¿HOW ITS A WEDDING AT "THIS MUST BE THE PLACE BARCELONA"?
EXTERIOR SPACES DISTRIBUTION IN "THIS MUST BE THE PLACE BARCELONA"
THE EXTERIORS OF "THIS MUST BE THE PLACE BARCELONA"
ARRIVING TO TMBTP BCN
Be very careful when arriving at This must be the place or Mas Casamitjana (the Catalan name of this farmhouse). The road is not complicated, but whether we come from the town of “Moià” or if we come from “l’Estany”, it is easy to get confused with the crossroads and end up lost. The best thing is to look for the signs that tell us that we are on the right track, and not trust Google Maps too much.
Once we leave the asphalt road, we will have to travel a good stretch of forest track. But don’t worry, the road is in very good condition. Just so you have a reference, I have a VW Golf, and I have never touched the ground. Jo and Duncan (the owners) have putt a lot of effort to improve the experience.
"L'ERA" AND ITS POLIVALENCY
I’m not going to beat around the bush, let’s start with one of the most beautiful parts of “This must be the place Barcelona” to celebrate a wedding.
“L’Era” is a massive space with infinite possibilities. Do you want to celebrate the wedding there? Great, the triangle is perfect zone where to put the seats. Also, if the wedding is in the afternoon, it coincides that the sun sets behind the mountains (take a look at the second photo). Which will make for great photos!
Do you want to set up long tables and eat there because the weather allows it? No problem. There are two tall posts with garland lights that will add a lot of atmosphere.
Photographically, I think it is a great and very pleasant place to work. We must bear in mind that if it gets dark we will have to use flash. And as we do not have a ceiling to bounce the light, we must master “off camera flash” techniques.
"LA FEIXA" AND "EL MIRADOR"
Now we are going to talk about three open spaces that are different between each other, but are located very close among them.
“La Feixa” is a large lawn area that is attached to the house. It is a space for small weddings but it is still a very charming place.
“El mirador” is above “l’Era”. And It is larger than “la Feixa”. This place has the structure in the shape of a circle as an altar. The best point in here are the views, that are spectacular.
Finally we have “El Paddock”, which is an extension of the original “El mirador”. It is a large area with some slope, where we will find an old door (acting like an altar) in the middle of the field. The old door is facing the farmhouse, but the truly winner are the impresive views. Also, remember that this place has no shade… and a ceremony up here in summer will make you sweat!
THE ENTRANCE OF "MAS CASAMITJANA"
The three spaces above are great for hosting your wedding outdoors. You only have to keep in mind the position of the sun at the “I do” moment and little else. Photographic success assured!
Where I do not recommend celebrating the wedding is at the interior yard at the entrance of Mas Casamitjana/This must be the place Barcelona.
Why? Well, because of the glass windows that give light to the barns (we will talk about this unique space later). From the outside, these crystals act as a mirror and make the photos of the wedding look strange. Besides that if you put many people in here, it won’t leave much room for me to move arround and take pictures from different angles.
The strongest point of the inner yard is next to the porch with the firewood. The first time I went there I imagined a couple doing a “first-look” and now I can’t get that out of my mind. This would be the perfect place to have a fleeting meeting and be able to be calm before all the hustle and bustle of the wedding celebration.
As the porch shed is very cozy (with all that firewood and antique) it is one a corner with a lot of potential for some portraits during the preparations or to take some personal photos.
Once we set foot inside Mas Casamitjana, we will find that all the rooms available for the couple and the guests are on the main floor and lower floors.
The upper floors are Jo and Duncan’s most intimate and personal areas, so let’s try not to disturb them.
THIS MUST BE THE PLACE BARCELONA WEDDING VENUE
¿WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT "THIS MUST BE THE PLACE BARCELONA"?
YOUR WAY
Total flexibility for you to celebrate the wedding at your own pace. Here your needs come true.
