This Wedding at a Spanish Vineyard Felt Like a Casual Yet Elegant Family Dinner Party
When Behance cofounder Matias Corea came across Moda Operandi creative director Juliana Cala’s dating app profile, he thought, “Who was this creative and beautiful human?” He also noticed a mutual friend, Jessie, in her photos, and messaged Juliana to point out the coincidence right away. In response, Juliana called Jessie to see if her friend would co-sign this potential match. “She was hesitant at first, unsure if our personalities would vibe, since Matias has such a bold and dynamic presence and I take some time to open up with people,” says Juliana. “But as she described him—his kindness, generosity, and the way he moves through life with confidence, intention, and curiosity—we both realized that his larger-than-life energy was part of what makes him so unique. I was even more intrigued to get to know him after our call.”
The two planned to meet for drinks on March 27, 2022, in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill neighborhood. “But, being the planner that I am, I booked a dinner reservation nearby—figuring I’d either be going with her or alone, depending on how things went,” shares Matias. He was smitten the moment she walked in, and Juliana confirms that it couldn’t have gone better. “We’re both Sagittariuses with birthdays just five days apart, so our conversation was full of energy, big gestures, and loud laughter,” says Matias. “I confessed that I had booked a restaurant just in case—she high-fived me in response. I was smitten all over again.” The pair ended up closing down the restaurant as a rain storm poured outside. “As we waited, I pressed my forehead against the glass, trying to spot which of the many Camrys was ours. Juliana stepped next to me and gently placed her face beside mine,” remembers Matias. “In that moment, I saw it—like a flash of our life together, a scene out of a movie. It had never happened to me before. We got into the cab. I leaned in for a kiss. The rest is history.”
A month into dating, Matias, who also builds custom motorcycles, revealed he had planned a six-month intercontinental motorcycle journey from Barcelona to Cape Town. “Matias surprised me in June by telling me he would postpone his trip for one year in order to continue getting to know each other. It was such a romantic gesture because I knew how much the trip meant to him,” shares Juliana. A year later, the couple were living together and sharing their dreams of the future and marriage before Matias went off on his journey. The pair made plans to meet up in Cape Town at the end of his trip in December. “I’ve since become a firm believer that ‘distance makes the heart grow fonder,’” shares Juliana. “I could hardly wait to reunite with him in South Africa at the end of his journey.” The couple reunited and went on a five-day safari through Kroger National Park. “Everything was so romantic: the candlelit dinners, the sunrise rides through the safari—however, after New Years Eve came and went I convinced myself a proposal was not going to happen on this trip,” says Juliana. Matias reveals that he was just looking for the perfect moment. “On the evening of January 1, after a beautiful day together in the park, I finally proposed just before we went to bed," shares Matias. "It was simple, unplanned, but intimate and romantic—the perfect way to begin this next chapter together.”
The wedding would take place just under a year later, on October 12, 2024, at Mas Palou, a family-owned vineyard in the hills of the Penedès wine region of Spain that dates back to 1623. “I came across the estate on Instagram through my research for non-cookie cutter venues. With its rich history, stunning rustic landscapes, and convenient proximity to Barcelona—it was an instant and obvious choice after our first tour of the property,” says Juliana. Since Matias is a native of Barcelona, it was an easy choice to select this destination close to much of his family. They even decided to hold their welcome party at the Barcelona Pavilion designed by Mies van der Rohe—a location that held extra meaning for the groom. “My stepmother, Diane, spent 25 years as the director of the Mies van der Rohe Architecture Award, making this building a constant presence in my childhood,” Matias says. “Juliana and I both have a deep love for design, and the Pavilion felt like the perfect place to set the tone for the weekend: intimate, timeless, and filled with meaning.”
The creatives decided to split up planning tasks, with Juliana taking on the aesthetics and menu alongside wedding planner Silvia Lindoso of Fresh Wood, Matias managing the website (complete with a map of Barcelona recommendations), and the duo collaborating on the menus and signage together. The vision for the wedding was to create a scene that was relaxed and “effortlessly elegant.” The bride adds, “We knew we wanted it to feel like a big family dinner party!” To achieve this, they decided to decorate the winery’s timeless architecture with “an ethereal romantic ambiance” with shades of white, lilac, aubergine, and key lime. “For the flowers, we worked with Yolanda at Best Day Ever to create romantic, whimsical arrangements that felt playful and organic,” says Juliana.
When she wasn’t focused on styling the scene of the celebration, Juliana dove into finding the perfect looks to wear throughout the wedding weekend. “For my wedding dress, I knew I wanted something timeless, sensual, and elegant,” she shares. She first filled mood boards with gowns with high necks and low backs from the 1930s. “I was drawn to the refined, minimalist silhouettes of that era,” she says. “I came across Cortana Bridal—coincidentally a Spanish brand—with this beautifully understated elegance and a fresh, unconventional take on bridal style. It was exactly what I was looking for and I was so happy to find that it was carried at The One Bridal Boutique in Brooklyn–right next to the Moda Operandi offices.” The silk, bias-cut dress that was the winner featured an asymmetrical neckline and a sash that could be styled multiple ways. With a few alterations to lower the back further and thin out the sash, it perfectly fit her vision.
To walk down the aisle, the bride paired the gown with a tulle cathedral-length veil with a blusher. “It added a hint of classic drama and moved so beautifully, especially in the photos," she says. To accessorize, she wore a pair of chunky Loeffler Randall sandals “to move effortlessly on the pebbled grounds of Mas Palou” and carried a “something blue” silk bag by Hai she picked up at Muy Fragil in Barcelona the week of the wedding. Juliana also considered how to adjust the look as temperatures would drop in the evening. “I layered a Carla Zampatti sheer, crepe chiffon shawl over my gown during dinner to keep my shoulders warm and add a bit of ethereal dimension,” she shares. As a final touch, the bride wore a pair of pearl and onyx stone earrings given by her sister Cristina the day before the ceremony. “They complimented my dress so perfectly that I decided to wear them instead of my original pair," she says. “It felt meaningful to have ‘something new’ from my big sister on such a special day.”
