Burgundy was the first thing María made clear. It is the colour she wears on her lips every day, a deep shade close to red wine, and although she knew it is not a usual choice for a bride, she held on to it: in her wedding look she wanted to look like herself, not like someone else. Everything else was planned around that colour.
María is from Fuengirola, a town on the Costa del Sol where I am based, and her wedding had the look of this place: traditional and Andalusian, with the ceremony at the church of El Rosario, in the centre of town, and the celebration at Hacienda Las Fuentes, an estate in Mijas Costa. I got her ready at her mother's home, and she was the only one I styled that day, doing both her hair and her makeup.
To give her lips the whole stage, her wedding makeup was kept simple and timeless, with nothing competing with that colour. Her hair followed the same idea: a sleek, clean updo that matched the minimalist line of her dress and left her face clear. Over the updo I placed her veil.
She was a little nervous that morning, because she wanted everything to go well, and on a wedding day that is the most natural thing in the world. Little by little, as she got ready, she settled into the rhythm of the day, and from then on everything went smoothly.
Many people remarked on how beautiful María looked: the minimalist dress, the sleek updo, the simple makeup and that touch of burgundy on her lips, which also matched the details of her bouquet. It was her own signature within a bridal look.
Jesús Barea's photographs show a traditional bride, rooted in her home town, and still instantly recognisable as herself. Years later, people in Fuengirola still talk about María's wedding.
