Casa de España Wedding in San Juan, Puerto Rico

San Juan Puerto Rico Weddings, Weddings

Getting Ready in Viejo San Juan

Just nine minutes from El Morro and the colorful streets of Viejo San Juan sits Casa de España, a Puerto Rico wedding venue that has quickly become one of my favorites. Its architecture and courtyard give guests a feeling of grandeur right as they walk in that carries to the rest of the evening. With such a beautiful setting, it’s no wonder Casa de España’s does much of the heavy lifting for ambiance and decor, giving endless variety for the gallery and wedding atmosphere as a whole.

Kayla & Nathaniel spent the morning getting ready at an airbnb together in Viejo San Juan. It was a calm start to the morning with just a few family members helping them get ready and the bustling sounds of the city and music celebrating alongside them. I arrived to slowly gather detail images, getting ready portraits and use the colorful streets for a first looks of the fully finished outfits.

Kayla wore a Jenny Yoo gown that felt elegant and modern, paired with intricately beaded slip-on heels in nude and silver. Her makeup artist (Nicolle Potencial) had created a romantic and natural bridal makeup with a half up half down hairstyle that pinned the top back and held gorgeous waves the whole day. Once you go anywhere near El Morro and the coast, the wind will always pull at your hair and veil, so having her hair pulled away from her face meant we weren’t fighting it throughout portraits, and both her hair and makeup held up beautifully through a hot and humid Puerto Rico wedding day.

Wedding Portraits Around Old San Juan and Castillo San Cristóbal

Before we left, Kayla shared a first look with her dad and Nathaniel outside the Airbnb. Starting their Casa de España wedding this way meant they could enjoy some of Viejo San Juan before we ever arrived at the venue. We weren’t accessing Casa de España until 5 p.m. with the package selected, so we planned the first portion of their portraits out by the Coast near El Morro. Along with their content creator (A Social Love Letter) we captured portraits of these two outside Castillo San Cristóbal, a backdrop that helped us be a bit further away from the crowds and still have elements of the beloved city of San Juan. We hired a car and driver familiar with San Juan on standby so we could move between locations without turning portrait session into an endurance test. The temperature hovered around 90°F for much of the day and only cooled to about 80°F later. Even 12 minutes of walking can feel near impossible when you’re wearing a full wedding gown (no matter how light) or a suit in Puerto Rico’s humidity. The car provided an air-conditioned location to cool down between stops. A practical detail that feels inconsequential while planning, but completely changes the day. (believe me)

With later access to the venue, we were able to get a big variety of couple portraits in more locations than just the venue itself. Nathaniel and Kayla chose a getting ready location they liked the architecture of so first looks didn’t take a lot of time and coordination, we could just step outside the Airbnb. We were able to get a large portion of couple portraits out by the iconic backdrops of San Juan before arriving at the venue and made most of the time with quick transportation with the car & driver.

Courtyard Wedding Ceremony & Cocktail Hour at Casa de España

Kayla and Nathaniel chose the main courtyard for their vows, which gave them an open-air feeling and highlighted the elegance of the venue. The courtyard may look familiar if you watched Disney’s Princess Protection Program’s coronation ceremony and this ceremony felt just as perfect. After the ceremony, the courtyard naturally became a place for guests to mingle before moving into Casa de España’s air-conditioned side room. After spending so much of the day outside, stepping into AC felt amazing. Finding ways to have access to AC for yourself or your guests is something I encourage couples planning Puerto Rico weddings to think about beyond simply having a rain plan. Even when the weather is gorgeous, it’s hot and humid. Having somewhere you and your guests can cool down for a while will make a huge difference before the reception begins.

Inside the Ballroom Reception at Casa de España & Packed Dancefloor

Casa de España gives you beautiful outdoor spaces to enjoy and air-conditioned rooms to retreat to when you need a break from the heat. One of my favorite parts of this venue is that throughout the day we move through different parts of the venue and feel like we’ve arrived at a brand new location without leaving the site. Before guests entered the ballroom, Kayla and Nathaniel had a private reception room reveal with their wedding coordinator, Merylin Andino. Having a few minutes to see all the colors, rentals, flowers, layouts, and tiny details they had spent months planning suddenly together in one room was surreal. Merylin walked them through the completed design and what the rest of their evening would look like, giving them a chance to take everything in before the room filled with guests.

Once everyone was seated, they went straight into their first dances with fog covering the ballroom floor and the high ceilings and chandelier overhead creating a scene that looked straight out of Sleeping Beauty’s final scene as they danced through the clouds. Incredibly romantic, and from a photography perspective, so good. Dinner was served inside the air-conditioned ballroom by Caribbean Catering who frequently work at a Casa de España and brought Puerto Rican flavors to the food, leaving guests with another experience of the island.

Then there was the cake.

Cakes by Glorimar Weddings created a cake filled with parcha (passionfruit) I am not exaggerating when I say this may have been the best wedding cake I’ve had and that’s probably because Parcha is the best flavor. (sorry not sorry) It was moist, flavorful, and gorgeous to photograph.

Later in the evening, Kayla changed into a Janelle mini dress with a beautifully flattering square neckline and an asymmetrical pearl flower that felt like it complimented her modern wedding dress from earlier in the night perfectly. Power Sound DJs kept the dance floor full throughout the night with the classics Kayla and Nathaniel wanted and the elegant dinner setting was quickly turned into a packed, high-energy celebration.

What a Casa de España Wedding Looks Like in Photos

One of my favorite things about photographing at Casa de España in San Juan is how much variety you can fit into a single wedding gallery just because of the venue. This particular wedding gallery moved from the colors of Viejo San Juan, the iconic turrets of Castillo San Cristóbal, outdoor courtyard ceremony and an elegant ballroom reception because we took advantage of completing getting-ready photographs, first looks, and portraits elsewhere rather than trying to squeeze them into the venue timeline.

Hiring a local Wedding Planner is an unmistakable leg up to help you navigate the rental process of these older historic venues and save tons of time. As you look at venues remember that a lower starting number isn’t necessarily better value if you’ll need to add several services or hours later.

I arrive at weddings with a few different cameras I’ll be excited to show you. I shoot both 35mm and 120 film alongside digital, giving your gallery a mix of formats that document you, the people you brought together, and everything happening around you.

Planning a San Juan Puerto Rico Wedding?

Whether you’re planning a wedding at Casa de España or in Puerto Rico in general reach out through my contact form here! It’s been a joy connecting with all you Boricuas in the diaspora wondering whether you should come home to celebrate with the food, music, and people you’ve been missing. (the answer is YES!)