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The Hacienda San Jose venue in the Costa Del Sol is an incredible venue to have your wedding. Nestled in the Andalusian mountains near the Mijas old cobble stone city is beyond perfect for that old town feeling.
Wedding Planner: Sunshine Weddings Spain
Hair and Makeup: Hair by Ashleigh / Makeup by Kerstin
Shoes: Dune
Flowers: Shona from Bunches | Mixture of Peonies and Roses
DJ: DJ Steve
Dress Designer: Dress designed by Rosa Clara and dress was from Emma Louise Bridal in Bolton
Grooms Suit: Ted Baker
Bridesmaids Dress: Bridesmaid by JB
Videography: Wild Love Artists | Noah
Tell us about your dress
I found my dress at a local boutique Emma Louise bridal. It was one of the first ones I tried on as I knew I wanted something fitted with lace and something a bit different. . I knew it was the one when I was told it was by a Spanish designer and already making the decision to get married in Spain. I thought it was a sign!
How did you meet
We both met in the gym that Dan owns and have been together 6 years! It all started when offered me a free personal training session at the gym then slide into my insta DMs an hour after our session and the rest is history.
Grooms Suit
Dan always wanted a James Bond style black tux. With having a church wedding we wanted the suits to look classy and smart.
Did you see each other before the wedding
We spent the night before the wedding together at the Hacienda San Jose and as soon as 6am came Dan was booted out the bridal room and I didn’t see him till church. Waking up together the morning of the wedding helps with any nerves.
What helped you choose your venue | Hacienda San Jose
We wanted something rustic Andalusian style and Hacienda San Jose was a perfect match.
How did he pop the question
In 2019 Dan persuaded me to go on a TV show with him called ‘Hunted’ on channel 4. where we went on the run for 1 month trying to evade capture from the authorities. The experience was the hardest thing we had ever done both physically and mentally. We even kidnapped our cocker spaniel as we missed her so much. To our surprise we made it through to the final day without being captured although we had a few close moments with the hunters! Just as we were about to jump off Amlwch Port in wales into the sea to board a speed boat …. Dan proposed to me… total shock and we won the prize money which later paid for our dream wedding in Spain.
The church was a 30 minute drive from the Hacienda San Jose, but it allowed the couple and guests to experience the old town perfectly situated in the village of Mijas.
How did you feel during the day
Hayley- I was really chilled the morning of the wedding and as soon as I got out the car outside church and could see all the tourists gathered around church then heard Laura Ellen start singing our entrance song I did get really nervous. I enjoyed doing our vows and I was just trying to get Dan through it as he was an emotional wreak.
Dan- I had no nerves in the morning to the point I went back to sleep when all the girls started to get ready. The only part I felt nervous about was the speech. I did however get emotional as soon as I saw Hayley in church and again when reading our vows, only real men cry!
Live Music
We had Laura Ellen sing in church who was amazing! I don’t think there was a dry eye in the church when she sung bitter sweet symphony when I walked down the aisle. We had nano on guitar for our cocktail hour who really set the Spanish vibe off. We ended with Damien on Sax who really got the party started!
What photography advise can you offer others
Opt for natural shots capturing the moment. Don’t worry about posing as Rebecca will capture your best moments without you even knowing she is there!
Favourite moments from the wedding
Our favourite part of the wedding was being up in Mijas Pueblo for our service in the most beautiful church followed by drinks in the local tapas bar then our mini parade through the centre of Mijas and tourists clapping and cheering for us. Another one of our favourite moments was getting everyone to sing happy birthday to my Nan who was 86 on the day we married, she was so touched by having everyone sing to her. A funny moment was when the dance floor got wild around 2am all the lads started to take their tops off on the dance floor.
Decorations at the Hacienda San Jose
In house decoration done by Yvonne from hacienda San Jose. Centre pieces included flowers in traditional Spanish terracotta jugs. Olive garland for top table. Rustic wooden name places with Lemoncello as favours (this was a no brainer with it being our favourite choice of shot!) At the disco we had neon sign at the centre of the dance floor ‘Drunk in Love’ to sum up how our night would end! We had our overall decor minimal as the hacienda has such beautifully gardens and scenery we wanted this to be appreciated
How was it working with your planner
Sunshine Weddings are the best planners in the Costa del sol. I would highly recommend having a planner when organizing a destination wedding they really do take the stress of organizing a wedding away.
Hacienda San Jose
Hacienda San Jose
This wedding venue is gorgeous with an amazing tower for beautiful portraits
Songs for your dances
We danced to wicked games – Parra for Cuva. The first few weeks when we started dating this song was always on the radio and it always reminds us of the exciting dating stage. We aren’t really the slow dance type of people and wanted something upbeat.
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