A Playful & Artistic Rural Wedding in Countryside of Madrid

A rustic charm, poetic Spanish ambiance and a night overflowing with music and magic

A Playful & Artistic Rural Wedding in the Countryside of Madrid

Guadalupe and Sergio’s wedding unfolded like a breath of warm summer air – raw, intimate, and effortlessly beautiful. Their celebration bloomed in an untouched countryside backdrop, transforming a quiet rural space into a living, breathing work of art. Instead of traditional décor, the couple embraced the natural landscape: copper-toned branches gathered days before, minimal florals, and thoughtful handmade details that allowed the venue’s wild charm to shine. Every corner felt intentional, personal, and deeply theirs. Guadalupe set the tone from the moment she appeared in her hand-painted linen cape and rose-toned dupion silk gown. Sergio matched her energy in a bespoke toasted-wool suit with subtle copper accents, connecting their styles in a quiet, poetic way. And while most weddings follow a familiar rhythm, theirs chose an entirely different beat. Forget a formal reception – this celebration shifted into a live concert in a round village plaza, where guests danced under the open sky, pulled-pork burgers in hand, and music flowing long into the night. It wasn’t just a wedding – it was a living celebration of creativity, community, and the kind of love that feels both grounded and magical.

A Playful & Artistic Rural Wedding in the Countryside of Madrid

Our Love Story

^{The Day We Met}

We met 12 years ago and were best friends until four years ago. Although, in reality, our paths had been crossing for much longer without us knowing it. Our parents went to the same high school (we found out a couple of years ago), our siblings were in the same class, Sergio studied at the same school I went to and took us on field trips to the mountains, and I lived very close to Sergio's house when I was born (where we now live with our toddler)... We were always close, even before we met.

^{The Proposal}

Two years ago, I decided to devote myself 100% to the world of illustration, and since then I have been making a living from it. We have illustrated the guests at more than 65 weddings, and I love live watercolor painting. Sergio was the one who encouraged me to take the plunge, and now I am truly living my dream. I think it was while working at one of those weddings that we decided we wanted to have one of our own—one that was tailored to us—so we started planning it long before there was an actual proposal.

Even so, I always joked that I didn’t have a ring yet. Two months before we got married, on a Monday after dinner, while taking a walk with our son, Sergio wanted to go back to a park where we used to sit and talk on summer nights. We couldn’t get there because it was full of wild boars. We found another bench and, laughing, he told me he had a question to ask me.

^{The Engagement Ring}

It was an 18-carat gold solitaire ring with a natural diamond. The truth is that I was excited about the idea of the proposal, but I didn’t care at all what kind of ring it was.

Our Wedding

^{The Vision}

Once we decided we wanted to get married, it was clear to us that after seeing so many weddings doing live art, we didn’t want ours to remind us of any other we had already been to. So, knowing that originality is practically impossible in this world, we sat down to think about what things we liked, what felt right for us, and what we wanted to rule out. Every wedding we went to (for work), we would come home and go over the details, in case something inspired us for our own.

We wanted people to have a good time—a day designed for enjoying ourselves together, without too much formality, but with that magic we had seen at so many weddings. In the end, the ones we liked best were always those with an emotional ceremony where the bride and groom were surrounded by their loved ones and enjoying each other’s company. We didn’t want tables or endless meals; we wanted people to mix, not just stick with their usual groups. We wanted to emphasize the music, the little details, and above all, to see ourselves reflected in everything that was there.

^{Our Team of Vendors}

I think this was definitely one of the highlights. From the first time I saw Jorge, I knew I wanted him to be our photographer. We didn’t know him beforehand, but when we met him, it felt as if we always had. Even Sergio, who was a little indifferent about the choice of photographer, said goodbye to him and María (his partner and second photographer) with tears in his eyes at the end of the day. The catering was provided by an old acquaintance who made delicious food. Alejandra, our coordinator, helped us organize all our ideas and made sure everything went smoothly on the day. We had seen the saxophonist and the band perform before and loved them.

The MUAH was a friend of a friend, and the videographer was also a friend who was just starting out and made incredible videos. We included local suppliers such as the village cheese shop for the cheese table, a family-run pizzeria for the late-night snack, and our trusted café, which made the cakes. One of my best friends did Sergio’s hair and cut my hair for my makeover between lunch and the concert... They were all people we knew, with small businesses, and we trusted that they would do everything possible to make our day perfect.

^{The Location}

The hardest part was finding the venue. We were looking for somewhere we hadn’t seen a wedding at yet and that was in the countryside. When we found it, we knew it had to be there. In the background, we could see all the mountains we had been seeing all our lives: on the way to school, to Sergio’s work, to home… But we had to use a lot of imagination because it wasn’t a place where weddings were usually held. Still, we had seen many times the magic that vendors and good ideas can bring to almost any venue.

^{The Ceremony}

The ceremony was officiated by my best friend. The space was tiny but perfect. We sat the guests on bales of straw, and the designer of the outfits made us some fabric flowers to decorate. A couple of friends spoke, as did Sergio’s mother and my sister. Our grandparents (both around 90) brought us the rings. I really like it when children bring them, but we wanted to give our grandparents the spotlight.

