Lena and Viktor married at Casa Santonja on 9 November 2025, at a 19th-century estate a few kilometres from Denia. It was one of the most beautiful autumn days my team and I have had on the Costa Blanca: soft light, the vine on the old house turning red and gold, and a couple who knew exactly what they wanted.
Below is their story, together with everything I tell couples who are considering Casa Santonja: where it is, how the spaces work, and what to check before you book.
Where is Casa Santonja?
Casa Santonja stands in Beniarbeig, in the Marina Alta area of Alicante province, about 20 minutes’ drive from Denia and close to Jávea. It sits roughly halfway between Valencia and Alicante airports, so guests can fly into either.
The estate dates from the 19th century and is listed among the most notable buildings in the province of Alicante. You recognise it from the drive: an ivy-covered façade, a stone staircase and a tower above the palms. It has its own car park, but for a big guest list I always arrange a shuttle from the hotels, so nobody has to think about driving home.
The spaces: rotunda, chapel, gardens and aljibe
Casa Santonja is one of the few venues that hardly needs decorating. It is so green and so full of natural texture that the setting does most of the work, and each part of the day has its own place.
- The rotunda. The heart of the estate and where most ceremonies take place. It is an old garden pavilion, not large, but it has a monumental feel, as if it has stood there for more than a century. It sits tucked away in a quiet corner of the garden, so a ceremony feels intimate whether you have 10 guests or 100.
- The chapel. A small neo-Gothic chapel with a carved stone doorway and a heavy wooden door, one of the most photographed corners of the estate.
- The gardens. Century-old trees, flower beds and lush planting, with room for a long dinner under festoon lights.
- The Mirador terrace. A natural spot for the cocktail hour after the ceremony.
- The aljibe. The estate’s old water cistern, now a dance floor. Guests always talk about it the next morning.
- A covered space. Your plan B if the weather changes, and it should be agreed before you sign, not the week before.
- A bridal room for getting ready on site.
The estate is built for big celebrations and hosts well over 200 guests, so a smaller wedding simply uses fewer spaces, not a different venue.
Lena and Viktor’s November wedding in burgundy and gold
Lena is the kind of bride who seems to have been planning her wedding since she learned to walk. She researched every detail herself, built spreadsheets, studied the market and chose her suppliers one by one. The result looked like her in every corner.
In Spain, golden autumn arrives later than many of our guests expect. November is the month when nature is starting to fade but is still in full colour, and on a sunny day without the summer heat it is comfortable for everyone: guests, the team and the photographers.
Lena chose a palette that belonged to the season. We are used to wedding flowers in white and beige, but here the colours were deep and bold: burgundy, soft coral and fresh green. On the tables there were low arrangements of dark dahlias and hydrangeas with coral anthuriums, white taper candles in tall glass and burgundy menus at every place. The top table had a larger cascade of the same flowers on white plinths, rich without hiding the couple. Against the autumn garden it all looked bright and completely natural.
Her bouquet carried the same story: blush and burgundy anthuriums with trailing green amaranthus, a little wild and very modern. With her hair in classic Hollywood waves, she looked perfect against the old stone of the house. In the morning she got ready right next to the chapel, with her dress hanging against the carved doorway.
A long walk to the rotunda
One of the things I love most about Casa Santonja is the walk to the ceremony. The path from the house to the rotunda is long, winding between the trees and the flower beds, and guests can see you coming all the way. For a bride, those few minutes in her dress are some of the most awaited of the whole day, and here they last long enough to feel them.
Lena walked that path with her mum. It does not happen often, but it made complete sense: her mother is one of the closest people in her life, and the moment felt natural and deeply moving. Everyone watching could see how much it meant to both of them.
A day full of surprises
Lena and Viktor wanted a lively programme, and it was full from start to finish: activities for the guests, surprises from the couple to their friends and family, and surprises from the guests back to the couple. It kept the evening moving and gave everyone a reason to stay close to the dance floor.
One of the highlights was a set of Bulgarian dances, a nod to Lena’s Bulgarian roots. Everybody joined in, whether they knew the steps or not.
Dinner and the party were held outdoors in the garden, under old trees hung with fairy lights and lanterns, with the house of Casa Santonja behind the guests.
Another detail guests loved was a wedding newspaper about the couple, illustrated with photos from Lena and Viktor’s love story shoot. A few years ago these newspapers were at almost every wedding, and today you see them much less often, but that is exactly why it worked: guests read it over drinks, laughed at the stories and took their copies home as a keepsake.
Small things that kept guests comfortable
Early November on the Costa Blanca is usually mild, but that evening turned unusually cold for the date. Because the whole celebration was outdoors, we were ready for it.
Patio heaters stood between the tables in the garden. Near the dinner area there was a shelf with soft blankets, each one rolled and tied with a red ribbon, so any guest could take one without asking. On the same shelf we put a few small essentials: chewing gum, chargers and power banks for phones that ran out halfway through the party.
None of this ends up in the headline photos, but guests notice it. Nobody left the party early because they were cold, and the evening under the trees went on as planned.
