We love a good wedding weekend – and this is one for the books! Chhaya and Harry, both doctors, live in the UK, but they knew they wanted a destination where their loved ones could get together for some serious quality time around their interfaith “HinJew” wedding – and they found the perfect setting in a seaside town called Stiges, near Barcelona.
The couple’s planner, Smashing The Glass Recommended Vendor Elegante by Michelle J, helped them plan a series of three events over three days, each with its own distinct personality while still feeling part of one cohesive story.
They got things started with a joyful, sun-drenched welcome fiesta/haldi ceremony, which they hosted poolside at the ME Sitges Terramar Hotel, the main wedding hotel where most of the couple’s guests stayed.
Day two was Chhaya and Harry’s Hindu wedding under the mandap at neighboring hotel Sunway Playa Golf & Spa – we’re obsessed with the fun, romantic, pastel-colored vibes, and you absolutely cannot miss Chhaya’s stunning outfit by Aisha Rao. Be sure to catch it in the wonderful photos by photographer Dmitry Komarenko!
The third and final day was reserved for the duo’s elegant black-tie Jewish ceremony at a gorgeous winery, Caves Codorniu. The woodland-inspired chuppah took place outdoors, and then for the reception everyone moved into the underground caves!
Read on for all the wonderful details in Chhaya’s own words…
How We Met
Chhaya, the bride: Harry and I are both doctors and we met in 2019. Through the challenges of the pandemic we built our own little bubble – and from that a love story that continues to grow!
A Wedding in Spain
We decided to get married in Spain, in a seaside town called Sitges, near Barcelona. We knew we wanted a destination wedding and Spain ticked all the boxes. We hosted 3 events as part of our interfaith “HinJew” wedding.
Day 1 was our welcome fiesta/ haldi ceremony which we hosted poolside at the ME Sitges Terramar Hotel.
This was also our main wedding hotel where most of our guests stayed – we wanted day 1 to be convenient for all guests and minimal travel as most had arrived that day.
Day 2 was our Hindu wedding under the mandap – we hosted this at the neighbouring hotel Sunway Playa Golf & Spa. We got married on the terrace overlooking the sea – it was magical!
Later that evening we hosted rooftop drinks at the Radio Rooftop Bar at the ME Hotel! It was so much fun.
Day 3 was our Jewish ceremony under the chuppah followed by the reception. We found the most magical venue, a winery just outside Barcelona called Caves Codorniu. We did the chuppah ceremony on the lawn outside and then did our evening party in the underground caves!
A HinJew Wedding
Our wedding unfolded across several events, each with its own distinct personality while still feeling part of one cohesive story.
The welcome fiesta and haldi set the tone with a joyful, sun-drenched palette of yellows, soft pinks and whites. We leaned into marigolds, florals and playful details, creating a relaxed, celebratory atmosphere that felt vibrant and full of life. The haldi ceremony was designed to flow seamlessly into golden hour, capturing warmth, colour and that unmistakable pre-wedding excitement.
For the Hindu wedding, we embraced colour and celebration, opting for a softer, more modern approach with pastel tones layered with texture and detail. The overall feel was fun, romantic and expressive, allowing tradition and personality to sit beautifully side by side.
The Jewish ceremony and evening reception took place in a winery setting and marked a tonal shift to something more refined and contemporary. A black-tie aesthetic anchored the evening, with sleek styling and a more dramatic, elegant mood that contrasted perfectly with the colour and energy of the earlier events.
Our wedding planner was Michelle at Elegante by Michelle J.
Invitation/Stationery
We had 2 different companies do our stationary.
For our invites we decided on e invites – I found a company on Instagram called The Pinacolada Co. Her name is Falguni and she is based in India and is so talented. She responded to my message quickly and we had a call where we discussed the general vibe of the wedding and each event and she really made my vision come to life!
She created a 1 minute video invite that we could send to our guests – it was so fun and something very different. She also created a video wardrobe planner so our guests knew exactly what to pack.
Alongside this, she created the most unique order of service for our Hindu wedding ceremony so our guests to follow along , and personalised Uno cards (She called them “you had me an numero UNO” for that Spanish theme). Falguni also designed our welcome bags with an itinerary booklet – we filled the bag with goodies and delivered them to guests on arrival. We also had her design our welcome signs for each event as well as drinks stirrers! Would highly recommend her!
For our Jewish ceremony we used Bigday Designs. They created our place cards and individual menus for our reception.
Hair + Makeup
I wanted to use someone local to Barcelona. I opted for Marina Grikun.
