We wanted it to feel like a very authentic Spanish setting
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
I (Melanie) was born and raised in South Florida to Spaniard parents who were born and raised in Venezuela. I am a full-time real estate agent and am also a content creator (primarily on TikTok – @melsellsfl) where I’ve gained a following through sharing my life and my business in South Florida. I love being outdoors on the water and spending time boating, working on projects around our fixer-upper home that we bought together, and spending time with our friends and our senior dog Darby.
Luca was born and raised in North Carolina to an American mother and an Italian father, and he moved to Florida in early 2019, shortly before we met. Luca has a passion for spearfishing and free diving, and he works as a National Sales Manager for one of the largest diving gear manufacturers in the world, Cressi. He loves to cook, spend time outdoors – fishing, boating, diving, cycling, and of course spending time with our dog and our group of friends!
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
Melanie: We met through mutual friends on a boat day in Fort Lauderdale in May 2019. Melanie was invited out that day and almost didn’t go, but had recently made a New Year’s resolution to say “yes” more often even when I wasn’t really feeling like it. As soon as I walked up to the dock where we were meeting other friends on the boat, I immediately saw Luca (out of all the other people who were also on the boat), and I was instantly drawn to him – I felt like I was struck by lightning just at the first sight of him. We didn’t talk right off the bat, but as the day progressed, we found our way to each other and spent the rest of the afternoon talking, laughing, and getting to know each other.
Luca: “I was going on a friend’s boat to enjoy a day on the water. I arrived early to help get everything ready before everyone else showed up. I was new to South Florida and didn’t know everyone who was going to be coming with us, so I was a little nervous about that. As the last few people arrived, I saw Melanie for the first time, and she immediately had me hooked. As the day progressed, I couldn’t stop looking at her and eventually gathered the courage to go and talk to her. We talked for hours on the back of the boat, away from everyone else, laughing and getting to know each other. It was a perfect match. Her beauty caught my eye, but her personality and intelligence are what I couldn’t stop thinking about. From that point on, I was a man on a mission to ensure I got to spend the rest of my life with her. “
What styling and visual elements worked best for you? (could be things, the florals, particular hire products or your marquee, etc., something the stylist created or simply just the scenic beauty of your location or the existing design of your venue).
We wanted to incorporate as much of the beauty of our venue as possible and work with the landscape, not against it. Being that almost all of our guests were travelling from the US to Spain, we wanted it to feel like a very authentic Spanish setting. Bougainvillea is my favourite flower, and I absolutely love how they bloom all throughout the coastal towns of Southern Spain, so I knew I wanted to incorporate it into our wedding florals somehow. That led us to choose bright pinks, corals, and oranges for our wedding flowers. We were not afraid of colour and wanted the florals to feel bright and fun, not something that would blend into the white and green backdrop. Because we wanted to lean into traditional Andalusian themes, we incorporated blue and white “tile” style designs with our stationery, signage, menus, and all paper goods, and also did traditional Andalusian tiles for our table numbers.
What did you enjoy most about the planning process, and do you have any tips for couples starting their wedding planning journey?
We were both involved in every step of the planning process, and we enjoyed that it allowed us to spend more intentional time together and envision the day that was perfect for us. Our biggest tip would be to do what makes sense for YOU and forget about tradition, expectations, external influences, or the way things “should” be done. For example, none of the traditional/slow first dance songs resonated with us, so we chose Volare by Gipsy Kings for our first dance because it felt like a combination of both of our Spanish and Italian cultures, and it’s also such a joyful and upbeat song, which felt like the most “us”. At the same time, we both love Rufus Du Sol, so we had Luca and the bridal party enter to a piano version of Next to Me, and we walked back down the aisle to the regular version of the same song. Every choice we made for our day was so authentic to us, and we didn’t care if it was traditional or not!
Tell us about your vendors. Were there any standout suppliers you would like to make special mention of?
Anni and Aroha (photo/video/content team) were both absolutely amazing! I had been following Anni on IG from the moment we even considered getting married in Spain, and as soon as we signed our date with her, she went above and beyond to come out to the venue when we were in town for our tasting just to meet us and get acquainted with the space. She even went back for their vendor open house and took some test shots to share with us for different photo spaces she was envisioning. On the day of, it felt like we were hanging out with our two friends – they made us feel so comfortable being ourselves in front of the camera.
The Finca Monasterio team also went above and beyond – all of our guests raved about the service and told us that there was never a moment when they had an empty glass or were wondering when food would be served. It was better than we could have anticipated!
Lastly, our DJ knew exactly the vibes we were going for and took the time to ask about the guests before the event so that he could incorporate music that everyone would enjoy. We sent him a short playlist of the vibe we were going for, and he completely hit it out of the park.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, and is there a story?