The moments I keep coming back to
- The first look. Before the ceremony, Lena and Viktor met in the garden by the chapel. Viktor waited with his back to her, and when he turned around, Lena could not hold back her tears.
- The walk out. After the ceremony, Lena and Viktor walked back up the aisle through a shower of white petals, with the youngest guests throwing them the hardest. Lena raised her bouquet like a trophy, and for a second everybody was laughing.
- The champagne tower. Later the two of them poured a champagne tower together on a table tied with burgundy bows, set apart under a green arch in the garden. It is a simple tradition, but it always brings everyone in close, glasses ready.
- The cake. Instead of a tall tiered cake, Lena and Viktor had a wide cake covered in red berries, and they finished it themselves at the table, dusting it with icing sugar from silver cups. It was playful, a little messy and completely them.
- Portraits by candlelight. After dinner we took Lena and Viktor down into one of the estate’s old vaulted stone rooms. Dozens of candles lined the steps and the curved walls, and the only light in the room was theirs. Of all the photos from the day, these are the ones couples ask me about most.
- The house at golden hour. Earlier, for their daylight portraits, Lena and Viktor walked down the old stone staircase with the ivy glowing behind them. Some venues need a lot of decoration. Casa Santonja mostly needs good timing.
This wedding turned out exactly the way Lena and Viktor had imagined it, and for me there is no greater joy than seeing the picture a couple had in their heads come true.
Coordination or full planning? What this wedding taught me
Lena did a huge amount herself. She was also honest about one thing: on the wedding day, she would not be able to control any of it. So when she first came to me, she was deciding between full planning and coordination, and in the end she chose coordination.
Coordination is never only the day itself. My team and I visited Casa Santonja several times for technical visits: the floor plan, where each table would stand, how guests would move between the ceremony, dinner and the dance floor. I spoke with several of her suppliers in advance, and while the décor was being set up I sent Lena photos and videos to make sure everything looked exactly as she had imagined.
Here is what I would like every couple to know. When you organise everything yourselves, the work does not stop the night before. The last few days are often spent collecting, delivering and checking things. And after the wedding there is a whole layer of work nobody sees: returning rentals, finding what went missing, settling final payments with suppliers and sorting out anything that got broken. The morning after your wedding, the last thing you want is a phone full of questions.
That is why I now only take on full planning. When my team has agreed every detail with every supplier from the start, nothing has to be done twice, and you can hand over the last days before the wedding, the day itself and the day after. The real question is how much your time and your peace of mind are worth in the year before your wedding.
What to know before you book Casa Santonja
- Plan the day around the spaces. Decide early where the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner and party will be, because the timing and the guest flow depend on it.
- Agree the plan B in writing. Know which covered space you get if it rains, and what changes in the layout.
- Sort out where guests sleep. Most guests stay in Denia, Jávea or the villages around, so book rooms early and add transport to the budget.
- Check the supplier rules for your date. Ask what is included with the venue and what conditions apply to outside suppliers before you sign anything.
- Budget for the whole day, not only the hire. Venue, food, drinks, staff, furniture, lighting and transport add up. My guide to what a wedding in Valencia and on the Costa Blanca really costs shows where the money usually goes.
Planning your wedding at Casa Santonja?
If a house like this is what you have in mind, tell me about your date, your guests and the feeling you want for the day. My team and I will check what the venue allows, build a plan around the season and take care of everything here, before, during and after the wedding, while you plan from home.
FAQ: Planning a wedding at Casa Santonja
Where is Casa Santonja?
In Beniarbeig, in the Marina Alta area of Alicante province, about 20 minutes’ drive from Denia. It sits roughly halfway between Valencia and Alicante airports.
How many guests can Casa Santonja host?
The estate is built for large celebrations and comfortably hosts well over 200 guests. Smaller weddings work beautifully too, because the ceremony rotunda sits in a quiet corner of the garden and feels intimate with any number of guests.
Where do ceremonies take place at Casa Santonja?
Most couples marry in the rotunda, an old pavilion in a secluded corner of the garden, reached by a long path between the trees. The estate also has its own neo-Gothic chapel.
Can guests stay at Casa Santonja?
There is a bridal room for getting ready, but guests usually stay in Denia, Jávea or nearby villages. I recommend booking rooms early and organising a shuttle to the venue and back.
What happens if it rains?
The estate has a covered space that can host the dinner or the ceremony. We agree the plan B and the layout in advance, so a change of weather does not mean a change of mood.
How much does a wedding at Casa Santonja cost?
It depends on the date, the number of guests, the menu and how many hours you need the estate. For real numbers, book a free first consultation: I will tell you what Casa Santonja and other fincas would cost for your date and guest list, so you can choose with your budget in mind.
Is November a good month for a wedding on the Costa Blanca?
Yes. In Spain, golden autumn arrives in November: the gardens are still full of colour, the light is soft and there is no summer heat. Evenings can turn cold, so the plan should include heaters, blankets and a timeline that uses the daylight well.
Do we need a planner if we have organised most of it ourselves?
Often more than you think. I take over the bookings you already have and handle everything else, so you are not checking deliveries the night before or answering supplier messages the morning after.
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