Cover Alexandra Dorda-Marcu and Stefan Marcu in the garden at Casa de Pilatos
Alexandra Dorda-Marcu and Stefan Marcu in the garden at Casa de Pilatos
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Couple Alexandra Dorda-Marcu and Stefan Marcu celebrate their love the Andalusian way—in one of the most romantic cities in the world
The love story of Alexandra Dorda and Stefan Marcu started in the most mundane of places: a conference room. “I was working at a Private Equity fund in Warsaw, Poland, and Stefan is managing director at Kearney,” starts Alexandra. Her fund was considering an investment and met with Kearney to discuss a deal. “Stefan wasn’t even supposed to come to the meeting, but he ran into his colleague on the way there and decided he would come, too.” This spur-of-the-moment thing led to their first meeting in her office. “It’s funny because that room is notorious for having the best vibes, but I never expected to meet my future husband there.”
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Only the stars witnessed Stefan’s proposal in April 2022 in Marrakech, Morocco, where the couple spent their long Easter weekend. “I know Stefan so well that I had a strong hunch he would propose at that moment. And I was right!” exclaims Alexandra. It was a simple and poignant moment for them both as marriage was something they had been discussing for a long time. And, after almost five years of being together, they finally tied the knot on June 17, 2023.
Above Casa de Pilatos served as a perfect venue for the wedding
Above Edna Zaragoza Dorda and Tad Dorda with Alexandra Dorda-Marcu and Stefan Marcu
Casa de Pilatos served as a perfect venue for the wedding
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In contrast to their bleak, professional first meeting, their marriage was celebrated in a myriad of colours. Held in the lively city of Seville, Spain, the wedding gathered 160 family and friends basking in the festive mood. The couple hosted a welcome dinner at Palacio de las Dueñas, surrounded by a lush garden reminiscent of the Philippines.
Above Dorda-Marcu with her bridesmaids
Above The bride wears a wedding gown by Monique Lhuillier
Dorda-Marcu with her bridesmaids
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“I was inspired to throw a kamayan-inspired feast for which we flew in chef Jordy Navarra of Toyo Eatery, my favourite restaurant in Manila, to prepare the food,” the bride says. The tables were picturesque, set with banana leaves and flower arrangements that included bananas, eggplants and ginger—to name a few. “I was eventually persuaded to provide our guests with plates and utensils, so we had them hand-painted for the occasion in various colours by an Andalusian artist,” she adds. For dessert, mangoes (the bride’s favourite fruit!) prepared by chef Cèdric Grolet in Paris were served.
Above Kamayan-inspired feast by chef Jordy Navarra of Toyo
Eatery
Above Wedding cake by Made in Cake
Kamayan-inspired feast by chef Jordy Navarra of Toyo Eatery
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“My mother hails from Manila, so I also made sure to sprinkle nods to the Philippines throughout the wedding,” explains Alexandra. “From the tarsiers and monitor lizards on our Save-the-Dates and my wedding dress by Monique Lhuillier to the peacock chairs at our welcome dinner.”
Que será, será; everything fell into place—as the very detail-oriented and hands-on bride made sure it would. Under the coral-coloured arches of the 500-year-old palace of Casa de Pilatos, she walked down the aisle, passing through ink and magenta flowers lining the path and cane chairs (another nod to her hometown). “My father walked me down the aisle; it was such a significant moment in my life. I just tried to take deep breaths so I could stay fully present and remember the moment.”
Above The dashing groom
Above The bride walking down the aisle with her father
The dashing groom
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Above Michele and Tessa Tymowski
Above Lia Berger and
Seena Shahmardi
Michele and Tessa Tymowski
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When the pair were just planning the wedding festivities, they decided the most important thing was for their guests to have the time of their lives. “Entertainment was a top priority for us, so we brought in two fabulous bands,” says Alexandra. The main band—Professor D—hailed from Texas and made sure everybody had a good night. “My favourite moment was dancing under the stars with loved ones to their rendition of Tina Turner’s Proud Mary!”
Above Bands serenade guests
Above An aerial view of
Casa de Pilatos
Bands serenade guests
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After that, The Phly Boyz, a fun roaming band the newlyweds discovered in Mykonos several years ago, led the guests to the after-party in the Jungle Cathedral (the palace’s carriage house), where they continued dancing till dawn. Both Alexandra and Stefan admit that it feels like they have been married for years before making it official. “In a beautiful way, it feels like nothing has changed since our wedding.”
This story was originally published in the November 2023 issue of Tatler Philippines. Download it on your digital device through Zinio, Magzter, or Pressreader.
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Angela Nicole Regis Guiral is a digital editor at Tatler Philippines. She studied journalism and has since written features that look closely at how culture, lifestyle and social impact converge, while occasionally wandering into the worlds of style and travel.
