Destination Wedding
Listening - Love + Fear by Marina
Podcast - Happy Place (17/06/19 - Dolly Alderton)
This trip was highly anticipated to say the least! The flights and accommodation were booked in September 2018, the wedding outfit was purchased a year in advance, and most of my friends flew out a few days before us, so as soon as I clocked off work on the Thursday it was action stations!
It was a late evening flight and then a 90 minute car journey to get to Sotogrande, the area where the wedding was taking place, so with the hour time difference we didn't arrive at our apartment until nearly 3am. We were giving some friends a lift to their hotel, so had to cram 4 adults plus luggage into a Fiat 500 which was slightly comical, and coupled with the fact it was my first experience driving abroad AND we got a bit lost, I was beyond happy to crash into bed!
We woke the next morning at around 10am, and the friends who we were sharing our apartment with were up and about and had done a food shop the day before when they arrived which was really appreciated. Me and Chris joined forces to make a buffet breakfast and we all sat catching up sipping bucks fizz in the sunshine. Our accommodation was on a golf resort next to a huge lake and the wedding wasn't starting until 5pm, so we had a few hours of sunbathing before we began beautifying ourselves for the big event!
As Chris doesn't drink we were lucky enough to have our own personal chauffeur to the nuptuals; and we arrived at the incredible tree lined driveway of polo club venue Cancha II to a sangria and canape reception under the shade of trees whilst a violinist played. It was literally like something out of a dream, with the sunshine cascading through the leaves, and all our friends looked amazing in their wedding outfits. We took our seats when directed, and eagerly awaited the bride. When she glided down the aisle, Abi looked absolutely stunning, as did all the bridesmaids who wore a pale blush pink. The ceremony was relaxed yet intimate, and I was asked to do a Bob Marley reading; a lovely passage which really suited the overall atmosphere.
After the ceremony we wandered up to an elevated area above the polo pitches where the wedding breakfast was being held on three long white trestle tables decorated with beautiful flowers to match the bridal bouquet. Each course served was followed by one of the speeches (father of the bride, two best men and finally the groom), and the food, which we had picked from an extensive menu a couple of months before, was incredible. I started with a cold seafood dish of smoked salmon and langoustines, followed by saffron, mushroom and truffle ravioli topped with parmesan crisps, whereas Chris had a buffalo mozzarella salad and pan fried seabass, and for dessert we both opted for the white chocolate mousse with raspberries. By the time we had finished eating, and toasting the newlyweds, dusk was falling; so the cake was cut, the band started, and we danced the night away!
The following day, the wedding crowd congregated again, this time at the house belonging to Abi's parents, who reside in the area. More drinks flowed, and a fancy barbecue style spread was put on over lunchtime, whilst we all recounted the previous days antics (and Chris and I even ventured into the pool!). We left around 7pm, and a group of us went into the town for a few more wines and nibbles at a restaurant called the Hairy Lemon!
On the Sunday most of the guests left very early to catch flights home, but Chris and I had booked to travel later that evening so as to make the most of the long weekend. After we had checked out of the apartment, we drove in the direction of the airport, and stopped in the town of Benalmedina for a few hours. We got the most amazing sushi platter from a place called Inasia for lunch, and then wandered around popping into the shops, stopping at a few different points including the beach and lovely marina for drinks and ice cream along the way.
Breakdown
Flight - £207.90 - Ryanair & Jet2
Car Hire - £46.74 pp - Marbesol (4 days hire based on 2 sharing)
Accommodation - £82.29 (3 nights based on 4 sharing) - Airbnb
Spending money - £87.88 (inc airport costs & car hire petrol between 2; worth mentioning this was so low due to everything at the wedding & barbecue being very generously catered for, including an open bar!)
Total = £424.81
