A practical guide to getting married at Palacio de Hevia, Asturias

The photos on this page are from other weddings of ours (Alicante, La Nucia), not from Palacio de Hevia.

Palacio de Hevia is a 17th-century manor house (palacio) in the parish of Hevia, within the municipality of Siero, in central Asturias. Wikipedia also calls it Palacio de Heredia. According to that page, it was renovated at a later date and has an adjoining chapel. The Fundación Cristina Masaveu describes it as a protected ensemble. It is made up of the manor house, which has two towers, a single-nave chapel and two small outbuildings standing apart from the main building, all arranged around a small square. And what kind of wedding does it host? We haven't seen that in writing, so it's the first thing to ask whoever runs it.

Location and getting there

The exact address doesn't appear in anything we've consulted either. Hevia is a parish of Siero, and the Vivir Asturias guide places the manor house in the La Pola Siero area, in the Comarca del Nora, in central Asturias. Siero lies between Oviedo and Gijón. Even so, we're not going to give you distances or travel times we haven't been able to check, whether from Oviedo, Gijón or Avilés or from Asturias Airport. Ask the venue for them, along with the full address. It's also worth finding out how your guests will get there: whether they'll need a car, whether a coach can get right up to the door, or whether someone organises transport. And watch out for an easy mix-up. Also in Pola de Siero is the Palacio del Marqués de Santa Cruz de Marcenado, known as Casa del Jardín, which stands in Alfonso X park. That's a different building.

Spaces and capacity

Let's talk about the spaces. Two sources agree that the manor house has a chapel attached to it, and the Fundación Cristina Masaveu adds that it has a single nave. For a ceremony, it's the first thing you'll want to see. What we don't know is whether the chapel can be used for weddings, whether you need to speak to the parish, or whether it also works for a civil ceremony. Outside is the small square around the ensemble, which could work for the drinks reception. But that's our own idea, not something any source says. The descriptions mention the manor house, the chapel, the two small outbuildings and the square. They don't mention gardens or banqueting halls, so ask whether there are any and what they're like. The same goes for capacity: we haven't found any figure. Ask for specific numbers for each part of the day: how many people fit in the chapel, how many at the drinks reception and how many seated at the wedding meal. If your guest numbers are more or less settled, take them written down to the visit.

Catering and the party

We haven't found anything about the food. We don't know whether the venue has its own kitchen, works with a set caterer or lets you bring in an outside one. We haven't seen any menus or prices either, which is why none appear here. The practical thing is to ask everything in one go. Is there a caterer they always work with? Can you bring in another? Where is the food cooked and where is it served? Is there a menu tasting before the wedding? How many waiting staff are there per table? What about allergies and children's menus? And one question that often gets forgotten: how late can the party go on, and can music be played within the ensemble? With the answers in writing, comparing it with other venues becomes much easier.

Accommodation and parking

Rooms are another unknown. The sources don't say whether the manor house has rooms for the couple or for guests, or how many there would be. Ask directly. If there aren't any, ask what nearby accommodation they recommend. As it's in Siero, in central Asturias, guests coming from further afield have several towns around it to look in. The same goes for parking: we don't know whether there's space for cars next to the manor house, or for how many. Bear in mind that the ensemble is arranged around a small square. It's worth seeing on the visit where your guests will leave their cars and whether there's room for a coach.

If it rains: plan B

It rains in Asturias, and with a wedding you have to allow for that. The ensemble has roofed buildings: the manor house and the chapel. But no source explains whether the inside of the manor house can be used to host guests, so don't take it for granted. Ask what the plan is if it rains, for the ceremony as well as the drinks reception and the meal. Is a marquee put up in the square? Is there a room set aside for it? How far in advance is the switch decided? Ask them to show you that plan B on the visit, not just tell you about it.

Photos and video at Palacio de Hevia

For photographs, what the Fundación Cristina Masaveu describes offers plenty to work with: the manor house's façade with its two towers, the single-nave chapel, the two small outbuildings and the little square in the middle of it all. It's a 17th-century ensemble, and the stone and proportions of a building like this come through in photographs and on video. If there are gardens or views, no source mentions them. So it's best to walk round it beforehand, unhurried, at the time of day the wedding will take place, to see where the light falls. Evan & Natalia Simon photograph and film weddings in Asturias and across the rest of Spain, but they have never worked at Palacio de Hevia. That's why there are no photos of theirs from this venue here.

How to enquire and arrange a visit

The sources don't give a website, phone number or email address for booking the venue. The Fundación Cristina Masaveu entry and the Vivir Asturias guide are a good starting point for finding out who to contact. When you arrange a visit, take a list: available dates, the capacity of each space, catering, wet-weather plan, accommodation, parking and timings. And if you'd then like to talk about photography and video for your wedding in Asturias, Evan & Natalia Simon work with couples as well as brands and businesses. Just write to them to arrange an initial, no-obligation call.

Links

Information checked on: fundacioncristinamasaveu.com, siero.vivirasturias.com, es.wikipedia.org, ayto-siero.es.