A Modern Mediterranean Wedding Weekend Amongst Catalan Vineyards

An understated approach to celebration, blending Spanish flair and high-energy design

On a winding road through Catalan vineyards, Storm and Jan-Willem found a place that felt instantly right – and then built an entire wedding world around it. Their celebration at Finca Bell-Lloc was less about tradition and more about feeling: a weekend designed like the best kind of party, layered with texture, color, music, and intention. Guests moved effortlessly through gardens, terraces, and vineyards, each moment offering a different atmosphere while still feeling part of one cohesive story. Event design leaned into bold prints, sun-washed hues, and an easy coastal elegance, balancing polish with spontaneity. Live music flowed from ceremony to cocktails, guitars replaced background noise, and laughter and dancing set the rhythm for the entire weekend. It was immersive, expressive, and unmistakably them: a wedding that felt alive from start to finish, designed not to impress, but to be fully experienced.

A Modern Mediterranean Wedding Weekend Amongst Catalan Vineyards

Our Love Story

^{The Day We Met}

We met through a dating app, but shortly after realized that our paths had, funny enough, crossed multiple times before. Our first date was at a wine bar in the center of Amsterdam on a snowy winter’s evening.

^{The Proposal}

I grew up in the States, and each summer we travel back to my hometown to spend time on the coast. In the summer of 2024, we were there for the wedding of my best friend, who lives on the water right next door to us. Unknown to me, Jan-Willem knocked on my parents’ door in the wee hours of the morning to ask for their blessing to marry me.

Fast forward a few days later: we were camping out of a Jeep in Aspen, Colorado. We set out on an enormous hike into the snow-capped mountains, and when we finally reached the beautiful blue alpine lake we had set as our goal, we fell into each other’s arms—exhausted, yet filled with a sense of real achievement! Jan-Willem started telling me the sweetest things in my ear, and I thought, “Is the altitude kicking in?” But then he dropped to one knee and asked me to marry him. It was just us, in the middle of nowhere, on top of the world—no cell service for hours—surrounded by the incredible nature of Aspen.

^{The Engagement Ring}

I was given an incredibly special ring. It had belonged to his grandmother and then his mother, who passed it on to Jan-Willem to give to me. It’s not your classic engagement ring, and that’s what I love about it. Shortly after proposing, Jan-Willem told me the history of the ring and mentioned that he would also love to create another ring together.

A few months later, we went to visit his sister and her family in Cambodia, where we designed an incredibly cool ring together with a French jewelry designer. I had always wanted a ring with a yellow stone, and in the middle of Phnom Penh, at a stone dealer, I found the citrine my dreams were made of. This is the stone we built the ring around—one that I now wear every day.

Our Wedding

^{The Vision}

If you really ask Jan-Willem and me what we wanted our wedding to be like, we would say, “We really just want to throw the best party of the year—where everyone enjoys every minute and dances like crazy.” We wanted it to feel relaxed, yet have an upscale, polished tone where everything flowed naturally. We envisioned bold colors and prints (true Spanish flair), paired with an essence of relaxed coastal living.

^{Our Team of Vendors}

We worked with an incredible team of local talent. What we loved most was that many of the people we worked with came to us through word of mouth—friends of friends, people highly recommended by others we trust. For example, we were introduced by a lovely English woman we know in the area to the incredible Iolanda Bustos, who became our chef extraordinaire. We were referred to our wonderful planner, Claudia, by Maria, the manager at the beautiful hotel Casamar. We hosted our welcome drinks at Hotel Isabella because that’s where we often go for a drink after a relaxing day on the beach. What we loved most about this team is that they were all locals, called this area home, and brought a truly authentic flavor to our wedding weekend.

^{The Location}

The location of our wedding is perhaps what Jan-Willem and I still receive the most love for to this day. We had only visited one other place beforehand, and the moment we drove up the winding road through the vineyards to Finca Bell-Lloc, we knew this was it. What people compliment us on most is that the location offered different atmospheres throughout the day, all nestled within one incredible piece of land. We loved that it was once a private family home and has now become a small boutique hotel and business.

^{The Ceremony}

The ceremony took place in the garden next to the vineyard. Jan-Willem walked out with both our families and our bridal party, with his mom leading the pack. He walked out to one of his favorite artists, Marcus King. Before I entered, our two nephews brought out the rings, and our three little nieces scattered flower petals. Having been born in Brazil, I walked out with my dad to an incredibly groovy Brazilian song called “Oba, Lá Vem Ela,” which perfectly translates to “Look, here she comes.”

