The tender, meaningful wedding celebrations we’ve loved over the years all have a few things in common (which happen to fit with our perspective on interiors, too): They’re simple and timeless, not packaged or trendy; special but not over the top (DIYs encouraged); and, most of all, true to the couple. So when Daniela Jacobs emailed us with images from her recent nuptials—a candlelit dinner in the courtyard of a 19th-century farmhouse in Mallorca—we couldn’t resist the invitation.
Daniela is the NYC- and Mallorca-based designer and ceramicist behind ARC Objects, and everything she touches—from impromptu picnics to her own island place—is imbued with quiet, sculptural elegance. True to form, her own wedding is intimate, personal, and beautiful—everything a celebration should be.
Take a look.
Photography courtesy of Daniela Jacobs.
Remodelista: First: What did you wear?
Daniela Jacobs: We wanted to wear things that felt comfortable, simple, yet elegant. I made my outfit—very wide leg pants and a top with flowy sleeves—from fabric I’d brought from my favorite spot in NYC’s garment district, which I wore with some ARC jewelry and pointy espadrille shoes. My husband wore his favorite linen trousers with typical Mallorquin sandals and a white T-shirt.
RM: Where did you get married?
DJ: We hosted the wedding at a 19th-century converted farmhouse between two small towns in the middle of Mallorca. The house was rented, discovered years ago by my husband’s mother’s side of the family. I grew up between Mallorca and New York City, and Mallorca has always been a deeply meaningful and important place for me. My husband is Mallorquin, and so it felt like a natural decision to have our first celebration(s) here.
We are actually having a few wedding parties (or a few “weddings” as we like to say!) because we wanted to be able to have meaningful interactions with all our guests and felt that if we threw one giant party, that wouldn’t be possible. Our other two parties were similar to this first one in many ways, but they took place in my family’s garden—at the house you featured last year, in fact.
RM: What was your vision for the day?
DJ: We wanted to enjoy the celebration above all else, not to let the fact that it was a wedding overcomplicate things. At the same time, we wanted it to feel special. We didn’t have any specific references for inspiration, but I have always been so inspired by “rustic” Mallorquin landscapes, so I couldn’t have imagined a better backdrop than to be surrounded by olive and almond trees, old stone flooring, and the beautiful aged facade of the house.
RM: What did you have in mind for the design?
DJ: We knew we wanted one long table so that everyone at the party would feel connected. We got the chairs from a store in Palma, the capital of Mallorca, which we saw as an investment in not just this party but many to come in the future. We used my husband’s mom’s collection of different white linen tablecloths to dress the table (which we made for the occasion).
DJ: My husband and father-in-law designed and made the string of lights that hung above the table, evenly spaced and distributed for perfect illumination. The glassware and cutlery were in fact from my husband’s communion! His parents had bought a large set of tableware for the party they threw for him all those years ago, and they were still the perfect party set. Plus, we all enjoyed the idea of one festivity’s bounty lending itself to another’s.
RM: Tell us about the ceramics!
DJ: The ceramic dishes are by ARC, and we made the candleholders ourselves out of plaster! We found these amazing handmade tall candles at a small shop in Palma that we loved, and they were such a dynamic addition to the table that we were inspired to make our own holders. We applied the technique I use for mold-making in my work, and together we designed a simple geometric shape that went with the tablescape. We were really pleased with how they turned out. I might even make a ceramic version in the future.
RM: Tell us about the wedding day meal.
DJ: We knew we wanted tapas—lots of small dishes—for dinner, rather than a few big courses. The details came together naturally over the course of a few conversations and brainstorms. We planned the menu ourselves, and between my mom, my husband’s mom, and myself, we made all the food—some of it in advance, some of it the day of.
We got everything from our favorite markets and specialty stores around the island. We made empanadas, cocarrois, deviled eggs, shot glasses of salmorejo and zucchini soup, cheeses, olives, the best jamón serrano we could find, fresh tomatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper, endive salad, salmon with lemon and capers, herby hummus, blistered peppers with flaky salt…The table was abundant, colorful, and pleasantly messy by the end of the evening.
RM: And the marriage ceremony itself?
DJ: The evening started with a short, beautiful ceremony under a big oak tree led by rotating family members. We had gotten formally married at the justice of the peace a few weeks prior, which felt centered around the coming together of two individuals, whereas the ceremony at the party felt like the joining of two families. It was a collaborative, warm, magical moment, like the whole evening itself.
For more simple weddings we love, see:
- Wed on a Wednesday: Soulful, Low-Key Nuptials in Our Favorite NYC Tea House
- The DIY Wedding: An LA Designer’s Boathouse Nuptials
- 10 Tips for Creating a Simple Outdoor Wedding (and When to Break the Rules)
N.B.: This post is a rerun; the original story ran on September 16, 2022, and has been updated with new information.
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