THE SURROUNDINGS
Look at the photos in this article, if being lost in the middle of nature is your thing, you are on the right place.
THE MAGIC
It is something that cannot be explained with words. It has that different approach that you will not have lived anywhere else.
THE INTERIORS IN "MAS CASAMITJANA"
FIRST ROOM
This will be the first room that we will find when entering at This must be the place Barcelona. It is on the right hand side and it is very large. It also has a private bathroom, but since it does not have natural light I do not recommend it as a room for the bride’s preparations.
In terms of space, I don’t think we bother with the videographer or other relatives. What should be mention is that it can become a somewhat dark space.
Knowing this, I would choose to squeeze a little bit the ISO from the camera and use a fast lens. And if there is no other option but to use artificial light. Be sure to correct the color casts that the bounced light from the flash will give you with the dark wood ceiling.
SECOND ROOM
To access this room we will have to climb three or four steps from the initial landing.
These one is the largest room in all of This must be the place Barcelona. It is a room with a private bathroom too (quite spacious, by the way). And It has two medium windows that give plenty of natural light. And a great sofa, perfect for the guests or familiar people who are with you on the wedding day.
Don’t ask me why. But I see this room as the ideal location for the bride to make her preparations. It has space, it is accessible and it has all the comforts she will need.
If we need to use the flash, we will be in the same position as earlier. We will need to correct the color cast form the wooden roof. But apart form that, this room has space enough for a photographer and a videographer working together at the same time.
THIRD ROOM
This room is a little weird. It’s next to the kitchen (we’ll talk about it in a moment). But what makes her strange its the space distribuition.
We find a single bed on the left once we are in. A small bathroom, the closet with the mirror and a rather dark area (the green paint on the walls eats up a lot of light). But if we turn right, we are going to enter to another room.
Personally I love this second space, but it is tremendously small. So I do not recommend using it as it has almost no space to move arround more than 4 people. It is super cozy and very comfortable space, but my experience as a professional photographer tells me that the results here are not going to be the best.
BEST WEDDING VENUE IN BARCELONA
¿WHERE IS "THIS MUST BE THE PLACE BARCELONA" LOCATED?
THE KITCHEN
It is an equipment ready for guests who sleep in the rooms. From the point of view of photography, I see this place as a useless picture opportunity.
Even so, I think the kitchen “hides” a secret that is quite good. And that is: the disco ball that Jo and Duncan have put inside the old wood oven (next to the fridge). If your photographer ha a little bit of creativity, this can be used for some artistic pictures…
It’s nothing new, I know. You’ve probably seen hundreds of these before. But surely you never think of the results that may give you if we mix the ball with a portrait in a multi-exposure photo in camera. Don’t you know what I’m talking about? Take a look in here.
FOURTH ROOM
To access this room we are going to have to go down the stairs next to the entrance to room 2. Once we are down, we are going to find a small room on the right hand side, and a fairly large bathroom on the left hand.
The bedroom and bathroom don’t have much photographic potential. I’m going to tell you the same as I did before: don’t get me wrong, they are comfortable and well-prepared spaces. But being small, they don’t leave much space for three or four people getting ready, plus me and the videographer working.
At least I see some portraits near the window to take advantage of that beautiful natural light. Because without a doubt, there are much better spaces for wedding photos in This must be the place Barcelona.
TOP FLOOR AND BILLIARDS
Jo and Duncan are very cool. And even if they live on the upper floors of This must be the place Barcelona, for sure they are going to let us use some of their personal spaces.
One of the corners that most catches my attention is the small balcony that we find next to the stove at the main room in the first floor. It is a small balcony with spectacular views (and facing “La Feixa”). But the really interesting thing about here is that it is in shade. Which makes it have a super soft and very beautiful light. Perfect for clean pictures or for some backlight photos.
And we can’t miss the billiard room! This room is crying out for some casual preparations photos or portraits with the couple.
