Real Bride Katja in Divinity by Monique Lhuillier at her Wedding in Mallorca

Tell us your love story! How did you meet and how did you get to a proposal?

We met completely by chance in Tamarindo, Costa Rica in 2019. We were both on vacation and met at a small bar one night, then ended up spending the next 2 days together before continuing on our separate trips.

After that, Farid came to visit me for 2 weekends in Miami, and our 3rd "official" date was moving into an Airbnb together for the "2 week quarantine" in 2020. Obviously none of us knew what was coming, and those 2 weeks turned into 5 months of lockdown together. I feel like if you can survive basically moving in together on your 3rd date during a global pandemic, you learn pretty quickly whether it is going to work haha.

At the end of 2020 we moved to California together and haven't really been separated since.

In July 2025, Farid proposed back in Costa Rica. It felt incredibly full circle to be back in the same country where our story started for such a huge moment in our lives.

When you started planning your wedding what did you envision? How close did the actual wedding get to that vision?

As an architect, I love having a design concept and then figuring out how to carry that original intent through all of the details. I have always loved mixing old and new, and that idea really started with Finca Es Cabàs itself. The property has this rich history as an old olive mill, but it has been renovated with really beautiful modern interventions, like Corten steel window frames against the original local stone façades. That contrast became a big part of how I approached the wedding design. I wanted everything to feel connected to the history and character of Mallorca, but interpreted in a cleaner, more modern way. Seeing it all come together on the actual wedding day was so satisfying because it really did feel like the vision I had in my head had become real.

What were a few things that were important to you as a couple to include, or not include, in the wedding?

One of the biggest priorities was having enough time to actually enjoy our guests, which is why we chose a longer cocktail portion of the evening and a 2 course seated dinner rather than spending most of the night at the table. We also chose to exchange our personal vows privately. Those words felt intimate to us, and we wanted that moment to belong just to the 2 of us and then for the ceremony we exchanged an abridged version of our vows. 

And we obviously had to involve our child, aka our dog, Mila. We surprised everyone by pretending my sister had forgotten the rings. She ran out of the ceremony to "get them" and then came running back in with Mila, who had the ring box attached to her leash. No one knew she was coming, which made it so much better. We love a surprise :)

How did you decide on the location?

We always knew we wanted a destination wedding and really loved the idea of it feeling like a full trip with everyone so we picked Mallorca!! You can get everything on this island and we wanted our guests to experience different settings over the course of the celebration. We had a 4 day itinerary that started with a welcome party at a local winery, then the wedding, a pool and pizza party the next day, and finally a catamaran day on the water. 

Let's talk dress! Give us all the deets!

I am absolutely in LOVEEE with my wedding dress. I picked the Divinity gown by Monique Lhuillier. I knew I wanted lace, and the second I saw it online in the Fall 2026 collection preview I was like, that's it. Thankfully, Chic Parisien had a Monique Lhuillier trunk show last October and I was able to try it on. I put it on and immediately said yes!!

How did your family, friends, etc. play into your wedding planning and wedding day?

We had some of our closest friends and family stay at Finca Es Cabàs with us, and I think that ended up being one of the best parts of doing a destination wedding. Instead of only getting a few hours together on the actual wedding day, we had breakfasts together, played tennis, hung out by the pool, had dinners, and actually got to catch up with people we don't get to see all the time.

It was also so nice seeing our friends and families from different parts of our lives become friends with each other. By the end of the weekend it really felt like everyone had gotten to know each other, which made the whole thing feel so much more special!

What's one specific memory you have from your wedding day that you don't think you'll ever forget?

Looking out at everyone during the ceremony. I just remember feeling so much love and support in that room. :)

How did you decide on your hair and makeup look?

My dress already had so much detail that I knew I wanted to keep everything else pretty classic. I went with a low bun and soft glam makeup.

Where did you go on your honeymoon and what was the best part?

We haven't planned our honeymoon yet!! We went straight from wedding planning back into real life, so that is our next project haha. We will happily take any honeymoon destination suggestions!

Vendors

Planner: @eventsbylmallorca

Venue: @fincaescabas

Photography: @diasdevinoyrosas

Videography: @quatrelemens

Music, Sound & Decor: @panela.productions

Florals: @otrocantardecoracion

Gown: Divinity by @moniquelhuillierbride

Jewelry: @henrinoeljewelry

Hair & Makeup: @weddingsbyrebeccaspendlove

Food: @foshevents

Cake: @catecake.weddings

Officiant: @glynisgermancelebrant