The long table, and the Spanish way of eating

If you have spent time in Spain, you know that dinner is not something to get through. It is the point of the evening. It starts late, often after nine, and it lasts for hours. Nobody looks at their watch. This is the rhythm we build our weddings around.

The long table

We love one long table, or a few, more than round tables scattered across a room. Everyone faces each other. Conversations cross. Plates are passed. It feels less like a reception and more like a family meal, which is exactly what a small wedding should be.

The aperitivo

Before dinner comes the aperitivo: olives, jamón, something cold in the glass, standing in the last of the light. It is when guests mingle, and when the photographer has the best sky. We let it run long.

Sharing, not serving

Spanish food is made to be shared. Platters in the middle of the table, a seasonal menu, produce from the region you are marrying in. It creates warmth in a way plated courses rarely do.

The sobremesa

There is a word in Spanish for the time spent at the table after the meal is finished: sobremesa. Coffee, a digestif, a story that goes on a little too long. We always leave room for it before the dancing begins.

Your guests may come from places where dinner ends at ten. By the end of the night, they will understand why Spain eats this way.

Late, but not tired

A Spanish wedding can easily go on until the early hours. We plan the timing so the energy holds: a late snack, a change of scene, music that builds.