Architecture, fine dining, handmade ceramics and a traditional Valencian mascletà for nearly 400 guests. The wedding of Sandra Guerrero Sánchez and Borja Gastaldi Llorens celebrated Valencian culture right through to the final moments of the party, with the Cartuja de Ara Christi providing the setting.
Sandra Guerrero Sánchez finds it difficult to look at a space without thinking about how it was built. An architect professionally involved in her family’s business group, Guerrero, she approached her wedding with an eye naturally drawn to materials, proportions, light and the relationship between different spaces. Borja Gastaldi Llorens, who heads Ilios Real Estate, had other priorities: food, wine and a party worthy of almost four hundred guests.
Together, they envisioned a celebration with one non-negotiable condition: it had to reflect who they were.
They met through mutual friends and, in time, welcomed their twins, Sofía and Martín. The children carried the traditional wedding coins and rings during the ceremony at the Church of San Juan de la Cruz, which concluded with the Coronation Hymn of Our Lady of the Forsaken, Valencia’s patron saint. Afterwards, the celebrations moved to a different setting.
Cartuja de Ara Christi: Architecture as a Backdrop
They chose the Cartuja de Ara Christi for its architecture, but also for its ability to offer distinct spaces for each part of the celebration.
The cocktail reception took place outdoors, while the party was held inside the former monastery church. The cloister provided the setting for the couple’s first dance.
Sandra worked with a palette of ochres and greens that complemented the building’s architecture, combining plain tablecloths with zigzag patterns and choosing flowers in vibrant colours. The seating plan became a small installation of terracotta vessels, greenery, flowers and fruit.
A Cocktail Reception That Set the Tone
Sandra and Borja share a particular approach to dining: ordering several dishes, sharing everything, trying a little of each, enjoying good wine and letting the conversation linger long after the food is finished. They brought that philosophy to their wedding, making the cocktail reception an experience in its own right.
Gourmet Catering & Eventos created a selection of food stations where exceptional ingredients took centre stage: freshly carved acorn-fed Iberian ham, cheeses, queen scallops, scallops, prawns and dishes prepared on the grill.
Live music accompanied the guests as they moved between stations, and the atmosphere gradually built towards one of the day’s most unexpected moments: a traditional Valencian mascletà by Caballer.
First came the Senyera, the Valencian flag, and clouds of coloured smoke. Then came the fireworks. For several minutes, the thunderous rhythm of the pyrotechnic display filled the Cartuja, bringing 380 people to a standstill as they stopped talking, eating and dancing to turn their attention in the same direction.
It is difficult to imagine a more distinctly Valencian transition between the cocktail reception and the wedding banquet.
Exceptional Ingredients, Wine and Mediterranean Cuisine
After the fireworks came dinner. The menu followed the same guiding principle: contemporary Mediterranean cuisine that allowed the ingredients to take centre stage.
The first course was tuna tartare with mango salmorejo, yuzu pearls and tomato ice cream. This was followed by a mojito sorbet and, for the main course, salt-crusted beef tenderloin with truffled mashed potatoes and baby vegetables.
Dessert was a three-chocolate velvet cake.
Wine was particularly important to Borja. Red wines accompanied the main course, chosen to strike that balance between character and elegance that works so well around a long dining table, with plenty of time to enjoy it.
The couple did not want the food to tell their story. They wanted it to reflect the way they enjoy spending time together.
Handmade Ceramics by the Bride
Amid the scale of the day’s production, there was also something remarkably small.
Sandra handmade more than 200 ceramic pieces, personalising each one with the name of a female guest. It was a thoughtful contrast to a celebration attended by almost 400 people: as the event grew in scale, she brought it back to one person, one name and one individual piece.
The same attention appeared in other details. Handmade fans, woven wicker fans and herbal liqueur for the male guests complemented stationery designed especially for the occasion.
Her bouquet of white hydrangeas held another story. A medal of Our Lady of the Forsaken and a ribbon of antique lace were woven among the flowers in tribute to Sofía, Sandra’s maternal grandmother. Her daughter now carries the same name.
Sandra wore her mother’s diamond and pearl earrings, which her sister had previously worn at her own wedding, along with an antique lace mantilla from Antigüedades Me Encanta. Her Jimmy Choo sandals were a gift from one of her closest friends.
From the Cloister to the Dance Floor
After the more formal part of the celebration, the opening of the Cartuja church doors signalled the start of the party. The DJ took over and the atmosphere shifted.
Later, Sandra and Borja danced in the centre of the cloister, surrounded by their guests. Always Remember Us This Waywas their first song, followed by a bachata.
The party featured live music by Gen Z Banda, technical production by Audioprobe and entertainment by Eventland.
The Precision Behind the Scenes
Coordinating a celebration of this scale requires many people to know exactly what is happening, while guests remain blissfully unaware of the work behind it.
Ionitza Weddings coordinated the celebration alongside Miguel Ángel Sánchez of Gourmet Catering & Eventos, who oversaw the venues, gastronomy and service timings. Jorge Silvestre of Audioprobe advised the couple on the musical programme and how it would fit into the different moments of the day.
Valencia, Without Needing to Explain It
When Sandra and Borja describe their wedding, they choose three words: “Valencian, elegant and incredibly fun.”
Between the ceremony at San Juan de la Cruz and the bachata in the Cartuja cloister, there was room for all three.
- Venue: Cartuja de Ara Christi.
- Catering: Gourmet Catering & Eventos.
- Wedding Planning & Coordination: Ionitza Weddings.
- Photography & Videography: Quiles Studio.
- Wedding Dress: Luis Rocamora.
- Groom’s Suit: Adrián Seligra.
- Bridal Shoes: Jimmy Choo.
- Mantilla: Antigüedades Me Encanta.
- Makeup: Ana Rubio.
- Hair: Bigudíes.
- Flowers: Florería Sayas.
- Stationery: Tinta y Detalle.
- Live Music: Gen Z Banda.
- Technical & Music Production: Audioprobe.
- Entertainment: Eventland.
- Fireworks (Mascletà): Caballer.