Cortijo Bravo Destination Wedding, Spain
Nicole & Anthony
A weekend at Hotel Cortijo Bravo, Spain
When UK-based couple Nicole and Anthony decided to bring their families together in Spain, they turned to us at the very beginning of their journey to identify the ideal destination and venue. As a fellow South African, collaborating with Nicole felt natural from our first conversation. We selected Málaga in the south of Spain and secured an exclusive buyout of Hotel Cortijo Bravo, a contemporary Andalusian farmhouse set in the hills, allowing their guests to stay on-site for a four-day celebration. As Nicole and Anthony shared after the weekend, "selecting Emma as our wedding planner was our first step and by far the best decision we made. From selecting the destination and venue to the finest details, Emma made the experience seamless and fun."
Highlights
UK-based client
Guests: 65 guests
Event duration: 3 event days + 1 activity day
Venue: Hotel Cortijo Bravo (Málaga, Spain)
Guest accommodation: Hotel Cortijo Bravo (hotel buyout)
Design narrative: laidback Andalusian charm
Key features: surprise Flamenco performance, evening ceremony, repurposed lemonade stand, lemon escort cards
Day one: tapas and flamenco
The weekend opened with an authentic Spanish welcome at Hotel Cortijo Bravo. Guests enjoyed tapas, local wines, and an acoustic Spanish guitarist on the terrace. Adding a personal element to the evening, Nicole (a trained dancer) surprised her guests with an impromptu flamenco performance.
Day two: lemons, vows and disco balls
Guests were greeted with an icy cold lemonade station before taking their seats on the terrace for an evening ceremony overlooking the countryside. Following the service, drinks and canapes were served in the garden and when guests later made their way to dinner, they found the lemonade display converted into an escort card display complete with real lemons and their names calligraphed onto paper leaves. Dancing continued late into the night under a disco ball installation.
Day three and four: bbq, jazz and tourist-ing
The following afternoon featured a relaxed hangover barbecue at 2:00 PM accompanied by a live jazz trio poolside, providing a slow-paced environment for guests to unwind and share stories from the night before.
The celebration concluded with an informal beach day, giving guests time to relax by the sea and explore the historic streets of Malaga at their leisure.
"We received unsolicited feedback from almost every guest to say that, bar their own weddings, this was the best wedding they had ever attended. It was more than a wedding for us - it was a coming together of friends and family in a stunning setting and a time that everyone will remember and talk about for years to come. There is no way we could have made it happen without Emma."
Design, Styling and Planning | Emma Jane Weddings
Photographer | Andreas Holm
Venue | Hotel Cortijo Bravo