, a fantasy. The most incredible thing was seeing the happiness on the faces of all our loved ones, happy for us and enjoying everything we had prepared with so much love.

If I could give other couples one piece of advice…

Enjoy. Enjoy a lot. Enjoy it all. Celebrate it before, during, and after. We remember the entire process with great happiness—the menu tasting, the day we met Aroa, visiting the venue together, the countless video calls with someone we connected with so much, for us it was Aroa, with whom we talked and shared our excitement every day, after hours, on weekends, with a thousand stickers on WhatsApp. Having someone by your side with whom you connect so deeply and who is so talented is unique. The engagement party with our family and closest friends was the best—a super intimate and special gathering.

Sources of inspiration…

I consumed a lot of wedding content throughout the preparation, and specifically on Pinterest, I found weddings and events that inspired me a lot, but it was Aroa who knew how to shape all our ideas and make them come true.

Our Contacts

Wedding Venue / Palacio La Casa Real

Wedding Stylist & Planner / Miss Little Things

Photography & Videography /Dos Más En La Mesa.

Bride’s Dress / Jorge Acuña

Bride’s Shoes / Valentino

Grooms Formal Wear / Monkraf

Wedding Rings / Joyería San Eloy

Hair / Manila Estilistas

Makeup / Rocio García

Stationery / Better With Co

Florist / Estudio Sauvage

Catering / Quilicua Catering

Celebrant / Don Jose María Martínez & Don Jose Antonio Senovilla

Band / Tuerca music

Dancers / Darío Expau

Lighting & Sound / Artífice Events

Honeymoon Destination / Botswana & Mozambique