E&O Bell Reco Winter Wedding: Interview with Our Bride
Today we have a very special interview with one of our absolute all time favourite couples Edie and Obi! Over 3 years of planning we became particularly fond of E&O and were really glad to have answers from not just the bride but also the groom. Read on to find out all about their Bell Reco Winter wedding (which was initially meant to be an Autumn wedding, was for a short time going to be a Spring wedding and finally ended up being a Bell Reco Winter Wedding -thanks COVID!). We hope you love seeing the photos by Ivan of And I Love You So and reading about their day as much as we did.
Describe your Bell Reco Winter wedding day in 3 words!
Bride reply: Magical, Energetic, and Personal
Groom reply: Surreal, Elegant, and Fulfilling
What was your favourite memory from your Bell Reco Winter wedding?
This is such a hard question as there were so many incredible memories made—the day was packed with emotion and joy which was only magnified by the fact that this was our third attempt at a wedding thanks to COVID. If we absolutely had to choose, though, I would say that surprising all our guests with the announcement of our baby due in June was a real highlight for us. It’s one of those moments that immediately becomes a core memory—the overflowing of pure happiness and warmth in the room following the announcement was a feeling we will never, ever forget. We are so grateful we got to share such a special moment in person with so many people we love.
Why did you chose Barcelona as your wedding destination?
Easy question! We actually live here full time, so for us it was a local wedding but for our guests it was a destination event. We wanted to share our adopted city that we love so much with all of our friends and family. Many, many years ago we actually fell in love at Sonar in Barcelona on our first international adventure as a couple. That fateful festival in summer of 2014 was the turning point where the relationship went from exciting and fun and new to something much more serious and committed. Barcelona will always have a very special place in our hearts.
What did you love most about your wedding dress? How and where did you find it?
Absolutely everything. I had a very clear vision of my wedding look from day one and, as anyone involved in the planning of the event can attest to, was laser focused on executing that vision perfectly. The dress was from Pronovias and my dear friend actually saw a picture of it while walking past the Barcelona flagship store and thought, “Wow, that is literally exactly what Edie has been describing to me these last few weeks!”. It was full lace with long sleeves and an open back and a lovely, elegant (but not too long) train in the back. The delicate lace lying over my bare skin around the neck area really framed my face and bridal look exactly as I had dreamed!
Tell us more about your wedding day vision and accessories. How and where did you find the pieces you each chose?
As I mentioned, I had a very clear mental image of the vibe I wanted to give off—think romantic, modern Baroque-inspired fashion meets 2018 Heavenly Bodies Met Gala chic. I wanted drama without extravagance—basically, I wanted to feel regal without feeling princess-y. In order to achieve this somewhat unusual effect, I knew I needed to accessorize like a pro. I found the perfect oversized vintage, antique gold Chanel hoops after months of searching online and knew that they needed to be paired with a headpiece that could hold its own next to them. I came across the jewelry designer Marucca who was based in Sevilla and quickly booked a weekend getaway for us. She and her team helped bring to life the celestial crown I had envisioned with a beautiful mixture of textures, metals, stones, and height. I also decided to source a mantilla in Sevilla and opted for one from Juan Foronda. Once I found the perfect one, I ditched the traditional bridal veil look (as well as the traditional mantilla comb) to put my own spin on it.
We put equally (well, maybe not equally, but close to!) as much thought into Obi’s wedding day look. While on that same accessory treasure hunting trip to Sevilla, we also met with a custom tux design team at Mario Moreno Moyano and designed every last detail of his tux together. From the subtle texture of ivory jacket, to the tiniest cufflink and pocket square, Obi and the team there put together a modern day James Bond look which he rocked to the fullest. I honestly don’t know if I will ever get over how amazing and handsome he looked that day. We really enjoyed making every part of our looks so personal and unique—no to mention it helped kill some time during the long wait until the wedding day finally arrived!
If you did it all again what might you change about your Bell Reco Winter wedding?
I would have set the wedding date for closer to the engagement honestly. If we had just had a shorter engagement, we could have potentially avoided all these COVID complications. But hindsight is 20/20 and 2020 was disastrous—so short of being able to predict the future I don’t think there was much we could have done there. As for anything I would have done differently for the wedding day itself, I wouldn’t change a thing! Just wish it could have lasted longer!
Tell us about the blooms. What was your favourite thing about your wedding flowers?
The florist is an absolute genius. We told him the vibe we wanted and let him run with it and put our faith completely in his creative hands. We were absolutely blown away by the result. The colors and blooms he selected were the perfect mixture of wintry moody and playful romantic. The colors were spectacular and really popped against our outfits!
What is your advice for other couples getting married in Barcelona?
Your vendors and your connection with them are SO important—make sure you have shared values/vibes. If you focus on assembling your personal dream team and really feel aligned with the people and places you choose to work with, everything will run so much more smoothly. We made sure that not only did we love the work of the people we selected, but that we also loved their energy. I must say it was a game changer when things got stressful and made our lives so much easier. The fact that Rebecca (of Barcelona Brides itself) was able to make us laugh throughout the entirety of this wild, stressful, almost three year ride to get to the wedding day—facing delays and obstacles that none of us ever expected—is a testament to how crucial this is. If you love the people you are working with, there is no problem that can’t be solved.
What cultural aspects did you include in your big day?
As the groom is of Nigerian, specifically Igbo, descent, it was important to us to honor this on the wedding day in a few ways. First, he danced/walked down the aisle to some amazing Igbo music which was super upbeat and fun and definitely different than your standard run-of-the-mill wedding tunes. Second, we had one of the groom’s cousins break the kola nut over a blessing before dinner—he delivered the blessing in Igbo and then translated it for the rest of the guests before distributing the kola nut to those who wanted to taste it and take part. Finally, we changed into Igbo clothing for a traditional entrance and money dance after we cut the cake later in the evening. This was a fun surprise for the majority of our guests and they enjoyed getting to partake in the tradition of throwing money at us while we danced. All of these elements added so much to the overall experience and we are over the moon with how everything turned out!
Vendor Credits
Photographer: Ivan of And I Love You So @and_i_loveyouso
Planning: Barcelona Brides of @barcelonabrides
Catering: Mocho’s Catering Barcelona @monchoscatering
Make up and hair: Barcelona Mua of @barcelonamua
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