THE TERRACES OF MAS CASAMITJANA
I’m surely that your makeup artist will greatly appreciate these two terraces to do the makeup with some natural light. And me too, as it is my raw material for taking nice photos!
The first terrace is quite large, it is located above the entrance to the inner yard. The only negative thing I see here is that we will be very exposed to the crowd. This means that while the guests arrive at the parking lot, or when they went through the front door, they will see you. And this can be a real stress on your wedding day!
That is why I think the second terrace is much quieter. It may be a bit smaller, but you will have equal parts light and comfort. In addition to enjoying much more privacy.
JO&DUNCAN'S HISTORY WITH "THIS MUST BE THE PLACE"
¿WHERE DOES "THIS MUST BE THE PLACE" NAME COME FROM?
Jo and Duncan left London in search of tranquility, sun, good weather and the challenge of a radical life change. Their philosophy is inspired by the song This Must Be The Place from the Talking Heads, which author David Byrne describes as:
“A real love song… I have tried to write a song that wasn’t cheesy, that didn’t sound stupid or bland, like many others. I think I’ve done it”.
After this description, and seeing the photos of how Mas Casamitjana looks(14th century farmhouse)… I think the name is the correct one!
"ELS GRANERS" OF MAS CASAMITJANA
If what you have seen so far of Mas Casamitjana has pleased you, wait untill you see what comes next.
Originally there were three barns in This must be the place Barcelona. When Jo and Duncan restored the venue, they were clear that every wedding needs an interior space. Either as plan B, for weather reasons or to host a good party. So they decided to put the three barns together and create a large L-shaped room.
The result is a very neutral space, but keeping its own personality. The touch is put by the neon with the name! Although photographically, the barns are going to be a challenge…
I say they will be a challenge because during part of the day (while there is still natural light) we will enjoy a lot of nice natural light thanks to the large windows that surround the site. But at night … We will have to choose between two solutions:
My first option would be to force the camera so that we can keep shooting fast and without using artificial light. This will depend a lot on the lighting that the wedding itself has. It is not the same to shoot with the lights at full power, than with 4 candles per table and the ceiling lights at the lowest power.
The second option is to use the flash. But here we must take two things into account: Be careful with the reflections of light on the windows and be very careful when trying to bounce light off the ceiling. The height is considerable, in addition to being all wood (dominant orange/yellowish color casts).
To kick off the dance floor and the party, we can take advantage of the corner in front of the bathrooms. This is the perfect place to set up the disco. A big area for the DJ and a clean space to party!
I hope I have shown you all the strengths to celebrate your wedding in This must be the place Barcelona.
It is an inspiring place, where you can breathe a special magic. I really tell you, I’m sure it won’t leave you indifferent. I’m sorry to have to rely to these abstract and personal phrases, but it is something that cannot be explained otherwise.
Also, if you are one of those who like to be one of the first to set a trend… This must be the place Barcelona opened its doors 3 years ago. This makes for a small diamond in the rough that few people know about. Can you think of a better way to surprise everyone than by discovering this site?
HI LOVELY COUPLE!
I'M MARC, THE PHOTOGRAPHER BEHIND BLANC MATE
I HOPE I'VE HELPED YOU WITH YOUR WEDDING AT THIS MUST BE THE PLACE BARCELONA.
THIS MUST BE THE PLACE BARCELONA IN NUMBERS:
- Capacity for weddings of up to: 230 people
- House capacity for: 12 guests
- Exclusivity of suppliers: No
- Type of rental: daily or weekend
- Is there a church near by? Yes
- Rental price: from XXXX €
- Connections and ease of arrival for guests: good, but be aware that we are in the middle of nature…
- Parking: Yes, for 55 cars.
More info in: www.thismustbetheplacebarcelona.com
or calling at +34 694 418 115
¿WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE ONE OF MY WEDDINGS?
All the pictures of the article “How is a wedding in This must be the place barcelona?” were taken in fall season. The interiors mix natural light and artificial light.
