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\nAntonio Banderas shared an Instagram post, reflecting on his daughter Stella Banderas’ “joyful” wedding in his native SpainHe said the nuptials “turned into a heartfelt family reunion” Stella, whom Antonio shares with ex-wife Melanie Griffith, married longtime love Alex Gruszynski on Oct. 18<\/p>\n
Antonio Banderas<\/a> is reflecting on his daughter Stella Banderas<\/a>‘ “emotional” wedding day.\n<\/p>\n On Monday, Oct. 20, two days after Stella, 29, tied the knot<\/a> with longtime love Alex Gruszynski on Saturday, Oct. 18, the actor, 65, shared an Instagram post<\/a> about the nuptials, which were held in his native country of Spain.\n<\/p>\n “The wedding of my daughter Stella has turned into a heartfelt family reunion, emotional, joyful, and full of laughter,” he wrote in both Spanish and English.\n<\/p>\n He added: “Thank you to everyone who made this possible.”\n<\/p>\n His post featured a slideshow of photos of the father-daughter pair, spanning from Stella’s childhood to more recent years.\n<\/p>\n Antonio Banderas on daughter Stella Banderas’ wedding day.<\/p>\n BACKGRID<\/p>\n Judging by photos of the Babygirl star on the big day, he was a proud father of the bride. Antonio, sporting a classic black tuxedo, could be seen beaming and holding up a wine glass to toast the newlyweds.\n<\/p>\n Ahead of her wedding, Stella \u2014 whom Antonio shares with ex-wife Melanie Griffith<\/a> \u2014 opened up about how she chose her wedding location with her dad in mind.\n<\/p>\n She told\u00a0Hola!<\/a>\u00a0magazine that she always wanted her wedding to be held in Spain, and feels deeply connected to her father’s roots in M\u00e1laga. The bride, who was born in Marbella, Spain, and raised in Los Angeles, ultimately chose the Castilla region for her nuptials.\n<\/p>\n \u201cI feel so lucky to be getting married in the country where I was born,\u201d\u00a0she said before the event.\n<\/p>\n Stella Banderas and Alex Gruszynski on their wedding day.<\/p>\n BACKGRID<\/p>\n As for Antonio, he told Hola! that having his daughter get married in Spain “fills me with pride.”\n<\/p>\n \u201cShe\u2019s very Andalusian, very much from M\u00e1laga, even if she grew up in the U.S.,” he said. “This is her way of reconnecting with her roots and sharing her homeland with her future husband and his family.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Antonio also shared his happy anticipation about witnessing Stella’s wedding, telling the outlet, “Seeing my daughter dressed as a bride will be one of the most beautiful moments of my life. I get to be the father of the bride, and it\u2019s a role I take on with all the emotion in the world.”\n<\/p>\n Stella Banderas and Alex Gruszynski.<\/p>\n Melanie Griffith\/Instagram<\/p>\n Stella and Gruszynski’s story dates all the way back to their early childhood, when they first met as classmates at their L.A. preschool. They announced their engagement<\/a>\u00a0on\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0in August 2024.\n<\/p>\n Alongside a carousel of photos of the couple from over the years, Stella wrote: “I get to hang out with my favorite person on earth forever!!!!!!!! \ud83e\udd18\ud83c\udffc\ud83e\udd18\ud83c\udffc\ud83e\udd18\ud83c\udffc\ud83e\udd18\ud83c\udffc\ud83e\udd0d\ud83e\udd0d\ud83e\udd0d\ud83e\udd0d\ud83e\udd0d.”\n<\/p>\n One snapshot captured the then-bride-to-be showing off her sparkly engagement ring.\n<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.\n<\/p>\n Griffith, 68, also shared the news on her Instagram<\/a>, writing, “He asked\u2026. On bended knee\u2026 she said yes \u2665\ufe0f. Stella and Alex are engaged to be married \u2665\ufe0f. Their love story began in pre-school! True love, deep love! Congratulations to the beloveds!!! \u2665\ufe0f\ud83d\udca5\u2665\ufe0f\ud83d\udcab\u2665\ufe0f.”\n<\/p>\n Weeks after the engagement, Antonio spoke to PEOPLE about his excitement for the couple<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n “She’s happy, I’m happy,” Antonio said, adding of Gruszynski, “He’s awesome. I’ve known him since he was a little kid.”<\/p>\n