We played songs we liked, some from musicals we had gone to together, such as Matilda and Les Choristes. We thought for a long time about whether to do some kind of ritual during the ceremony (we had seen hundreds—candles, sand, etc.), but in the end we decided that the vows and the exchange of rings were enough.

A Playful & Artistic Rural Wedding in the Countryside of Madrid

^{The Cocktail Hour}

The cocktail hour had several food stations, and at the same time the catering service was serving other dishes. We had a cheese station, a Mexican food station, a raclette station, a croquetas station (a must, if you ask me), a station with two paella pans where they cooked rice live, and a Serrano ham slicer I had met at another wedding who was charming.

People had different areas where they could sit, and the saxophonist played for almost two hours. At the end of the cocktail hour, guests moved to the plaza (a round square) where the concert would be held, and I stayed outside with my friend Maxi and a couple of others, who gave me a bob haircut in 10 minutes. I also took off my cape.

^{The Concert}

This is where we had our first dance. The band played one of our favorite songs—first as a ballad and then breaking into a more rock version. At that point, all the guests joined us, dancing and jumping around. There was a food truck from a smokehouse in our town serving pulled pork burgers throughout the concert. It was a huge success.

^{The Special Touches}

The venue itself was decoration enough, so we decided not to add many flowers or extras. A few days before, we picked up some copper-colored dry branches that we found in the field and loved, and we placed them everywhere. Since I wasn’t going to work as a live illustrator that day, we made a poster with silhouettes that said “today you draw for us,” and people drew their outfits with markers. As a gift, I designed poker decks. We wanted a useful but lasting and meaningful gift, so after thinking about it a lot, we decided it would be a nice way to give something creative yet practical. I drew Sergio (in a suit I made up, because I didn’t see his until that day) as the king of the deck, myself as the queen, and our son as the jack. Then we put all the decks on a shelf with the guests’ names on them so they could take theirs.

^{Our Favorite Moment}

All of it. It’s very difficult to choose anything in particular. Perhaps the two dances—the one that opened the concert and the one that started the party. They both came about almost spontaneously a few weeks before the wedding. Neither of us knows how to dance, so we just let ourselves go, but during those few minutes, it felt as if no one else existed.

Our Style

^{The Bridal Looks}

When I thought about my dress, I thought of Cova. Cova had been my friend since I was 8 years old and had studied fashion design. She had never made a wedding dress before, but I had complete confidence in her taste. When I asked her, not only did she accept the challenge, she also offered to make Sergio’s suit. The process was incredible. She would come to our house and spend time with each of us, locking us in a room so that everything would remain confidential. I told her the ideas I had in mind and what I liked, and she prepared an impressive sketchbook. Suddenly, what we used to play as children—dressing up to put on shows in front of our parents—was becoming real. I loved the idea that she was also creating her own universe and a unique concept with the two outfits. It felt really special. The earrings were my grandmother’s pearls, which she was very excited for me to wear, and the bouquet was made by a friend who bought the flowers the day before.

The technical description she used for the looks: “For the ceremony, Guadalupe wore a light cream linen cape with subtle shoulder pads and a Perkins collar that opened elegantly at the back. The highlight of the piece was the hand-painted floral design that cascaded from the front to the train in warm copper tones—a modern reinterpretation of classic lace motifs. Slightly shorter at the front, the cape revealed the gown beneath: a strapless design in rose-toned dupion silk with a soft, natural sheen. Hand-pleated to create a flowing skirt and a small train, it was finished with hundreds of delicate brown beads along the hem, adding a warm contrast and reflecting the quiet craftsmanship that defined the ensemble.”

^{The Groom’s Look}

The groom wore a bespoke suit crafted entirely by hand in a warm toasted wool that reflected the natural tones of the celebration. With its double-breasted cut, wide peak lapels, and clean, structured lines, the silhouette felt timeless and refined. He completed the look with a linen waistcoat made from the same fabric as Guadalupe’s cape and a matching copper-toned tie, creating a subtle connection between their two looks. The finishing touch came with a pair of handcrafted double-sided glass cufflinks, made using the Tiffany technique—a small yet meaningful detail that captured the romantic essence of their day and the shared craftsmanship behind both designs.

Our Advice

^{For the Planning Process}

Enjoy the process, do what you really want to do without listening too much to others, and value your vendors—without them, it wouldn’t be possible to put all this together.

^{For On The Day}

Try to be together as much as possible, as the day inevitably goes by quickly. Enjoy the preparations if you can. Sergio had a coffee and did a first look with his friends. Take your shoes off if you want to. High heels aren't my thing, and I lasted 15 minutes of the cocktail in them. Play whatever music you want. Don’t do things just because everyone else usually does them at their weddings. People will enjoy it if you do.

^{For Post-Wedding}

If you have the option of not going on your honeymoon immediately, I think I would recommend it. We postponed ours because of work, and at first I thought it was a terrible idea, but the day after the wedding, I was grateful that we didn’t have to catch a plane straight away. We could relax at home after all the stress, talk to our friends about everything that had happened (we had an informal lunch the next day), and look at all the videos and photos sent to us by Andrea, our wedding content creator.

A Playful & Artistic Rural Wedding in the Countryside of Madrid