Claudia Marteles is passionate about organization and creativity, and since her beginnings in the wedding world she has managed to become one of the most outstanding wedding planner in Barcelona specializing in foreign weddings.
Her elegant, sophisticated and innovative approach has led her to specialize in multicultural weddings, successfully managing events remotely and facing any challenge quickly and efficiently.
Her goal is to reflect the essence of each couple, creating personalized experiences that go beyond what is expected. From choosing suppliers to creating unique moments, Claudia makes sure that each wedding is a unique and unforgettable event.
With great attention to detail, her ability to incorporate the latest trends and her ability to adapt to the needs of the bride and groom, she makes each celebration a true experience. Today, she shares her secrets on how she makes each wedding special and how good teamwork and planning can turn any event into an unforgettable experience.
Read on to discover how this wedding planner in Barcelona can make your wedding a unique moment!
How did you get started in the world of weddings and what made you fall in love with organizing such special events?
I have always been passionate about the world of organization and creativity, but my path in the world of weddings began with the completion of a master’s degree with Imagina tu boda. At that time, I discovered the magic behind every detail and how good planning can turn dreams into reality.
What I fell in love with most about this world is the excitement and happiness of couples when that special day arrives for them, and knowing that I was part of that unforgettable moment fills me with satisfaction.
Organizing weddings from a distance sounds like a challenge. What has been the most unexpected situation that you have had to solve from afar? Have you ever had to improvise a plan B in record time?
One of the most unexpected situations that we have had to solve was when, just a few days before the wedding, the location where they were going to get married had a flood problem. We had to react in record time, contact all suppliers and look for a new place that met the same characteristics and budget, thanks to a good network of contacts we found an alternative in a short time, thanks to the decoration we managed to make the change for the better.
Another problem we had was with the rain, having a wedding where it was sunny all day in the middle of July, there was no rain, setting up the whole banquet outside and in less than 2 hours the universal flood fell and we had to set everything up inside, dry tablecloths, chairs, all the tableware… Thanks to the estate, the coordinator and the collaboration of all the waiters and cooks we were able to solve it.
What is the most curious or surprising thing that a couple has asked you for their wedding?
They have not yet asked me for anything strange or out of the ordinary, in different cultures when the bride is getting ready in her room they ask for specific things like a glass to drink water of a specific colour originating from their country, or a vase or tea cups.
If you had to describe your style as a wedding planner in Barcelona in three words, what would they be?
Elegant, sophisticated, innovative.
Multicultural weddings must be a fascinating world, what combination of traditions has seemed most spectacular to you?
Since I started the company as a wedding planner in Barcelona I was very clear that I wanted to specialize in multicultural weddings, one of the cultures that I like the most and I would love to delve deeper into them are the Lebanese. The infrastructure and floral decoration they use is spectacular.
I have had the opportunity to organize a wedding where he was from Lebanon and she was from Honduras, two totally different but at the same time very similar cultures.
What are the wedding trends that excite you the most right now?
Couples are increasingly looking for experiences that go beyond the visual, incorporating immersive lighting, personalized aromas, interactive gastronomy and lots of live music.
This year, live art areas are particularly in fashion, where a painter takes a photo of the guests and paints it with watercolors during the wedding so they can take it home as a souvenir. Another example would be dynamic lighting, personalized neon lights or mapped projections on the facades of buildings.
If you had to organize the wedding of a celebrity (real or fictional), who would you choose and what would their big day be like?
To date, I have not had the opportunity to do any weddings of any famous couples or influencers, but I would like Violeta Magriñan and Fabio as an influencer, it would be an elegant wedding with a lot of prominence for children and dogs. Or the Kardashian clan, like Kourtney, I imagine a spectacular wedding with lots of suppliers, lots of flowers and decoration, everything calculated to the millimetre and with a common thread.
What is the most difficult thing about organising weddings for foreign couples and how do you make everything go perfectly?
The most difficult thing is actually the time difference, coordinating with the bride and groom when they are in another time zone is usually complicated, we offer great flexibility and we use WhatsApp to keep up to date with everything.
On the other hand, management and legal procedures, we make sure that all the necessary documents are in order, apostilled and translated so that they are legal when it comes to getting married here in Spain.
To ensure that everything goes perfectly, we do detailed planning with room for unforeseen events, lots of empathy and constant communication so that the couple feels supported and calm and above all always have a plan B and even C in case it is necessary.
If a couple tells you “I want a WOW wedding, but I have no idea how”, where do you start?
As a Wedding Planner in Barcelona, I always ask them in the first interview what a WOW wedding means to them. Depending on the answers, we know what they want and what they don’t want.
Before talking about colors or decoration, we focus on asking them how they imagine it, if they have common passions. Then, with the information they give us, we create a story and a creative concept that guides the entire wedding. Finally, we look for and design moments that are surprising, such as unexpected entrances, entertainment…
What differences do you notice between weddings from different cultures? Is there something that all couples look for, regardless of their origin?
Weddings vary greatly depending on the culture, and that is what makes them so special. One of the differences is in the ceremony, the rituals and symbolism. Then, in the music and entertainment, there are cultures like the Latin culture that always ask me for a good DJ and music throughout the wedding, from the ceremony, the entire banquet and then the party, and especially in the gastronomy.
What all couples want is for their wedding to reflect their story and personality, always involving their loved ones and, above all, creating moments that will remain in their memories.
Have you ever had to deal with a family drama or an awkward situation at a wedding?
Situations like family dramas, no, but when the bride just after signing the contract tells me: “my mother-in-law has no business, don’t pay attention to her, it’s my wedding, not hers” or months before the wedding when they tell me that they got angry with their mother because of the colors of the bridesmaid’s dress.
In a wedding, for example, when the mother of the groom tells me, “I have an events company and I think you haven’t taken into account the placement of the tables because of the position of the sun” comments that are usually made to you while the suppliers are finishing setting up or they have changed the placement of the chairs without warning.
You try to take the comments in the best way possible so that you can continue moving forward with your work and the wedding goes as planned.
How do you get a wedding to truly reflect the essence of the couple and not seem like “just another wedding”?
First of all, get to know the couple’s history and personality, asking things like: where did they meet? What were their passions, trips, special moments together? What kind of experiences do they enjoy? Adventures or festivals? Once we have gathered information, we create a personalized theme. For example, if a couple likes to travel, make a seating plan with important destinations in their history, or if they like music, make the tables with names of their favorite concerts.
Then, personalize the key moments, whether it be the ceremony, first dance or toast, speech, and finally, surprise the guests with an unexpected detail, such as personalized gifts, a finale with fireworks, or food trucks at night.
There is always some detail that makes each wedding different, and I believe that it is the essence of each couple that makes the difference.
What advice would you give to a couple who dreams of getting married in Spain but doesn’t know where to start?
Getting married in Spain is an incredible choice due to its spectacular landscapes, luxury cuisine, and romantic atmosphere.
One of the pieces of advice I would give first would be to define the experience you want to live, a beach wedding we will focus more on Ibiza, Mallorca or Costa del Sol.. In a castle or palace as it could be in Catalonia or Toledo, in vineyards and rustic landscapes as in Andalusia or if you want a cosmopolitan wedding in a city like Barcelona, Madrid, San Sebastian.
Then choosing a date strategically is one of the most important factors, since getting married in summer, in the middle of July-August outdoors in many regions is usually very hot. In addition, keep in mind that in big cities there are many events and there are suppliers such as transport or accommodation that are usually more in demand.
Working with a local wedding. Having someone from Spain in charge of logistics, suppliers and communication makes everything much easier.
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