A practical guide to getting married at Castillo de San Cucao, Asturias

All the photos are of Castillo de San Cucao itself, used with its permission.

Castillo de San Cucao is a medieval tower in Llanera, Asturias, that hosts weddings. Its own website says it holds just one wedding a day and that the venue is reserved exclusively for the couple and their guests. According to Bodas.net, it is also known as La Torre de Valdés, dates from the 14th century and is recognised as a Bien de Interés Cultural (Asset of Cultural Interest) of Asturias. Turismo Asturias names it alongside the palacio de Villanueva and the casa palacio de Villabona among the buildings of medieval origin in the municipality. Evan & Natalia Simon photograph and film weddings from their base in Gijón, but they have never worked at this castle. Everything that follows comes from the castle's own pages and from other websites that write about it.

Where it is and how to get there

The address given on its website is Restaurante Castillo de San Cucao s/n, 33425 Llanera, Asturias. Cvent places it in San Cucao de Llanera, which matches the address. According to Bodas.net, it is in the countryside. Gastroranking claims it is easy to reach even at rush hour, though that is a directory's opinion, not the castle's. How many kilometres is it from Oviedo, Gijón, Avilés or Asturias Airport? The pages consulted do not say. The most reliable approach is to look the address up on a map and work out the journey from each city. For guests, Bodas.net lists transport among the castle's services. It is worth asking what that involves: what vehicle it is, where it leaves from and what time it comes back.

Ceremony, drinks reception and guest numbers

For the ceremony, the castle's website offers three settings. The first is the main garden, directly in front of the castle. The other two are under cover and are explained further down, in the section on what happens if it rains. Bodas.net describes gardens designed for a civil wedding beside the castle. For the drinks reception, the same site mentions a welcome cocktail with views of the sunset, by torchlight. Its list of spaces includes banqueting halls, a terrace, a garden area, a marquee, a dance floor, a civil ceremony space and parking. And how many guests can it hold? According to Bodas.net, the banquet is served to a minimum of 40 guests and a maximum of 350. In the pages read, the castle does not give that figure, so it needs confirming with the venue. Nor do they say how many people each space holds individually, or whether there is a chapel. Those are two questions for the visit.

Food and prices

The food, according to Bodas.net, is prepared by the castle itself, with its own kitchen and a team that works for that wedding alone. The same site says the cooking is traditional, typical of the region and international. There are menus for vegetarians, vegans, diabetics, people with high blood pressure, people with allergies and coeliacs, and the menu is adapted for anyone with allergies or intolerances. The open bar is included in the menu. On price, Bodas.net mentions menus from €145 to €250 per guest and a current promotion. These figures come from a wedding portal, not from the castle, and may change. It is best to ask for them in writing.

Accommodation and parking

The pages consulted say nothing about rooms, either for the couple or for guests. You will need to ask directly and, if there are none, ask them to recommend accommodation nearby. As for parking, Bodas.net includes it in its list of spaces. The castle gives no further details in what has been read. It is worth finding out how many spaces there are and whether cars can stay overnight.

If it rains

It rains in Asturias, and the castle allows for that. Its website explains that the ceremony setting is chosen according to the weather forecast. If the weather does not cooperate, there is the covered Italian marquee, with views of the main garden and the castle. The other option is a stone-and-timber room inside the castle, entered through the medieval tower. For the drinks reception, Bodas.net shows a covered area. The pages do not make clear whether the sides of the marquee can be closed when it is windy. It is a good question for the visit.

Spots for photographs

For photographs, the pages describe several spots. Bodas.net mentions well-kept gardens, plenty of greenery and outdoor spaces designed for a photo shoot. It also shows the grounds at night, and the torches at the drinks reception at dusk give a different kind of light. The medieval tower provides a stone backdrop. For indoor photos, there is the stone-and-timber room inside. Evan & Natalia Simon have not photographed any wedding at San Cucao, so they have no images of the castle to show.

Booking and what to ask

To book, the castle's website is castillodesancucao.com. The pages read give no phone number or email address, so the first step is to visit the website. On Bodas.net it has a rating of 4.9 out of 5, from 176 reviews. As it holds only one wedding a day, the first thing to ask is whether your date is free. Its website says the team guides and advises couples throughout the whole process and on the wedding day. At the visit, it is worth asking whether there are rooms, how many spaces the car park has, whether there is a chapel, how many guests fit in the marquee and in the room, and what the promotion includes.

Links

Information checked on: castillodesancucao.com, bodas.net, bodas.net, cvent.com, turismoasturias.es, gastroranking.es, blog.telecable.es.