From the moment Jess first got in touch with me, I could feel her excitement over the idea of eloping to Spain with her fiance Rob. Before they found me, they'd never thought it would be possible to fulfil their dream of having a wedding just for them, not only in Spain but also at a nice affordable price, which wasn't going to break their bank accounts. So once they realised it was, nothing was going to stop them from making their Spanish elopement dreams come true!
And then later, once we'd had a video call and I got to 'meet' them both, it was obvious that eloping to Spain was 100% the right thing for them to do. And they were both so excited about it! So we wasted no time in setting the plan into motion.
Jess and Rob chose our Cinematographic Ronda Elopement Package, which meant that their elopement included:
- Me as their wedding celebrant and Ronda elopement co-ordinator
- The fabulous Pedro Bellido as their elopement photographer, who takes no fewer than over three hundred images of the elopement
- The amazing Álvaro Guerrero as their elopement videographer, who creates a five minute highlight trailer of the elopement and also the ceremony video.
This package allowed Rob and Jess to just turn up and get married, as we had everything under control. And it also provided so many wonderful elopement keepsakes from photos to videos that Jess and Rob could show their families afterwards.
Elopement prep
On the day of the elopement, we arrived at Jess and Rob's hotel - the lovely Ronda Catalonia - which we highly recommend, at 9 am. It's right in the heart of Ronda and the perfect spot for all of our pre and post ceremony photo shoots. We start our elopements early because when a town is as beautiful as Ronda is, everyone wants to see it, so we head out early to avoid the crowds.
When we arrived at the hotel, we met Jess and Rob properly for the first time - it was like meeting up with old friends. We then set to work capturing them and all of their elopement details. Jess had also treated herself to professional hair and make-up for her big day, choosing the services of the incredible and super fun, Lorraine Romain from Princess Bride. Lorraine is the best hype woman you could choose for your elopement preparations. She will relax you and have fun with you and get you in the right mood for your big day.
Believe it or not, even though Rob and Jess were in the same hotel room, they didn't see each other at all during the prep stages, as they were keeping hidden from one another until their amazing first look reveal! So Jess and Lorraine were tucked away in the bathroom, whilst me, Pedro, Alvaro and Rob were in the bedroom. This is the kind of fun and intimacy you get with elopements.
The first look
Once Jess was almost finished, Rob went ahead with Pedro and Alvaro to the spot where we'd arranged for them to have their first look with each other. It was literally a one minute walk from the hotel, which is a great thing about Ronda - everything is close by!
When I did the walk moments later with Jess, it was so lovely to see people stepping aside to make way for her and of course all of the lovely comments and congratulations. The Spanish love a wedding and they are not shy about praising you and wishing you lots of luck. It's so beautiful to see! The Japanese tourists loved seeing Jess in her dress too and even asked for photos with them, which she was so sweet to oblige to!
For the first look itself, Rob took his place at the end of a beautiful covered patio, next to Ronda's prestigious music academy and then after giving them both a minute to catch their breath, we let them have their first look moment. It was so special. And I'm proud that we manage to capture these glorious moments but also to keep it sacred and private for them too.
The elopement ceremony
After their gorgeous first look, we made our way down to the gorge for the wonderful ceremony that we had co-created. We had spent time, prior to the elopement, planning out the ceremony and what we were going to include. Jess and Rob wrote their own amazing personal vows to one another and they opted to have a stunning hand-fasting ritual too. I also re-told them the story of how they met, which was so nice for them to hear me narrating their love journey and the big moments in their life. I also shared some of their individual thoughts on love and marriage, which they heard for the first time during the ceremony. And when it was time for the ring exchange, it was so lovely to see them swapping rings, her mum and dad's own wedding rings, which Jess's mum had gifted to them. The ceremony was the perfect combination of love, laughter, joy and happy tears, a ceremony with Ronda's famous Puente Nuevo bridge as its backdrop!
Ronda town photo shoot
After Jess and Rob's amazing emotion-filled ceremony, we then headed back in to Ronda old town to capture more memories during our photo shoot. This is one of the reasons why we love elopements in Ronda; there are so many amazing spots for photos and for carrying on with the post-ceremony high! Again, we were congratulated by all who passed us by, which always makes the elopement couple feel so special! Who needs wedding guests when you've got the generosity of the public!?
We feel incredibly privileged and humbled by each couple who chooses us to help them fulfil their Spanish elopement dreams. We craft each elopement in Ronda around the couples wishes and feelings and we make the elopement as stress-free, special and unique as possible. In fact there is zero stress. It's the most chilled way that a couple can get married. Bring your clothes, turn up and let's go!
Thank you so much to Rob and Jess for choosing us and for sharing your elopement story.
Here are some behind the scenes images captured by me, showing the fun we have with our elopement couples and what we do behind the scenes to make the magic happen! From Cava toasts to photos with tourists!
If you love the sound of your every own elopement in Ronda, Spain, then get in touch with me! I can't wait to hear from you.
Photos by the amazing Pedro Bellido - our elopement photographer.