Three Day Norwegian Destination Wedding at Finca Monasterio, Sotogrande with Anna Miel Photography

Let's dive into all the details of this gorgeous three day destination wedding at the Finca Monasterio with a citrus theme beautifully photographed by Anna Miel.

When Eva and Mathias finally decided to get married, they wanted to do it in a way that felt entirely true to who they are, best friends first before becoming a couple with many shared interests and two delightful children. They wanted their wedding to allow them to focus on the big picture and the fun details without everything feeling overwhelming.

Eva and Mathias grew up in Norway, where they first met in high school. They were friends for many years before their relationship naturally evolved into something more in 2015. Life soon became busy, careers, children, and family commitments and like many couples, wedding plans were gently pushed aside.

It wasn’t until after the arrival of their second child Mathias proposed to Eva in Copenhagen, on their first child free weekend, and they decided it was time to make a decision, either start planning their wedding or accept that it might always be 'just someday'. Having decided to 'go for it' they eventually settled on Spain.

Why Spain and Why Finca Monasterio?

Eva and Mathias began researching venues in Norway and abroad, open to the idea of a destination wedding if it felt right.

The deciding factor came when they came across an image on Instagram of the Monasterio on the profile of a wedding planner. They had shared a photo of a finca that instantly captured everything Eva and Mathias were looking for. At that moment, they didn’t even know where it was they simply took a screenshot and searched for it online. That image led them to the Finca Monasterio.

When they realised the venue was located close to Eva’s parents’ home in Costa Bella, near Marbella, and it felt unmistakably meant to be. An email was sent straight away and they were both incredibly excited!

Planning a Destination Wedding Without the Stress

Despite their initial reservations, planning a destination wedding in Spain turned out to be surprisingly straightforward. Eva credits this to choosing the right venue and being supported by a good team.

Finca Monasterio’s clear timelines, structured planning process and trusted supplier recommendations made everything manageable and easy. From menu choices and room allocations to furniture selection and décor details, the process was transparent and reassuring.

Once Eva's parents had checked out the Monasterio and it was booked, they then travelled there to see the venue and meet some of the people who were going to be part of their wedding. Most of their vendor conversations took place via WhatsApp and FaceTime, while in person visits were combined with family holidays.

Décor meetings were had with Lemonface Deco where they discussed florals, etc and Eva also made sure she booked hair and make up trials on that trip. Later they travelled again to Spain for a few days for the menu tasting. Eva highly recommends you factor in a few trips before your wedding if you can.

Creating a Destination Wedding That Truly Felt Like Them

For Eva and Mathias it was important their wedding day felt truly like them. India, in particular, has played a significant role in their lives, which is why a piece of Bollywood music was chosen as their ceremony exit song. They wanted to include elements from their own story such as the fact they are best friends and how they went from being best friends to becoming a couple.

Norwegian wedding traditions were also honoured, especially when it came to speeches. Working closely with their toastmasters, the couple set clear expectations for how they wanted the evening to unfold, allowing the celebration to build gradually into an unforgettable night.

Their toastmasters were fantastic, the entire dinner turned into an incredible show that became a full scale performance of speeches, films, and music far exceeding anything they had imagined.

Wedding Ceremony Details at the Finca Monasterio

The ceremony itself was one of the most special moments with Celebrant Michelle Carroll whom Eva said was amazing. She held a few interviews with Eva and Mathias beforehand and managed to create a service that felt exactly like them telling their story in a humorous yet respectful way.

Eva and Mathias had included a light hearted poem about their relationship in their wedding invitations. During the ceremony, one of the maids of honour read it aloud in Norwegian, followed by a well-known Norwegian poem about marriage ensuring guests felt fully included.

The ceremony was conducted in English, while the couple responded with their vows in Norwegian, a bilingual exchange that felt intimate and deeply symbolic. They also included a ring passing ceremony among their guests, they weren't sure at first as neither of them are religious or spiritual but it turned out to be a very beautiful moment and a natural part of the ceremony where they could include songs performed by the soloist.

The Ceremony Music pieces chosen were 'Så Skimrende Var Aldrig Havet' as the entrance of the children and bridesmaids. Eva's bridal entrance was 'Canon in D' and their exit song was a Bollywood 'Mundian To Bach Ke'.

Fashion & Bridal Style

Eva was determined there would be no confusion about who was the bride and was quite set on wearing white outfits throughout their celebrations. Her Spanish evening dress was by Elliatt, and Mathias opted for a relaxed linen look.

Her main wedding dress was sourced from a bridal boutique in Norway and altered from a one-shoulder to an off-shoulder design to better suit the Spanish setting. Mathias wore a bespoke tuxedo again tailored in Norway.

The couple’s rings came from a beautiful Swedish jewellery designer Mumbai Stockholm, Eva has always wanted a ring from them and her dream ring came true!

Rather than traditional bridesmaids, Eva chose two maids of honour, giving them a soft blue colour palette and freedom to choose their own dress styles and for the pool party Eva wore a white Indian outfit made when they were in Mumbai the previous year.

Styling, Design & Décor

With a background in graphic design, Mathias took the lead on creating a bespoke wedding logo, which became the visual thread tying the entire celebration together. The logo appeared everywhere from video invitations and the wedding website to welcome cards, towels, and speech cards.

The original theme featured oranges and later evolved to include lemons, mainly as Eva wished to have more yellow tones in her bouquet. Lemons were also incorporated into the altar design and table styling, creating a look that felt elegant, fresh, and full of life intentionally steering away from overly 'on-trend' all white arrangements.

Three Days of Celebrations at the Finca Monasterio

The celebrations began with a Spanish evening, a long table set beneath the olive trees, accompanied by a Spanish guitarist and relaxed paella dinner. As the evening unfolded, a mariachi band joined in, speeches began, and the atmosphere, Eva said, was incredible. 'It already felt like the wedding had begun and no one wanted the night to end'. Luckily the welcome evening ended at midnight as the bar closed so no hellish headaches the next day!

The Wedding day ceremony and reception flowed effortlessly, with very little stress and Eva and Mathias truly felt everything was under control. They chose to have their first dance immediately after the ceremony, outdoors, while guests were still fully present. It turned out beautifully even though dancing on the cobblestones was slightly challenging! The song they chose was manageable for two people who don't really know how to dance according to Eva, a version of 'Can't Help Falling in Love'.

The final day was all about fun. A relaxed pool party where the wedding cake was served, “Finca Olympics” with lots of lively competitions and games for all the guests ending the day with an incredible barbecue dinner.

Eva and Mathias describe their wedding as nothing short of a dream. Three days surrounded by everyone they love, in one extraordinary place. The atmosphere, the service, the food, and the shared experience of staying together made it truly unforgettable.

The photographers were absolutely fantastic, Eva mentions she had been to weddings before where the photographer took beautiful photos but didn't really contribute to the atmosphere or were even in a bad mood. She is so grateful she didn't have this negative energy, quite the opposite with Anna, and the work that was put in during the days themselves resulted in a gorgeous photo album & video to treasure forever.

A huge congratulations to Eva and Mathias and we hope you continue to make many more wonderful memories here in Spain.

Venue Finca Monasterio

Listed suppliers

Anna Miel Photography

Spanish Guitar Jesus Gomez

Bridal Hair Hair by Alex

Other suppliers

Lemonface Deco

Spanish Dress Elliatt

Wedding Rings Mumbai Stockholm

Celebrant Michelle Carroll

Bridal Makeup Nicola Cuddy