My best friend/maid of honour actually picked out my dress off the rack on the first day of wedding dress shopping. I thought I wanted something simple and sleek, but the intricate lace detailing caught her eye, and she suggested I try it on. As soon as I put it on, I knew it had so many elements which I love – a square neckline and corset bodice, a Basque waist, an A-line skirt, and straps (because I knew I’d be dancing all night long). However, after I tried it on and fell in love, the bridal salon told me it was impossible to get it in time for my wedding and was not really willing to help me beyond that. But as usual, I never give up. So I researched every bridal salon in my area that carried Milla Nova gowns, and I recognised Rashawn Rose Bridal on the list because my sister had gotten her wedding dress there 7 years earlier. When I called them, they remembered me and my sister and were more than happy to help me rush order the gown. They were extremely helpful and communicative, and even though the gown was a bit delayed, it still came in a month and a half before we were leaving for our wedding, which left just enough time for alterations! It was meant to be.
Tell us about your wedding and engagement rings.
All three of our rings (engagement and both wedding bands) were custom-made pieces by Luca’s family jeweller from North Carolina. We both gravitated towards classic and timeless designs, so he designed my engagement ring with a 2-carat round brilliant natural diamond set on a 14k gold solitaire setting with a hidden halo, and for our wedding bands, I took inspiration from the Cartier 1895 2.5mm wedding band and had him make it for us in 14k gold to match my engagement ring. Luca chose a 14k gold band as well, with a brushed finish and polished edges. We had the jeweller engrave Luca’s name and our wedding date inside mine, and my name and our wedding date inside his.
What were one or two elements that were most important to you both that you were happy to spend a little more on? (food, photography, florals, the venue, your outfits?).
Photography and videography for sure – with as much effort and intentionality as we put into our special day, we knew it was so important to work with a photo/video team who could capture every aspect of it in a way that would allow us to look back on our wedding day with the same love and joy that we felt on the day. When Anni sent us our previews the next day, we both got chills, and I cried because it confirmed that it was worth every single penny working with her AND getting all of the extras (film, drone, content).
Was there a favourite moment (or two) that you will treasure always?
“Our first look. It was a moment that I had waited for my whole life, and the anticipation leading up to it was already bringing tears to my eyes. The moment the doors opened, and I saw Melanie, I was filled with happiness and joy that I had never felt before in my life.” – Luca
“Our private vows. We were originally going to do them in the morning over breakfast, but we ran out of time and promised to find a few minutes to do them before the ceremony. As the wedding day usually goes, time flew by, and before we knew it, it was time for our ceremony, and we still hadn’t done our vows. During the ceremony, our officiant told our guests that we had done our vows privately that morning, to which we both quietly giggled and squeezed each other’s hands because of our shared secret. After the cocktail hour, we had a few minutes to sit down and relax while our guests transitioned to the dinner space, so we read our vows to each other then. It was still such a heartfelt and special moment that we both cried, and it further proved to us that there was no point in stressing about the “right” way to do our wedding day because whatever ended up happening (regardless of how we planned it) would be perfect for us.” – Melanie
What does being married mean to you, and are there any special rituals you have that you would like to share?
“To me, being married means that I have a lifelong partner who stands by me, trusts me, and loves me for who I am, and I get to devote my life to her. I told her in my vows that everything I do from the moment I wake up is for her and for our future together.” – Luca
“Being married means that I have the opportunity to experience and share all of my life experiences with someone that I love. I have a witness to my life for the rest of my life, and I feel so honoured that he’s chosen me as the witness to his life. I feel so excited about the opportunity we have to build our lives together and fill them with experiences, people, and memories that are authentic and meaningful to both of us” – Melanie
LOCATION Finca Monasterio, Cadiz, Spain, @fincamonasterio BRIDE Melanie, @melsellsfl GROOM Luca PHOTOGRAPHER, VIDEOGRAPHER & CONTENT CREATOR Anni Martikainen, @annimphotography DAY OF COORDINATOR Casey Fitzgerald – Weddings by Casey, @weddingsbycaseynerja CELEBRANT Brother-in-law ENTERTAINMENT DJ Alex Barroso, @djalexbarroso; Guitarist – Jesus Gomez, @jesusgomez_guitarist HIRE & CATERING Finca Monasterio, @fincamonasterio STATIONERY Zola, @zola RINGS All bespoke pieces by Luca’s family jeweler BRIDE’S DRESS Melrose – Milla Nova, @millanova purchased from Rashawn Rose Bridal, @rashawnrosebridal BRIDE’S SHOES Heels – Dolce Vita, @dolcevita BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Veil – Calily Bridal, @calilybridal HAIR & MAKEUP Bethania, @bethaniabridal BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE Cosmic – Kylie Jenner GROOM’S SHOES Dress Shoes – Joseph Abboud, @josephabboud GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Cufflinks – Gifted by the groom’s mother – David Yurman, @davidyurman GROOM’S FRAGRANCE Blue Mark Eau de Parfum – Jack Black, @getjackblack BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES Azazie, @azazieofficial GROOMSMENS’ SUITS Own black suits GIFT REGISTRY Zola, @zola
