XALET DEL NIN WEDDING VENUE

a photographer’s guide to a seaside villa near Barcelona

If you’re looking at Xalet del Nin for your wedding, here’s the short version: it’s a 1913 seaside villa in Vilanova i la Geltrú, about 35 minutes from Barcelona airport, with a sea-view ceremony lawn, gardens and an olive grove for dinner, and a glass-walled hall that saves the day if it rains. It suits couples who want a Mediterranean wedding by the water without the bustle of central Barcelona.

I’m Miks, a destination wedding photographer, and I’ve had my camera and drone at Xalet del Nin (the photos and the drone video on this page are mine). Below is what couples from the US, Canada and the UK usually ask me about this venue: what it costs, how many guests fit, how the day flows, and where the light is best for photos.

Xalet del Nin wedding venue at a glance

Location: Passeig de Salvador Espriu 1, Vilanova i la Geltrú, right on the Mediterranean, about 50 km southwest of Barcelona.
Getting there: roughly 35 minutes by car from Barcelona El Prat airport, around 50 minutes from central Barcelona, and about 15 minutes from Sitges.
History: built in 1913 by architect Josep Font i Gumà for the Ferrer Nin family, on the line between Catalan Modernism and Noucentisme. Fully refurbished in 2019.
Capacity: around 180 guests seated, around 200 for a standing cocktail-style reception.
Spaces: sea-view ceremony area, Mediterranean gardens, a lawn for the aperitif, an olive grove for dinner and dancing, a fire pit corner and the Umbracle, a covered banquet hall with retractable windows.
Stay: the main house has 8 suites (sleeps around 18), including a bridal suite for getting ready.
Catering: external, from the venue’s approved supplier list.

How much does a Xalet del Nin wedding cost?

Venue prices change every year and depend on the season and day of the week, so treat these as rough numbers from what planners have published, not a quote:

Venue hire: roughly €17,000 to €22,000 including tax for the day.
Catering: expect around €290 to €390 per guest including tax for a full wedding menu, more if you go for a top-chef dinner.
Extras: the suites, the lawn aperitif and the sound and lighting (from the venue’s approved supplier) are usually priced separately. In high season the suites are typically part of the package.

Add it up and a 100-guest wedding here usually lands somewhere around €60,000 to €90,000 before photography, flowers, planner and music. Please confirm current prices directly with the venue, since packages and minimums change.

Photographer’s tip: if the budget is tight, ask about low-season dates (spring and autumn). The light is softer then anyway, and the sea is still warm enough in late September for barefoot photos on the beach nearby.

What a wedding day at Xalet del Nin looks like

The spaces sit close to each other around the villa, which I like: guests don’t need long walks between the ceremony, drinks and dinner. A typical day flows like this:

Getting ready in the villa

The bridal suite is in the main house, so you get ready in the historic villa itself, with daylight for the dress and detail photos. If the partners get ready separately, one can use another suite in the house.

The ceremony facing the sea

The ceremony is outdoors with the Mediterranean behind you. It’s a symbolic ceremony setting (like most destination weddings in Spain, the legal part is usually done at home first). One honest tip: don’t plan it for midday. There are trees around, but the classic ceremony spot sits in direct sunlight, so unless you want your guests sweating in black suits, aim for late afternoon. On this part of the Catalan coast, the light gets really good from about 4 pm and only gets better toward the evening.

Aperitif on the lawn, dinner in the olive grove

After the ceremony, guests move to the lawn for drinks while I take you away for portraits. Dinner is set in the olive grove or in the Umbracle, depending on the weather and your guest count.

The party and the music rules

This is the part couples should know before they book: outdoor music is ambient only and has to end around 11pm, because the villa sits next to a residential seafront. The party moves inside the Umbracle and can go on until around 2 am (3am on Saturdays). Plan your timeline around that, with speeches and the first dance outside while it’s warm, then the dance floor inside.

Bride and groom walking hand in hand past a long dinner table at golden hour during a destination wedding in Spain

Rain plan: the Umbracle

The Umbracle is the reason I’m relaxed about this venue in spring and autumn. It’s a covered hall with retractable windows, so in good weather it feels open to the garden, and if it rains or gets windy you close it and carry on. From what the venue says, it’s included as the backup, and you decide on the day.

