Gaëlle Wore Pronovias For Her Wedding at Castell de Sant Martí de Tous in Barcelona

Castell de Sant Martí de Tous sits on a hill overlooking the Catalan countryside outside Barcelona, with views across green fields and towards the mountains beyond. It was here that Gaëlle and Dylan chose to marry on 3rd May 2025, surrounded by family and friends who had travelled from near and far to celebrate with them.

Gaëlle wore a chic, halterneck Pronovias gown, chosen during a trip to Barcelona with her mother, whilst guests witnessed the couple exchange vows in an outdoor ceremony overlooking the valley below. Afterwards, everyone came together for dinner, speeches and dancing beneath the Spanish sky, with the celebrations continuing long after sunset.

These photographs by Sandy Alonso document a beautiful day in one of Catalonia’s most stunning wedding settings. Below, Gaëlle shares more about the venue, the dress, the people who helped bring everything together and the experiences that shaped this beautiful day.

Enjoy!

Our venue was Castell de Sant Martí de Tous in Barcelona. We absolutely fell in love with this place the minute we stepped foot inside. Perched on a hilltop in the quaint town of Sant Martí de Tous, Spain, this charming castle overlooks rolling fields and the sleepy village below, with views that stretch all the way to the distant mountains.

The ceremony space in particular stole our hearts – an open-air setting where guests could gaze out across the valley for kilometers, framed by the magic of nature and history.

The venue had an event planner who guided us through the entire process along with professional staff that made the entire day run smoothly. It was a dream working with them in the months leading up to the event and throughout the wedding day.

For example, when the sole button on Dylan’s tuxedo came undone 2 minutes before he was supposed to walk with his parents down the aisle, a sewing kit magically appeared in my hands immediately so my mom could repair it. Really incredible to have such professionals supporting you.

Both my parents walked me down the aisle and both Dylan’s parents accompanied him as well. In the end, both our parents are dear to us and we wanted to include them in the ceremony at some level. Having them “give us away” to each other was a beautiful moment to start us off.

Our officiant was my dear friend of many years, Hanne – a warm, kind-hearted soul who perfectly captured the casual yet romantic atmosphere we envisioned for our ceremony. One of the most special touches was her ability to speak all the languages represented at our wedding, seamlessly weaving them into different moments of the ceremony so everyone felt included and connected.

We wrote one set of vows that we read together during the ceremony. We alternated lines throughout with the exception of the last line, which we read together.

We didn’t have traditional readings or set texts, but instead invited the people closest to us to speak from the heart. Hanne, our officiant, my brother, and two of Dylan’s grad school friends shared personal anecdotes from our years together and the love they’ve witnessed between us. We also had an “open mic” moment, during which my aunt stepped forward to speak so warmly about us as a couple and how we’d supported her through a difficult chapter in her life. It was a little spontaneous, slightly chaotic, but absolutely overflowing with love — exactly how we wanted it to be.

My wedding band was from Suarez and Dylan got his at the same place he designed my engagement ring: Bijoya in Pamplona, Spain.

Before our big day, we had a small civil ceremony with a handful of close friends. On the way to the courthouse, I picked up a bouquet from a local flower shop and wore a simple white dress. Afterwards, we went for brunch, which ended with a 10-hour blackout across Spain and Portugal. It became a running joke among our friends that our love had caused the power outage!

We chose Sandy Alonso Photography after she was highly recommended by another photographer who was unavailable for our date.

I was drawn to the elegance, framing, and timeless simplicity of her work, but it was her warmth and genuine care in our first conversations that truly won me over. On the day, she struck the perfect balance of guiding us when needed and blending seamlessly into the background.

Sandy didn’t miss a single fleeting moment, and yes, we’d recommend her wholeheartedly.

Our videographer, Hugo Sousa, came as a glowing recommendation from Sandy, who had admired his work for years. His films are intimate, emotional, and entirely unique to each couple – no two feel alike. We instantly fell for his style and storytelling.

We hesitated at first about hiring both a photographer and a videographer, weighing the investment against the value. But when Sandy and Hugo told us they’d never had the chance to work together before and offered us a combined package, it felt meant to be. Watching the footage now, we know it was worth every cent — Hugo captured not just the look of the day, but the very heartbeat of it.

We met at The University of Texas Running Club — I was an undergraduate, he was working on his PhD. Our connection was immediate, but it truly deepened after I returned from a semester abroad in China. We dove headfirst into adventures together — an acro-yoga class, long bike rides and runs through the Texas Hill Country, and cooking gourmet meals in our tiny kitchen. Sport and food have always been the heartbeat of our relationship.

After a year and a half of dating, we moved in together, and a year later we relocated to Taiwan — a leap into a new continent, culture, and language with no support system but each other. Those four years abroad tested us in the best way, gifting us epic hikes, wild travel stories, and an unshakable bond.

Eight years into our relationship, after another international move to Spain, he proposed on a mountaintop overlooking the small town where I had spent my childhood summers. By then, we already knew marriage wouldn’t change who we were — but we longed for the joy of bringing all our friends and family together in one place, something we’d never been able to do before. We were engaged for a year and a half before tying the knot, and it truly was the most magical gathering we could have imagined.    

We hired a bus to take everyone to and from the venue from Barcelona. This was well worth it, because it meant everyone arrived at the same time, no one got lost, and it was safer for our guests.

Floral design was by Floristeria Les Flors Igualada – it’s the same company the venue uses for the rest of the decor.

Catering was provided through the venue (they have local suppliers they work with). We should note though, that they were incredible. They provided a great set of options for the appetizers and dinner menu for us to choose from and everything was beautifully designed and of great quality. If they hadn’t come with the venue, we would have gladly hired them anyway.

Our cake was provided by A Casa Portuguesa. It’s a local Portuguese bakery that has a very talented cake baker. We’ve always loved the baked goods we got from the place and we randomly found out they do wedding cakes upon request while talking to them one day.

We made some wedding favours ourselves – we made each guest a jasmine-scented candle in the shape of a flower that we put in a craft-paper box with a gold stamp that has our initials on it.

The day will fly by, and all those tiny details you obsessed over will fade into the background of an overwhelming wave of joy and love.

My advice: once your wedding day arrives, let go of the to-do list. Focus on the things that truly matter – family, friends, food, and fun. If you have those, you’ve done everything right. Just breathe, be present, and enjoy every single moment.

The day unfolded exactly as we had hoped. If anything, I might have given guests a heads-up about just how much food there would be, so they could pace themselves and savour every bite. But that’s a very minor thing.

We’re a more experience-driven couple, so we gathered a set of dream activities that we’d like to do during our first year as a married couple, both during the honeymoon and after, posted descriptions of those on our wedding website (hosted through Bodas.net), and then asked for contributions through a Google form.

Register here, it will only take a few moments – you’ll then be able to save all your favourite Love My Dress content, including real weddings, shop items, ceremony readings, inspirational editorials and recommended supplier / vendor and venue listings. Enjoy!