When planning a destination wedding in the Barcelona area, we are always reminded that this city really is the gift that keeps on giving. It’s pretty much an ideal location to fly your loved ones into, with an airport served by the US, UK and Europe. Guests can spill out onto its vibrant, architecturally stunning streets with plenty of accommodation options, and the best part might just be its beautiful coastline just 30 minutes away. It’s on this very coastline, in the charming town of Sitges, that we find Chhaya and Harry on day 1 of their Hin-Jew wedding in Spain.
Hin-Jew Wedding in Spain Day 1: Welcome Fiesta & Haldi
With all of their guests split between two hotels just a few minutes apart on the Sitges coast, hiring the beach-facing pool area at ME Sitges Terramar for Chhaya and Harry’s welcome party was the perfect start to their 3 day wedding. Hosting your welcome party somewhere close to where everyone is staying is a great way to ensure the fun gets started without fatiguing everyone too quickly, striking the perfect balance between keeping your guests entertained and having them on good form for your wedding day.
In the late afternoon we transformed the hotel’s poolside into a fiesta of colour, music and traditional Spanish food, with various stations for guests to accessorise themselves with jewellery and henna art. This was where Chhaya and Harry’s Haldi ceremony took place, a Hindu tradition in which friends and family take turns applying turmeric paste to the bride and groom – a custom meant to grant the couple prosperity in their marriage, and ward off evil spirits.
After a quick clean up and change of clothes (Chhaya’s outfits were incredible across each of the days!), there was paella and partying into the evening as the sun set over the water.
Planning tip: As tempting as it can be to host a welcome party that goes long into the night, you and your guests will be much happier if you set a reasonable end time – we recommend no later than midnight, so everyone gets a good night’s sleep. Even if you have a ‘free’ day in between your welcome party and wedding day, which many of our Jewish weddings do, some guests will want to explore the area and make the most of their trip. You’ll have a much fresher, more fun-loving crowd if you keep your first night concise – besides, it’s always best to leave people wanting more!
Day 2: Hindu Wedding
No matter where you are in the world, it’s so important to keep all of the key cultural elements of your wedding that make it feel like yours. These traditions and customs are often some of the most joyful, emotive parts of the day, and seeing Chhaya and Harry’s Hindu wedding day begin with a fabulous, riotous jaan down the Spanish promenade was exactly that.
The high-energy jaan saw Harry process down the coastline in a jeep, followed by a large number of the guests singing, dancing and celebrating to the sound of drummers. Coloured smoke flares helped to set the tone: today is bright, beautiful and happy.
Just down the promenade in the gardens of the Sunway, guests were gathering for the Hindu wedding ceremony. The most incredible mandap had been created, raised on a platform so the backdrop was sea and sky and palm trees. Chhaya and Harry’s Hindu wedding ceremony was conducted by their priest, and it was wonderful to watch as two families celebrated everything that brought them together.
One of our favourite things about planning multicultural weddings is how they really highlight similarities and differences – every custom is unique, but many of the sentiments behind the traditions are the same. A wedding connects people in a rarely seen way, and when couples embrace each other’s cultures and two families blend, it’s something unforgettable.
After the jubilant ceremony Chhaya and Harry hosted an Indian lunch, after which guests were free to head down to the beach, go into Barcelona to explore, or just enjoy the view from their balcony.
Planning tip: Over-filling the time for your guests can make the whole experience tiring rather than enjoyable, and one designated ‘event’ per day is plenty. Chhaya and Harry had their Hindu wedding ceremony in the late morning, so that after lunch their guests were free for the rest of the day. Allowing your loved ones to enjoy your wedding destination in their own way in between the celebrations really helps keep the energy high.
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Day 3: Jewish Wedding
On the third day guests were picked up by coach at their hotels, and whisked away for yet another round of celebrations – this time at the Codorniu Caves winery, a complete change of pace from the sunny, coastal atmosphere of the past couple of days. Driving to the venue, you pass through sun bleached countryside, sprawling vineyards and distant mountains, giving a flavour of a different Spain. The rugged authenticity of the route ends at the impressive gateway to Codorniu, where guests were welcomed with a cold drink and a wander through the gardens.
Keeping your wedding venue a surprise from your guests can add an exciting element to the celebrations, and there’s nothing quite like the open-mouthed awe when they see it for the first time – something you can only achieve without the ability to pre-Google! We always advise our couples that it’s perfectly fine to keep the venue a secret, but we need to be prepared for guests who wish to make their own way there for various reasons. In this scenario, we (the wedding planning team) will provide details on the morning of the wedding to those guests who need it, and ask them to join us in keeping the secret.
Chhaya and Harry’s Jewish wedding at Codorniu Caves began on the lawns with their traditional chuppah ceremony, making the most of the balmy Spanish spring day. After the chuppah guests were invited to enjoy canapes and drinks, before it was time to invite them downstairs into the caves for dinner and dancing.
Inside, the caves are big, beautiful and cool, the perfect respite from fierce sunshine if necessary, and laid out perfectly for tables on the left and right and an impressive dancefloor in the middle.
Planning tip: It’s important to envision how your guest numbers will look inside your chosen wedding venue. Finding out the maximum capacity of the space is just the beginning, because a too-big room is just as bad as a too-small one. Codorniu Caves is vast, but with a few clever visual tricks we made the space feel just perfect for Chhaya and Harry’s loved ones.
A traditional Jewish wedding ensued, with music throughout dinner and joyous dancing between courses, and Chhaya’s parents even got involved in the hora and found themselves lifted on chairs alongside the bride and groom. Jewish wedding parties are always high energy and absolutely full of love, and this was no different – the most wonderful culmination of their Hin-Jew celebrations in Spain.
Planning tips for a Hin-Jew or other multicultural wedding:
Fusion celebrations can be both exciting and challenging for you as a couple, and no matter how well you already know each other and your cultures, there are sure to be new things to discover on the wedding planning journey. We’ve put together a guide of 15 things to keep in mind, from who to choose as your wedding planner to navigating family dynamics.
A moment for the wedding fashion…
We can’t take any credit for it, but Elegante by Michelle J couples do tend to be rather stylish…let’s take a moment to celebrate Chhaya and Harry’s beautiful, traditional wedding outfits which left us swooning every day of their Hin-Jew wedding near Barcelona!
At Elegante by Michelle J we are specialists in planning Jewish, Jew-ish and Jewish fusion weddings, and have planning partners and associates we work closely with to ensure both cultures’ traditions are celebrated in a multicultural wedding. Our planning approach is warm, empathetic and experienced, and we’d love to hear from you if you’re dreaming of your own destination wedding.
Get in touch to enquire about 2027 dates.
With thanks to a wonderful team:
Production: Kamal Events
Photo and video: Komarenko
Florist: Pepe Von Strudel
Hair and makeup: Marina Grikun
Venues: ME Sitges Terramar | Sunway Sitges | Codorniu Caves
Stationery: The Pina Colada Co | Big Day Designs
Henna artist: Neha
Rentals: Abanik Rent Events
Catering: Bollywood Restaurant Barcelona
Priests: Shiv Gopal | Vasudev Mehta
Entertainment: Batuk Gopal | Creation Events | Creation Instagram
Kippahs: Creative Favours