The photos on this page are from other weddings of ours (Alicante), not from Finca Villa María.
Finca Villa María is a wedding and events venue in Somió, an area of Gijón. Its own website describes it as a former 19th-century llagar, that is, the building where cider was traditionally made, surrounded by one of the most beautiful gardens in Gijón. As well as weddings, it hosts anniversaries, family gatherings and corporate events. The venue presents the espicha, the Asturian standing meal served around cider, as something of its own, and offers it in the llagar, beside an English garden. Asturias Congresos also describes it as a small palace more than 150 years old and an example of early 20th-century bourgeois single-family architecture. That detail appears only in that directory.
Location and getting there
The venue's website places it in the heart of Somió, within the municipality of Gijón. The Bodas.net listing adds that it is near the sea and in the city, something the official website does not mention. The pages consulted do not give the exact address or the distance in kilometres or minutes from Oviedo, Avilés or Asturias Airport. For anyone coming from Gijón, the venue is within the city itself rather than in a village on the outskirts. From Oviedo or Avilés, the natural route is to head towards Gijón and, once there, towards Somió. Before sending out the invitations, it is worth asking the venue for the full address and directions. That way they can be included in the invitation or on the wedding website, especially for guests coming from outside Asturias.
Spaces and capacity
The official website speaks of indoor and outdoor spaces that adapt to any kind of event: gardens, function rooms, a main hall and a terrace with panoramic views designed for cocktails at sunset. It also describes the Asturian llagar as the setting for the espicha. The Bodas.net listing agrees on the gardens, the banqueting rooms and the terrace. It adds a marquee, a dance area and a space for the civil ceremony, three things the venue's website does not name. As for how the day is divided, the ceremony would take place outdoors, in the gardens, and the banquet indoors, in rustic-style rooms decorated with a great deal of charm, as Bodas.net describes them. On guest numbers, only Bodas.net gives figures: a minimum of 120 and a maximum of 400 for the banquet. The official website does not include them and simply says the venue is suitable for large-scale events. No source details the capacity of each space separately. Nor do they mention a chapel, so for a religious ceremony you will need to ask directly.
Banquet and menus
The banquet is provided by the venue itself. According to Bodas.net, the venue has its own kitchen and also works with caterers. The same listing states that the space cannot be hired on its own without the catering service and that menus start at 199 euros per person. Among the styles of cuisine it lists market-fresh, traditional and regional, signature, international and fusion. There are vegetarian and vegan menus, as well as menus for coeliacs, people with allergies, diabetics and people with high blood pressure, and the menus can be adapted. The open bar is included in the menu. The venue does not provide the wedding cake, but the couple can bring their own at no extra charge. All of this comes solely from Bodas.net, so it is worth confirming it in writing when requesting a quote.
Accommodation, parking and transport
The Bodas.net listing answers "no" when asked whether the venue has accommodation for guests. The venue's website does not cover the subject. Among its services, Bodas.net lists hotels, which suggests the venue can help find rooms elsewhere, although the listing does not explain how. The pages say nothing about a room or area for the couple to get ready on the day, so it is a good question for the visit. As for cars, Bodas.net includes a car park among the venue's spaces but does not say how many spaces it has. The same listing also mentions transport among the available services, a useful detail for organising guests' journeys home at the end of the night.
Wet-weather plan
In Asturias, rain has to be taken into account. The venue's website says the main hall stands out for its elegance and versatility and presents it as the space intended for more formal events or for when the weather does not cooperate. The ceremony or the drinks reception could be moved there if it rains. The banquet is already served indoors, according to Bodas.net's description. The marquee that appears in that listing would be another covered option. The sensible thing is to ask during the visit how the alternative plan is set up and how far in advance the decision to move indoors is made.
Photo spots
The venue's website mentions its photo spots, designed to capture every detail of the day, although it does not describe them one by one. What it does describe gives an idea of where the portraits could be taken: the gardens, which the venue itself places among the most beautiful in Gijón, the English garden beside the llagar and the llagar itself, with its traditional Asturian feel. The terrace with panoramic views, at sunset, also works well. The façade of the small palace described by Asturias Congresos would be another possible backdrop. Evan and Natalia Simon have not photographed any weddings at this venue, so this article does not include their own photos of the place.
Contact and booking
The venue has its own website, fincavillamariagijon.es. The pages consulted give neither a phone number nor an email address, so both need to be looked up there. Bodas.net lets you request a quote from the listing and adds several useful details: the venue holds only one event per day, the party can go on until 05:00, there is no fixed venue fee, it is accessible for people with disabilities and the date is secured with a deposit. If the minimum number of guests is not reached, the surcharge is negotiated with the venue. During the visit it is worth confirming all of this and asking about the chapel, the rain plan and the number of parking spaces.
Links
Official website of Finca Villa María: fincavillamariagijon.es
Information checked on: fincavillamariagijon.es, bodas.net, asturiascongresos.com.