Fairytale destination wedding weekend in Sintra, Portugal

Aug 28, 2023 | Weddings

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"We always knew Portugal had to be the location for our wedding," explains bride Madeleine. "It was the first place Kyle and I traveled to together and it was during that road trip along the coastline that we truly knew we were forever. We chose to get legally married at Lake Louise in Alberta, Canada, in February 2021 so we could wait out travel restrictions to have our fairytale wedding in Sintra."

As a wedding planner herself, Madeleine executed every dreamy detail of their wedding to perfection. We are head over heels for her pale pink floral bridal gown by Monique Lhuillier, which perfectly complemented the picturesque gardens at Penha Longa Resort.

Over to Madeleine to tell us more: "We began to plan our wedding weekend after finding the gorgeous Penha Longa Resort just outside of Sintra. We hosted our rehearsal dinner during golden hour on the property, spent our welcome party on the water sailing from Lisbon to Cascais, and said I do in the ruins of a 16th century monastery. It was truly the dream weekend!

"Guests walked down a long staircase along the stone before entering a gorgeous and intimate ruin with florals spilling out of urns placed in front of the water feature. Following the ceremony, our guests walked to the garden of the Penha Longa monastery where we enjoyed a signature cocktail named after our goldendoodle, Bentley, plus endless rosé along the edge of the pool feature.

"The champagne tower surrounded by all my favourite cream and pink blooms was one of the best moments of the day, we passed the crystal coupes to all our guests and had our favourite people say their speeches as the sun set behind the tree covered hills of the natural park."