She was amazing. Fortunately she was in London a few months before so I had a make up trial with her. We went through the individual looks for each event and she definitely delivered on the day! She was so professional but most importantly I felt like myself !
Outfits
I opted for designer outfits for all of my events!
Haldi – Gopi Vaid. Welcome fiesta – Mahima Mahajan.
Hindu Ceremony – Aisha Rao, I knew instantly that it was the one the moment I put it on. It felt completely true to me – effortless, comfortable and perfectly in tune with the overall feel of the wedding. The colours and textures complemented the joyful, pastel aesthetic of the ceremony, allowing me to feel both expressive and relaxed throughout the day. What made the choice even more meaningful was Aisha Rao’s personal connection to Barcelona – she is an Indian designer who studied there and draws much of her inspiration from Spain. Given our destination setting, that subtle fusion of cultures felt incredibly special and made the outfit feel like a natural bridge between place, tradition and personal style.
Jewish wedding / reception – Shaveta & Anuj.
Ceremony & Chuppah
We wanted our Jewish ceremony to feel intimate, meaningful and reflective of the setting, while still honouring tradition. One of the most personal touches was our custom kippahs, which were personalised with our names and wedding date so guests could take this home as a keepsake especially as for half of our guests this was their first ever Jewish wedding. It was a small detail that felt incredibly special.
The chuppah design was inspired by nature and our surroundings. We chose a woodland theme, with organic textures and greenery, creating a soft, natural backdrop that felt both romantic and grounding.
Ketubah
We bought a customised ketubah from Etsy – HAPPYprojectSHOP.
Our music choice
I have always wanted a live band to play at our reception. We opted for Creation Events. They really bought the party to life!!
Flowers
We found Pepe Von Strudel (thanks to instagram @pepevonstrudel) and he was amazing! He also is familiar with Hindu weddings & different styles of mandap so he was great to get advice from too! He did the florals for our welcome fiesta, the Hindu wedding lunch & reception ceremony and each time he made the venue come to life!
He also curated our chuppah – it was perfect.
Photographer and videographer
We decided on a local videographer and photographer. We cannot fault Dmitry Komarenko.
We received all our photos and videos in such a timely manner and we love re watching them!! Again, highly recommend.
Extra Details
During the wedding planning process Etsy became my best friend! I ordered lots of personalised items including personalised wafers with our wedding logo (designed by Pina Colada Co) to use for our gelato station.
For our welcome fiesta we designed a ‘Bazaar’ which included lots of bangles , earrings & bindis (which I had purchased from India when I did my wedding shopping) – I then ordered a couple of bangle and earring stands so these could be displayed and guests could help themselves – I created the signs on Canva myself)
Throughout each event we incorporated QR codes so guests could scan this at each event and upload their photos so Harry & I could look back on our guests photos – we used Wedibox and paid £15 for annual access. This was also a fun addition!
I also ordered personalised wooden name cards for each guest for our reception.
Advice to couples currently planning their wedding
Plan a wedding that feels true to you, not what you think it should look like. The moments that mattered most to us weren’t the perfectly styled details, but how the day felt – the emotion, the laughter, and being surrounded by the people we love. Try to let go of perfection and trust the people you’ve chosen around you. Once the celebrations begin, everything moves quickly, so take intentional pauses to be present with each other- even just a few quiet moments together make all the difference. Most importantly, remember that the wedding is just the beginning. If you focus on celebrating your relationship rather than putting pressure on a single day, everything else naturally falls into place.
CHHAYA & HARRY’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK
Photography & Videography – Dmitry Komarenko
Planner – Elegante by Michelle J {offers 10% discount to all members of Smashing The Glass’s Brides Club}
Ketubah – HAPPYprojectSHOP
Venue – ME Sitges Terramar Hotel, Sunway Playa Golf & Spa, Caves Codorniu
Bride’s dresses – Gopi Vaid, Mahima Mahajan, Aisha Rao, Shaveta & Anuj
Hair + Makeup – Marina Grikun
Flowers – Pepe Von Strudel
DJ – Creation Events
Stationery/Invitation – The Pinacolada Co, Bigday Designs
Digital guestbook – Wedibox
If you’re a Jewish or Jew-ish bride-to-be, you’ll want to join Smashing The Glass’ Brides Club. Guided by the world’s number 1 Jewish wedding expert, Karen Cinnamon, Brides Club is the private community for Jewish and Jew-ish brides that removes wedstress and indecision and gives you what you need to plan with confidence during these uncertain times. Join our Brides Club here.
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