Destination wedding with flower arch at Penha Longa Resort in Portugal

Jan 12, 2024 | Weddings

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Today we're sharing the flower arch of dreams in this incredible wedding at Penha Longa Resort in Portugal, captured by destination wedding photographer and Fine Art Photographer, Diane Sotero. With a striking color palette of pink, blue, lilac and white, floral designer Decorelle created a breathtaking flower arch at the entrance to the 14th century monastery where Catarina and Eduardo tied the knot in a late summer wedding.

Over to bride Catarina to tell us more about their celebration in the heart of the Sintra Mountains: "Our vision for the wedding was for it to be timeless and elegant with lots of flowers. We wanted a small wedding so we could really enjoy our time with our closest family and friends.

"Flowers were the most important visual element of the wedding for us. Once we decided on colours, we picked hydrangeas as this flower is typical in Sintra (they grow in the gardens of Penha Longa) and it symbolizes gratitude, beauty and abundance, as well as roses and delphiniums to create a garden-like effect.

The couple hosted a Portuguese feast with traditional dishes using local ingredients and wines from Lisbon and Douro. The couple and their guests dined at elegant banquet tables, decorated with sumptuous garlands and gold candelabras to create an intimate candlelit dinner.

"For my wedding gown, I have always found beaded dresses beautiful and I knew I wanted something classic and elegant but also breathtaking," explains Catarina. "So I went for a princess dress, fully beaded, which gave it the impression of shining in the light, with a long train.

"For the second dress I wanted something more understated, like a silk dress, but spotted a beaded mermaid dress and felt like it was made for me so I ended up getting it as well!"