Destination Wedding in Galicia, Spain | Kendall & Ellis
An Atlantic Destination Wedding in Galicia, Spain
What happens when an American wedding weekend meets a centuries-old fortress overlooking the Atlantic coast of Spain?
For Kendall & Ellis, it became a celebration of colour, architecture, flowers and an entirely bespoke visual identity — created over several days in one of Galicia’s most extraordinary settings, the historic Parador de Baiona.
Their guests travelled from across the United States to Galicia for a destination wedding weekend designed not simply as a wedding, but as an immersive experience of Spain, the Atlantic, and the region’s distinctive sense of place.
As a destination wedding planner in Spain, we believe the most memorable celebrations are those that feel inseparable from their destination. For Kendall & Ellis, Galicia was not simply where the wedding took place.
Galicia became part of the story.
A destination wedding weekend in Galicia
The celebration began inside the historic cloister of the Parador de Baiona, where stone arches, Atlantic views and centuries of history provided the backdrop for the Welcome Party.
The following evening, Pazo da Touza hosted the Rehearsal Dinner. Chef Nuria Cervera created an intimate celebration rooted in the character and gastronomy of Galicia, giving guests another opportunity to discover the region before the wedding day.
For couples travelling from the United States, creating this sense of place is an essential part of planning a destination wedding in Spain. The aim is not simply to bring an international wedding aesthetic to Spain, but to create an experience that could only exist there.
The wedding day on the Atlantic coast
On the wedding day, Kendall and Ellis exchanged vows at Santa María de Baiona, before their guests moved towards the Atlantic for Cocktail Hour at the Jardín de los Cañones.
There, the ocean became part of the design.
A sculptural, undulating table was surrounded by abundant florals in fuchsia, orange, blue and coral, punctuated by green velvet lamps.
Cousa Rica created the Cocktail Hour experience, while Insieme accompanied the afternoon with their string quartet and Miguel Sueiras led the transition towards dinner on saxophone.
Then the doors to the reception opened.
And the historic salon had been completely transformed.
A contemporary interpretation of a historic Spanish venue
White draping covered the walls from floor to ceiling, creating a soft architectural envelope against the original wooden structure of the Parador.
A custom floor featuring the couple’s crest established a completely new visual identity beneath the guests’ feet, while a bespoke dance floor carried the same language into the evening.
Above the tables, an extraordinary six-metre floral installation floated beneath the wooden ceiling — an explosion of flowers cascading through shades of blue, fuchsia, orange, coral and red.
Three long tables followed an organic, undulating silhouette beneath it.
Blue-grey linens. Light-toned cane chairs. Crystal glassware. Personalised stationery. Hundreds of glowing candles.
And flowers so abundant that they seemed to spill from the tables and become part of the architecture itself.
The result was deliberately maximalist, yet deeply considered: a dialogue between the old-world character of the Parador and a contemporary, joyful and intensely personal design.
A bespoke destination wedding in Spain
Every layer of Kendall & Ellis’ wedding weekend was considered specifically for them.
The custom bars were created from scratch by Kousiñas, while the complete stationery identity was designed by SunSoul Studio. Privé Eventos Portugal brought the linens and lounge elements that completed the guest experience.
Music travelled across borders too.
Euphoria Violin brought four violinists from Italy to perform during dinner from elevated pedestals, while Ivan Alonsocreated the complete DJ and technical production, including sound and smoke effects.
Olga from Trucco Bologna travelled from Italy to create Kendall’s beauty looks, adding another international layer to a wedding that brought together creative talent from across Europe.
And Kendall’s wardrobe became another chapter of the story: Stanly Korshak Bride for the Welcome Party, Sophie et Voilà from Tul Novias for the Rehearsal Dinner, an Ines Di Santo gown from Stanly Korshak Bride for the wedding, and a short Sophie et Voilà look for the after party.
The final details were equally considered: a bespoke wedding cake by Naken Cake Design and 123 Flash Fotomatón, capturing the energy of the celebration late into the night.
Behind the scenes of a destination wedding
Through every chapter of the weekend, Verde Menta documented the story in still images, Meraki Films captured it on film, and Vow Audiovisual followed the celebration from the inside.
But behind what looks effortless in photographs was a week of intense production.
Our team was on site throughout the entire wedding week — coordinating installations, managing suppliers, transforming spaces, refining details and overseeing every transition from the first build to the final dance.
Because a destination wedding of this scale is never just one day.
It is weeks of planning, months of conversations, days of production, hundreds of decisions and one extraordinary team working behind the scenes to make everything feel effortless.
This is the reality of destination wedding planning in Spain: creating an experience for couples who may live thousands of miles away, while managing every detail locally and bringing together a trusted network of venues and creative partners.
Your destination wedding in Spain or Italy
For American couples considering a wedding in Europe, Spain and Italy offer something very different — extraordinary landscapes, historic architecture, exceptional gastronomy and the possibility of creating a celebration that feels deeply connected to its setting.
At Elefantes & Gaviotas, we plan and design destination weddings in Spain and Italy for couples travelling from around the world.
From Galicia and the Atlantic coast to Mallorca, Tuscany, Venice and beyond, we work closely with our couples to find the right destination, venue and creative team, and then oversee the entire experience on the ground.
Our role as a destination wedding planner in Spain is not simply to organise the logistics.
It is to translate your vision into a celebration that feels entirely yours — while making the process feel clear, considered and effortless, even when you are planning from the other side of the world.
For Kendall & Ellis, Galicia was more than the destination.
It became part of the celebration.
And for us, it was a privilege to tell their story here — on the Atlantic coast, surrounded by the people they love most.
Kendall & Ellis, thank you for trusting us with your weekend.
Credits
Planning & Design — Elefantes & Gaviotas
Photography — Verde Menta
Film — Meraki Films
Content — Vow Audiovisual
Stationery — SunSoul Studio
Beauty — Olga, Trucco Bologna
Cocktail Hour — Cousa Rica
Custom Bars — Kousiñas
Tables — Lenda Nejra
Linens & Lounge — Privé Eventos, Portugal
Ceremony & Cocktail Hour Music — Insieme
Dinner Music — Euphoria Violin, Italy
Saxophone — Miguel Sueiras
DJ & Technical Production — Ivan Alonso
Candles — Brillare Eventos
Wedding Cake — Naken Cake Design
Photobooth — 123 Flash Fotomatón
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