Willy Rex and Cristina Urbi’s Romantic Wedding at a Barcelona Palace

Guillermo Díaz—more commonly known as the YouTube star Willy Rex—first met influencer Cristina Urbi when he moved within his town of Andorra, Spain in 2018. “Willy started living next to me. We were neighbors,” shares Cristina with Brides. The two clearly hit it off and fell fast. In the spring of that year, the couple decided to get engaged.

Before the duo would say “I do,” they welcomed a very special person into their lives. In January 2021, Cristina and Willy’s daughter Maria was born. The next step for the family would be for the new parents to exchange vows and celebrate their love amongst their nearest and dearest.

“Since the beginning, we thought about an elegant and amusing wedding,” shares the couple. To help them achieve that dream, the bride and groom-to be hired a planning team that would take care of all the details. “We worked with Sophie Kors Weddings, the best company in Spain from our point of view,” they say. “Everything was absolutely perfect.”

Selecting venue was the first step in defining the look and feel of the day. Cristina and Willy decided to book the Bell Recó Palace in Barcelona to create an absolutely elegant backdrop for their celebration. “We chose Bell Recó because it is a spectacular palace surrounded by beautiful gardens,” explain the duo.

On July 30, 2022, the palace was filled with 200 of Cristina and Willy’s closest family and friends for a stunning ceremony and reception filled with special surprises. Ahead, see all the details of the day, planned by Sophie Kors Weddings and photographed by Volvoreta and Ben Finch.

The couple selected a palette of pink, gold, and a touch of black for all the design and details of their wedding celebration. An invitation suite in the hues gave guests a preview of what to expect on the wedding day.

For his trip down the aisle, Willy looked classic in a Tom Ford tuxedo with peaked lapels, a black bow tie, and a black suspenders. The bride reminisces, “He was very elegant!” As a personalized touch, the groom wore cufflinks inscribed with his and Cristina’s initials.

Cristina and her four bridesmaids spent the morning celebrating and getting ready in the rooms of the palace.

The bride decided to have a custom gown created for her walk down the aisle. “The dress was created at the Rosa Clará Atelier, with more than 150 hours dedicated to exceptional technical work and craftsmanship,” shares Cristina. “I wore an exclusive princess-style design, with a delicate and alluring bodice in guipure lace with hand-embroidered beadwork appliqués. The sexy and elegant V-neckline and V-back combines to perfection with the fluid skirt, crafted from 70 meters of silk tulle. I completed the look with drapes from the shoulders in dot tulle, resulting in a delicate and elegant silhouette.”

Cristina did a first look with her bridal party to show off her custom creation. The bridesmaids each wore a chic sage dress by Ze García to beautifully complement the ceremony aesthetic.

For her hair and makeup, Cristina wanted to look like “a very natural bride.” She prepped her skin ahead of the wedding with Yves Saint Laurent skincare. She adds, “I went to Clínica Vieira in Barcelona to be glowing and ready for my day.” In addition to natural makeup by the artists at Toro, she wore an intricate braided hairstyle for an elegant touch.

The ceremony was set with the palace as a gorgeous backdrop. “The aisle runner was an amazing garden floral with white delphinium,” explains the bride. “The same flowers hugged us in a circle at the altar.” Ghosts chairs allowed the natural beauty of the space shine through.

As the ceremony began, Willy walked down the aisle with his mother as a violinist played “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol. “Helium” by Sia next played as the bridesmaids proceeded down the aisle carrying decorated hoops. Cristina followed on the arm of her close friend’s father—”a man very important to me.”

Although the couple did not write their own vows, they had dear friends and family give readings at the ceremony. “My sister read an emotional speech,” shares the bride. “One of my bridesmaids and Willy’s sister were very fun.” She adds, “We couldn’t stop laughing with Willy’s close friend and YouTuber Luzu’s speech.”

The couple’s daughter made an appearance before the ceremony concluded to bring the rings. She sat by her parents’ side as they officially became husband and wife.

The newlyweds walked hand in hand back up the aisle as guests showered them in flower petals. The violinist played “Love You Still” by Tyler Shaw during the celebration.

Cristina and Willy spent the next few moments with each other among the palace grounds as their photographers snapped portraits. “Jimena and Ben’s work stands out,” the couple reflect. “The photos speak for themselves. They’re emotional and capture the spontaneity of the family and friends, while also reflecting an editorial touch. They are all elegant, romantic, and timeless.”

Guests moved to the palace terrace to enjoy a cocktail hour filled with gourmet delights. “Gastronomy is very important for us, especially during appetizer where the caterers show all their knowledge with exquisite finger food and live food stations,” share the couple. “In our wedding, the best Iberian ham could not be absent. There were also hot tapas stations, such as eggs and potatoes cream with truffle foam, basil macaroni and parmesan foam, and octopus a feira. The wedding guests also enjoyed fish and seafood stations with fresh razor clams, monkfish skewers, and fresh cockles.”

“I loved the reception,” remembers the bride. “The most impressive thing was the fairy lighting. We had a magical al fresco dinner and it seemed we had a full sky of starts above us.”

The couple’s palette shined through in the décor, with tables covered in pink linens. “The crockery and glassware was gold but we took a risk using a sophisticated black glass,” notes Cristina. “As centerpieces, we used different crystal and porcelain vases with roses and peonies. All our guests loved the acrylic name place cards and they took them as wedding favors.”

While Cristina and Willy share the Sophie Kors team seamlessly orchestrated all the design, the pair note that creating the seating chart was the hardest part of planning for them.

A favorite memory of the day for the couple? “We were hidden behind a large LED screen and when everyone were sitting, a very emotional and funny video was broadcast that we recorded to thank several people who were at the wedding,” they share.

After a delicious dinner of lobster, a traditional Spanish beef dish, and a mille-feuille with red fruits as dessert, the couple cut into their four-tiered wedding cake accented with gold and pink dripped icing.

After dinner, the party was ready to kick into full gear. Cristina slipped into another Rosa Clará dress for dancing. She says of the design, “My second dress was a feminine and sexy corset crafted in hand-embroidered Chantilly lace with a sheath-style skirt boasting a central slit—a look that made me enjoy the party to the max!”

“When dinner was over, a famous Reggaeton singer Henry Mendez came out and it was a surprise for everyone,” share Willy and Cristina. “He sang his most popular hits and the guests sang and danced until midnight.”

Next came the after party indoors, where DJ Kiko Rivera spinned tunes for guests until the early hours of the morning. At 4 a.m., the newlyweds surprised guests with a late-night McDonald’s feast.

Reflecting on the entire wedding, Cristina and Willy share that they were relaxed and stress free thanks to all the incredible work their planners put in. “We felt very comfortable during the process of the organization of our wedding,” they share. “We recommend people to contract very good and professional planners.”