Planning
Planning a Lisbon wedding from abroad
Half of my couples plan their Portuguese wedding from another country. Here is what I have learned about doing it calmly, from venues to paperwork to timing.
Ines Vale6 min read
Portugal has become one of Europe's favourite places to get married, and it is easy to see why. The light is golden for most of the year, the food is extraordinary, and a quinta in Sintra costs a fraction of a villa in Tuscany. But planning from London, New York or Toronto brings its own challenges.
After photographing more than a hundred destination weddings here, these are the things I wish every couple knew at the start.
Choose your season carefully
July and August are hot, busy and expensive, especially in the Alentejo, where afternoons can pass 38 degrees. My favourite months are May, June and late September. The light is softer, the sea is still warm enough for a swim, and venues are often more flexible on dates.
Do not rule out October either. You may get a rain shower, but you will also get long amber evenings and a city that feels like your own.
What to sort out early
- A local planner who speaks your language and knows the venues
- Your venue, ideally 12 to 15 months ahead for a Saturday
- Whether you want a legal or symbolic ceremony
- Accommodation blocks for guests, which fill quickly in Lisbon
- Transport between hotels and venue, since many quintas are rural
The legal question matters most. A civil wedding in Portugal for foreign residents involves translated documents, apostilles and a visit to the registry, and can take three months to process. Many of my couples marry legally at home and hold a symbolic ceremony here, which gives complete freedom over the words and the setting.
Plan the paperwork at home and the poetry in Portugal. You will enjoy both more.
Visit once, if you can
One planning trip, six to nine months before, changes everything. You can taste the menu, meet your planner and photographer, and stand in the spot where you will say your vows at the time of day you will say them. Couples who visit tend to feel calmer, and it shows in the pictures.
If a trip is not possible, ask your venue for photos and video taken at the exact hour of your ceremony. Shade, sun and wind change dramatically through the day, and I would always rather plan around them than discover them on the morning.
