Intimate, European Wedding in Porto, Portugal

Angie & James welcomed their closest family and friends to Porto Portugal, for an intimate destination wedding that gave everyone the chance to slow down, reconnect, and celebrate in the Portuguese countryside.

The weekend began with a sunset cruise along the Douro River with Rota do Douro, followed by their wedding day at Quinta dos Moinhos.

After landing in Lisbon, we took a 3 hour train ride to Porto to meet up with Angie, James & their people to kick off the wedding weekend with a boat ride along the Douro River. I come to find out that the majority of their families were meeting each other for the first time. Would’ve fooled me though - they were cracking jokes, dancing barefoot on the boat, sipping on pineapple drinks together like they’ve been lifelong friends.

After spending the evening along the river, the wedding day was spent 30 minutes out from the main area of Porto in an AirBNB in Melres, Portugal, where Angie, James and a handful of their family were staying.

Angie & James prioritized intention & relationship over anything else. Every pocket of their celebration had heart - her mom was the one who made all the florals, his aunt steamed everyone’s clothes the morning of, Angie’s parents spent weeks building a checkered dance floor (that we actually never ended up using haha we thought it was going to rain). Angie diy’ed all the signage for the weekend & they had party favors that started a major debate: Arepas, ¿son colombianos o venezolanos?

The following day, we made our way back to the Airbnb for a few more portraits. Without the wedding day timeline, we had the freedom to slow down, wander a little, and let things unfold naturally. It was a chance for them to simply be together and enjoy being newly married. Some of our favorite portraits came from this time, when nothing was expected of them except to be present with each other.

Angie & James’s intimate destination wedding in Europe was such a grounding experience, a reminder of what life’s really about: the people you love, the time spent together, and prioritizing a wedding that feels uniquely yours.

Whether you’re planning a destination wedding in Europe, or a wedding here in the states, we’d love to get in touch and hear more about your vision. We’d be honored to document your story, wherever it takes you.