Sophie Neuendorf Wore a Tiara to Wed the Count of Teba at Her Minimalist Home in Mallorca
Three years ago, Sophie Neuendorf lived in London, and Jaime, the Count of Teba and Count of Baños, lived in Madrid. But one night, fates collided and the two found themselves at a party in Germany. They struck up a conversation, and almost immediately, Jaime made Sophie laugh. “His sense of humor and joie de vivre is one of the things that attracted me most,” recalls Sophie. On Christmas Day in 2021, he showed off his big-heartedness—and light-heartedness—simultaneously: He proposed to Sophie while “Jingle Bell Rock” played in the background.
Sophie, a vice president at ArtNet, the art news and market website founded by her father Hans Neuendorf, always knew she wanted to get married at her family house in Mallorca. It’s one of the few projects by John Pawson and Claudio Silvestrin, two master minimalist architects who worked briefly—and legendarily—together in the late 1980s. (Pawson went on to design spaces for fashionable names like Calvin Klein, and Silvestrin for Armani.) Hans, a gallerist at the time, commissioned the pair to build his family a summer home upon 30 acres more than three decades ago. Ever since, the home has been regarded with cult-like fervor among those in the art and architecture circles. Of particular interest? The atrium courtyard, which John Pawson’s firm describes as “emphatically vertical, the exaggerated height of the walls dramatized by the narrowness of the slot opening.”
“It’s a beautiful estate, close to the ocean and surrounded by olive and almond trees,” says Sophie of the architecturally significant home.
The couple chose the first weekend in September for their wedding, when the Balearic island is at its peak beauty. Sophie, her mother, and her maid-of-honor handled nearly all the planning: “My mother was my closest confidant during this process and it was so lovely sharing this exciting time with her,” she says.
On Friday, guests sailed around the island on the Falcao Uno, a vintage yacht originally made in 1965 for the Belgian royal family. A seafood paella lunch was served on board after guests swam in the Mediterranean sea. On Saturday afternoon, the couple held an intimate civil ceremony in Neuendorf House’s sun-drenched atrium, followed by a Champagne brunch. “One of the most special moments for me, which I will always remember and hold dear, is being with my father just before the ceremony, for a few last words,” she says. “Then also when my father walked me through the iconic slit in the wall of our house to my now husband.”
Sophie wanted to showcase both her German roots and her husband’s Spanish ones. For the ceremony, she wore a bespoke dress by Berlin-based designer Kaviar Gauche, paired with a traditional cordobès hat by Spanish brand Mimoki and accented with a Piaget timepiece and jewelry.
During the evening, Sophie changed into a custom gown by Madrid-based designer Teresa Palazuelo. “Palazuelo has previously designed wedding dresses for my fiance’s family,” says Sophie. “She has a beautiful atelier filled with a marvelous array of fabrics, laces, trims, hats, and accessories.” The bride also wore the Teba family tiara, made of emeralds and diamonds. The groom wore a jacket designed by his grandfather, known as the “Teba Jacket.” (“My husband was as dashing as ever,” Sophie says.)
The reception “combined both my German and art world heritage as well as my husband’s Spanish heritage,” the new Countess of Teba says. Fresh, local Spanish cuisine was paired with wine sourced from Jaime’s estate, the Condes of Baños. Dinner tables lined the courtyard with minimalistic flower arrangements to highlight the earthy-pink tones of the house. “It was nearly all candlelight, with marvelous reflections on the walls of the courtyard,” she says of her reception decor.
Flamenco singers, dances, and a mariachi band animatedly performed throughout the evening. As the night grew later—and the Mallorcan heat refused to break—everyone ditched their cocktail attire for bathing suits and took a midnight swim.
On Sunday afternoon, the couple’s family and friends gathered for a farewell brunch that transcended the intended time frame and “went on until the evening,” recalls Sophie. “I am profoundly grateful that I was able to celebrate it with my close friends and family.”
Ana Lui Photography1/46We enjoyed a paella lunch on board the Falcao Uno, which was built in 1965 by the Belgian royal family. The boat was absolutely marvelous in its elegance and simplicity.
Ana Lui Photography2/46Time simply flew by as I caught up with some girlfriends.
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