A Winter Wedding at La Centenaria 1779

Alejandra and Max got married at La Centenaria 1779 on December 13, 2025, a masia from 1779 in Gavà, around twenty minutes from Barcelona. The ceremony was at the church of Sant Vicenç de Sarrià at half past twelve, and 284 guests followed them to the estate for the rest of the day. The brief was clear from the first call: winter, elegant, and homely. No circus, nothing that didn’t feel like them. This is how a December wedding near Barcelona actually looks.

BRIDE & GROOM
ALEJANDRA + MAX
WEDDING VENUE
LA CENTENARIA 1779
CEREMONY
SANT VICENÇ DE SARRIÀ CHURCH
DATE
DECEMBER 13, 2025
GUESTS
284
COUNTRY
SPAIN
The bride celebrating with the band and guests at the party

Desires

They got engaged on May 1 in Menorca, at Cala Cavalleria, a cove that carries a lot of their history. Menorca is where both families have spent every summer since they were kids, so the place was not a coincidence.

What came next says a lot about them: instead of waiting for the classic summer date, they decided they didn’t want to spend more than a year talking about the wedding. They loved the idea of getting married in winter, so December it was. What they asked me for was simple. A day that felt like home, with the people they love, photographed in a natural and documentary way. Real moments over posed ones.

The bride shoes on an antique carved chair by a dark wooden door, in black and white
Looking down the spiral staircase, in black and white
The groom profile walking beside a concrete wall, in black and white
The estate lawn with autumn woodland beyond
The groom standing against a green wall
The arcaded courtyard of La Centenaria with guests on the balconies
The bride dress hanging by a glass door
The bride in a robe and lace headpiece by the window, in black and white
The bride on a staircase in hard light, in black and white
The bride with family on a sofa, in black and white
The wedding rings lit by a sparkler, a detail
A lemon growing on the tree at the estate
The bride adjusting her lace mantilla, in black and white
A portrait of the bride in her lace veil, in black and white
The bride seated with her gown spread, in black and white

Solutions

A December wedding means the light runs on a different clock, so everything moved early: church at half past twelve, couple portraits right after the ceremony while the sun was still golden, and the celebration flowing into the orangerie as the afternoon light dropped. That greenhouse is the reason a winter wedding works so well at La Centenaria.

The venue itself did half the job: Alejandra told me the house reminded them of Max’s family home in Matadepera, and that familiarity shows in the photos. Nobody looks like a guest in a rented space. Everyone looks at home.

Guests gathered outside the church before the ceremony
An autumn floral arrangement against a stone wall
A large autumn floral arrangement beside the church doorway
The ceremony at the ornate gilded church altar
The couple during the church ceremony, in black and white
An indoor ceremony with the couple at the altar and guests, in black and white
The couple leaving the church under a shower of petals
A classic Porsche waiting in front of the church, in black and white
The couple walking in front of the arcaded estate, in black and white
A backlit portrait of the couple in the golden hour, in black and white
The couple embracing on the lawn in backlit sunlight
The bride smiling at the groom under a stone arcade, in black and white
A hand-painted seating plan under a cedar at La Centenaria 1779
Guests walking along a cypress-lined garden path
Guests walking among the cypress hedges
A hand holding a coupe of champagne on the lawn
A chef pouring melted cheese over a dish during the reception
An antique cart with a white canopy beside the terracotta building at La Centenaria 1779
Guests laughing with drinks at the cocktail hour, in black and white
Guests under the magnolia tree, backlit, in black and white
Guests at the outdoor cocktail hour among the trees
A cypress beside a balconied facade, in black and white
Autumn leaves floating on water, a detail
An impressionistic view of the estate trees, in black and white
The couple face to face among their guests, in black and white
Guests at the cocktail hour in front of the estate, in black and white
The bride with her guests on the lawn at sunset
The bride with a group of guests outdoors, in black and white
A classic Porsche parked among the cypress trees
A classic Porsche parked at the estate, in black and white

Results

The moments they told me they wanted to keep are the ones I chased all day. The entrance to the church. The car ride they took together after the ceremony, just the two of them, in a classic Porsche 911. The banquet surrounded by family, going table by table. And the first dance to “Que tinguem sort” by Lluís Llach, a Catalan classic that had half the room singing before the chorus.

Max wore his grandfather’s cufflinks. Alejandra wore the shoulder pads from her mother’s wedding dress sewn into her bodice, and a bracelet with a blue stone that her two best friends gave her the day before, her something blue. When the dancing started, she swapped her heels for red cowboy boots with their names engraved on the heels. Those are the details that survive decades.

The bride walking toward the classic Porsche, in black and white
The couple by the classic Porsche among the cypress trees, in black and white
The groom kissing the bride forehead, in black and white
The couple by the car among the cypress trees
A table set by the large windows of the estate
The long banquet table set with candles and green linen
The table setting with autumn foliage, candles and pears
A candle and winter centrepiece with the candlelit hall behind
A place setting with a napkin and menu card
A table detail with hydrangeas and menu cards
The couple entering the reception, the groom with his arm raised
A guest reading at the table, in black and white
Guests celebrating at night, in black and white
A live band playing at the party, in black and white
A waiter serving a plated dish at the table
The dinner table by candlelight
A place setting with a slice of cake and flowers
A bread and breadstick station at the reception
A waiter carrying a tray of drinks at night
A guest lighting a cigar from a candle
The couple sabering the champagne at the dessert table with red roses
A pair of red cowboy boots held up against the greenery
The couple dancing, the bride lifting her gown
The bride wearing red cowboy boots under her gown
A guest at the bar in a red-lit room
Guests dancing under green light at the party
A mirror ball hanging over the dance floor, in black and white
The estate lit at night during the party, with guests among the cypress trees
The couple at the gilded church altar during the ceremony
The couple beside the classic Porsche among the cypress trees

In their words

Why did you choose La Centenaria 1779 for a winter wedding?

“The house feels familiar, the garden is beautiful, and the inside is very similar to Max’s family home in Matadepera. The orangerie was ideal for a winter wedding. And another key point, it is close to Barcelona, which made it easy for our guests.”

Why a December wedding?

“We didn’t want to spend more than a year talking about the wedding. And we really loved the idea of getting married in winter.”

What did the day mean to you?

“The first day of our new life together. An adventure we are really excited about.”

What were your favorite moments of the wedding day?

“The entrance to the church. The whole ceremony. The car ride together. The banquet, surrounded by family and going to greet every table. And the first dance to Que tinguem sort.”

Their advice

What do you wish you had known before planning your wedding?

“Whatever venue you choose for the banquet, make sure you know exactly what is included and what is not. And less is more, you don’t need to add everything.”

What advice would you give to couples getting married?

“Everything flies by. We tried to enjoy the cocktail hour but the group photo session ate it up, something we had said we didn’t want to happen, but it was inevitable.”

The Team

A winter wedding this warm takes a great team behind it:

Venue: La Centenaria 1779 · Wedding planning: Kapi Events · Catering: Le Chef Catering · Flowers: Tere Molné · Dress: Santos Costura · Stationery: Mir Studio · Live music: Los Antonios · Rentals: Nuovi Piatti · Photography and film: Dalmare Photo, wedding photographer in Spain

See more of my work as a Barcelona wedding photographer.

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