But the music didn’t stop there. Once the introductory words were spoken, we thought, what better way to get everyone feeling relaxed than singing a song together? We all sang and danced to “This Will Be” by Natalie Cole. The ceremony was led by a dear family friend of mine—a second-mom type of figure—who is Cuban, so she switched between Spanish and English, something we especially wanted for our Spanish wedding.

^{The Cocktail Hour}

During cocktail hour, we enjoyed the most incredible bites prepared by Chef Iolanda, all incorporating edible flowers—her specialty. Guests could choose from delicious cocktails and bubbles, accompanied by the soundtrack of two guitarists playing songs from the Gypsy Kings and other Latin hits.

The bartenders wore custom-made aprons from Luna’s Bartending, the bartending business my little sister, Luna, runs. Cocktail hour took place on the top terrace, overlooking the vast landscape and the sea beyond.

^{The Reception}

After taking photos, Jan-Willem and I joined the reception and immediately dove into the party. We mingled with friends and family from Los Angeles to Cambodia to South Africa, dancing and grooving to the guitarists while taking in the incredible view.

^{The Special Touches}

Right before dinner, Jan-Willem and I did a quick outfit change. He and all the groomsmen changed into white dinner jackets. For each of the men in the family, I bought a brooch—which I thought was a little cooler than flowers. I arrived at dinner wearing perhaps the most incredible thing I will ever wear. My dear friend Rik, an incredible craftsman, created a six-meter-long couture dinner robe for me. It felt straight out of the Met Gala—I had never worn something so beautifully crafted.

Another special detail was Jan-Willem’s wedding ring, which belonged to his great-grandfather. When his mom gave it to him to consider as his wedding ring, he noticed the engraving: 9–’25. His grandfather had gotten married in September as well—exactly 100 years earlier, in 1925.

^{Our Favorite Moment}

This has to be the party. Let’s be honest—it was a party from the ceremony onward—but once we hit the dance floor, we really let loose. Jan-Willem’s groomsmen put on an incredible four-man show, and my dear friend and singer-songwriter Vita performed two songs for the crowd. Our very cool DJ friend from Paris turned things up even more once the clock struck midnight. Performances like these truly made the night unforgettable.

Our Style

^{The Bridal Looks}

For Friday night’s Toast on the Coast, I wore an incredibly cool Jacquemus dress. For the wedding, I wore a beautiful two-piece from the Mallorcan brand Cortana—I knew I wanted a skirt and top I could wear again. My veil was vintage, a 100-year-old piece originally from San Francisco. And because we were in Spain and I really wanted to dance, I wore white satin espadrille wedges.

For my after-party dress, I knew a short white dress wasn’t for me. I wanted to bring the essence of Brazil to the dance floor and chose a dress by Brazilian designer Andrea Almeida. This dress is truly what my dreams are made of. For the Sunday beach day, I wore my favorite outfit ever: a classic bikini. Because life really is about living in a bikini.

^{The Groom Looks}

For Friday night’s Toast on the Coast, he wore a crisp white linen shirt and incredible ’70s-inspired flared pants from CMMN SWDN. For the wedding, he wore a morning suit from Pelger for the ceremony and reception, then changed into black tie with a white dinner jacket. His jacket was custom-made by a lovely tailor in the center of Amsterdam called Tommy Page. For the Sunday beach day, he wore casual board shorts and a straw sun hat from—of course—Luna’s Bartending.

^{Bridesmaids’ Looks}

I asked them to wear something colorful and something with prints. They are incredibly beautiful and incredibly different, and I never wanted them all in the same look. They deserved to bring their own style to this special day just as much as I did. My best guy friend wore a classic morning suit along with the rest of the groomsmen.

^{Groomsmen’s Looks}

The guys wore classic morning suits and changed into black tie with white dinner jackets for dinner.

Our Advice

^{For the Planning Process}

We planned our wedding in a place where we don’t live, so working with someone local made all the difference. She brought the authentic nuances we wanted. It’s also important to choose someone whose personality matches yours—our meetings were fun and relaxed because we made them that way together.

If you have talented people in your circle, invite them to contribute. It makes everything more personal. Jan-Willem and his dad performed on guitar, our siblings were the MCs, the best man played the ukulele, his sister and dad performed a duet, one of my best friends sang with the band, a friend from Paris DJ’d, the groomsmen performed, and my dear family friend—my second mom—married us. These are the moments you truly remember.

^{For On The Day}

I received great advice not to try to talk to everyone. We had three days for that—it didn’t all need to happen on the day. I spent my wedding day dancing and laughing with the people I most wanted to dance and laugh with.

A Modern Mediterranean Wedding Weekend Amongst Catalan Vineyards

^{For Post-Wedding}

Log off. No one—and I mean no one—expects you to respond to messages or even be online. That can wait until next week or the week after. Just soak it all in and take the time to truly relax.