Sample June wedding day timeline at Xalet del Nin

Here’s how I’d plan a June wedding here, built around the evening light and the music rules:

3:00 pm I arrive: details, then getting ready in the bridal suite.
5:30 pm Guests arrive, welcome drinks in the shade.
6:30 pm Ceremony facing the sea, when the sun is lower and softer.
7:00 pm Aperitif on the lawn, with family and group photos.
8:15 pm Dinner in the olive grove.
8:30 to 9:15 pm Golden hour portraits at the main entrance and on the terrace, 10 to 15 minutes between courses.
10:00 pm Speeches, cake and the first dance outside.
11:00 pm Outdoor music ends and the party moves inside the Umbracle.
2:00 am (3 am on Saturdays) Last song.

The 11pm outdoor music cutoff is the thing most couples don’t plan for. Put the first dance and speeches outside before 11pm, and have the band or DJ set up inside the Umbracle so the party just moves indoors and keeps going.

The best light for photos at Xalet del Nin

The coast at Vilanova faces southeast, so the sun doesn’t set over the sea here. It goes down inland, behind the villa. That’s good news: in the last hour the light comes across the garden and lights up the facade and the olive trees with warm side light, while the sea goes soft and pastel.

June and July: sunset is around 9:20 to 9:30 pm. Plan couple portraits for about 8:30 pm, between dinner courses.
May and September: sunset is around 8 to 9 pm, which fits nicely with a 5 pm ceremony and portraits during the aperitif.
Midday: the sun is hard and bright by the sea, and the ceremony spot has no shade. If anything has to happen then, I use the shade of the garden trees.

My two favourite photo spots here: the main entrance of the villa, and the terrace with the Mediterranean in the background. Both work beautifully in the evening light. If you want something extra, the seafront promenade and the beaches of Vilanova are a short walk away.

Bride and groom embracing beside an ivy-covered stone wall on their destination wedding day

What I look for when I arrive at a venue like Xalet del Nin

When I arrive at a venue, I’m not just looking at how the place photographs. I’m already thinking about how the wedding will move through the space. Where will you get ready, and is there a window with soft light? Where will the light be at 5 pm and at sunset? Where can the two of you have ten quiet minutes for portraits while your guests have a drink? And with a seaside villa: which way is the wind blowing, and where does the sound go when the band starts?

Who Xalet del Nin is best for

Couples who want a sea view for the ceremony but a real garden for the party.
Weddings of about 60 to 180 guests who want the venue to themselves.
Couples who like history and character more than a big modern hotel.
Groups flying into Barcelona who don’t want long transfers.

It’s less of a fit if you want a loud outdoor party until late, or if you need all guests to sleep on site. Most guests stay in Sitges or Vilanova and use a shuttle. If you’re still comparing places, my list of the top 20 wedding venues near Barcelona and my guide to Costa Brava wedding venues are good next reads.

Black and white portrait of a bride in a beaded halter wedding dress on her destination wedding day

Xalet del Nin in photos and from above

Here’s my drone video of the villa and the coastline, and a gallery of the venue together with moments from my other weddings in Spain and Italy, so you can see how I photograph a day like this. More in my best wedding photos collection, and if you love grain and warm tones, have a look at 35mm film wedding photography.

Drone video, XALET DEL NIN WEDDING VENUE BARCELONA

Xalet del Nin wedding FAQ

How many guests can Xalet del Nin hold?

Around 180 guests for a seated dinner and around 200 for a standing cocktail-style reception. For very small weddings the venue can feel a bit empty, so it works best from about 60 guests up.

How far is Xalet del Nin from Barcelona?

About 35 minutes by car from Barcelona El Prat airport and about 50 minutes from the city center. Sitges is around 15 minutes away, which makes it a handy base for guests.

Can you stay overnight at Xalet del Nin?

Yes. The main house has 8 suites that sleep around 18 people, usually used by the couple, family and the wedding party. Other guests stay in hotels in Sitges or Vilanova i la Geltrú.

Can we bring our own caterer?

Catering is external, but it has to come from the venue’s approved supplier list. Ask the venue for the current list when you inquire.

What happens if it rains?

The Umbracle, a covered hall with retractable windows, is the backup for both the ceremony and dinner. You can make the call on the day.

Planning your Xalet del Nin wedding?

If you’re thinking about Xalet del Nin, or any seaside venue near Barcelona, I’d love to hear about your plans: the date, how many guests, and the kind of day you’re imagining. Tell me a bit about the two of you on my contact page and I’ll get back to you with ideas, honest advice on timing and light, and my availability. You can also read what other couples say in kind words.