A Lush, Jungle-Inspired Wedding in the Heart of Barcelona

The grooms planned the wedding themselves!

Grooms

Photo by Sara Lobla

When Oscar Trias first spotted Ale Pravia at a club in Barcelona, he was sure it was model Jon Kortajarena that he'd noticed on the dance floor. (It wasn't, but once he approached the handsome stranger (Ale, of course), they realized they had a mutual friend. "Everything started that night,"says Oscar, who sealed the evening with a kiss. "When we finally kissed, Ale said "I thought you would never kiss me!"

In April of 2018, Oscar planned a trip for the couple to Ibiza, including a romantic dinner at their favorite restaurant. "There's a small stone beach by the restaurant, and when we walked down to the beach, I just let everything I was feeling fly out of my mouth," Oscar says of the proposal. "I'm not sure what I said, but I know Ale and I were both so excited, and that he said yes!" For their wedding, the grooms say they didn't plan to stick to tradition, instead hoping to really make it their own. They wanted an imperfect venue, and loved the historical feel and "savage, overgrown" look of Castell de Ben Viure in Barcelona, Spain. The Cuban-style house is surrounded by a dense and tropical jungle, which the couple felt was perfect for bringing a touch of Ibiza to their big day.

On September 8, 2018, 160 guests joined Oscar and Ale at the lush property, bearing witness to an emotional ceremony before celebrating with an indulgent dinner and an Ibiza-style party, photographed by Sara Lobla. "One thing is for sure," says Oscar. "We and our guests will always remember our big day!"

grooms and dogs
Photo by Sara Lobla
grooms getting ready
Photo by Sara Lobla
grooms wearing watches
Photo by Sara Lobla

Ale and Oscar spent the morning getting ready together, and invited their two dogs along for the fun. "One of our favorite moments was when Sara and Alicia, our photographer and videographer, rang our doorbell," says Oscar. "We looked at one another and knew our wedding day had begun!"

Both grooms wore meaningful watches to accessorize their suits: Oscar's was a gift from his parents after his college graduation, and Ale's was a gift from Oscar for his 30th birthday.

grooms' suits
Photo by Sara Lobla
grooms getting dressed
Photo by Sara Lobla
grooms' first look
Photo by Sara Lobla

The grooms wore coordinating blue suits from Hugo Boss, with Ale in lighter blue and Oscar in navy. They finished their attire with matching Gucci ties.

Castell de Benviure Barcelona
Photo by Sara Lobla
ceremony site
Photo by Sara Lobla

"It seems like anything that isn't a 'traditional' wedding is imperfect, but the truth is that love is perfect even if it's different than what you're used to," says Oscar. "That is why we really wanted a venue that was unusual and unexpected, but still so beautiful."

For their ceremony, the grooms set a small lounge among the venue's beautiful garden, with tropical greenery framing the setting.

grooms walking down the aisle
Photo by Sara Lobla
wedding ceremony
Photo by Sara Lobla
grooms exchanging vows
Photo by Sara Lobla

Ale and Oscar walked down the aisle together, each holding hands with their mother. "We were holding their hands so tight, we can still remember how it felt," says Ale. Oscar's cousin officiated, but when it was time to exchange rings, they were nowhere to be found! "Friends offered their rings as substitutes, but Oscar ran back inside to look for them," says Ale with a laugh. "We'd left them in the room where we were waiting for the ceremony to begin!" With the rings retrieved, Oscar and Ale were able to make it official.

ceremony recessional
Photo by Sara Lobla
grooms with dogs
Photo by Sara Lobla

After the ceremony, guests shot cannons of gold confetti over the newlyweds. Their two dogs waited nearby to celebrate!

escort card sign
Photo by Sara Lobla

Ferns and gilded tropical leaves surrounded the escort board, directing guests to their seats in the middle of a verdant tableau.

wedding reception
Photo by Sara Lobla
outdoor reception tables
Photo by Sara Lobla
table name
Photo by Sara Lobla
place settings
Photo by Sara Lobla

The alfresco reception took place in front of Castell de Ben Viure's stately facade. Guests were seated at a combination of long and round tables, all surrounded with clear acrylic chairs. Leaves were used as table names and escort cards, as each was topped with gold calligraphy that matched the gold-rimmed plates. Taller centerpieces of monstera leaves and ferns added drama to the setting. "We served our guests an incredible five-course tasting menu, inspired by some of our favorite foods," says Ale.

wedding dinner
Photo by Sara Lobla
choreographed dance
Photo by Sara Lobla
grooms dancing
Photo by Sara Lobla

Sometimes we agreed and sometimes we did not, but we always laughed it off in the end. We really got to know one another even better, and were thrilled with the results!

To really bring that Ibiza vibe to their wedding, Ale and Oscar filled the reception with unexpected surprises. "We had a fantastic singer and saxophonist, who was dancing in between the tables," says Oscar. "The bartenders were dancing, our friends were dancing, and a few people even wound up on the tables by the end of the night!"

While the couple didn't hire a wedding planner, they were happy to find that the process wasn't so hard as long as they had friends and vendors they could really trust on their team. Says Ale, "Sometimes we agreed and sometimes we did not, but we always laughed it off in the end. We really got to know one another even better, and were thrilled with the results!"

Wedding Team

Venue: Castell de Ben Viure

Grooms' Suits: Hugo Boss

Grooms' Ties: Gucci

Catering: 21 de Marzo

Videography: Alicia Mess

Photography: Sara Lobla

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