Six reasons why Portugal beach weddings are top notch
When you think of a beach wedding in Europe, Portugal may not be the first country to enter your mind. Many would say that Greece, Cyprus, Croatia, and Italy venues are the best options for an amazing beach wedding.
While those countries have a charm of their own, we’d like to offer a different perspective. Wedding planners like us who help couples make their European wedding dreams come true have personally visited hundreds of venues for weddings in Europe, and we can guarantee that Portugal is a wonderful destination for a perfect beach wedding.
In this post, we’ll share with you six reasons why we have a bias on Portugal! Let’s start with the obvious.
1860-km golden coastline for surreal elopements
Portugal is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, and its coastline stretches to as far as 1860 kilometers. That’s more than twice the size of the whole New York City!
When you stand in one spot of the Portugal coastline, you will see an endless shore that seems to go on forever! This whole stretch is dotted with different villas, luxury hotels, palaces, and resorts that can be booked for a beachside wedding in Portugal.
Some venues on top of our list are luxury hotels by the ocean, a beachfront restaurant venue in Cascais, boutique hotels, and a beachfront castle! Have a glimpse of them here in our list of elopement venues in Portugal.
Probably the best sunset wedding in Europe!
Some of the best weddings we’ve witnessed in Portugal are elopement ceremonies by the beach during sunset. A private elopement in Portugal is a quiet and peaceful affair with no stress or any unpleasant surprises.
The best ingredient of an elopement in Portugal is none other than a surreal backdrop of the skies and the clouds melting into a palette of orange, purple, and pink as the sun sets in the horizon.
If that sounds like a dream come true for you, then go ahead and scout for the perfect beach elopement venue in Portugal. Some of our most recommended are beachfront spaces, indoor restaurants made of glass walls that lend a view to the ocean, and beachside palaces from centuries ago! If you’re thinking of something more romantic, you can have a beautiful ceremony on a private yacht that sails above the glorious Atlantic ocean!
Historic elopement venues along the beach
Do you know that Portugal is one of the oldest countries in Europe? The Portuguese territory has been inhabited by different people since the prehistoric times. This long history of occupation left Portugal with so many old towns and villages with palaces, castles, and villas that are centuries-old!
Yes, you guessed it right! Many of these historic venues are located right at the shore of Portugal. If you’re a history-loving couple who also happens to love the beach, you’ll have plenty of options for a wedding venue here.
You can get married in a 14th-century castle overlooking the ocean, in a 16th-century Tuscan-style castle on the Estoril Coast, or in some other Portugal wedding venues with medieval architecture.
Beach weddings are legal in Portugal!
Most of our couples who are marrying in Europe prefer to have a symbolic ceremony rather than a legal one. This seems logical because paperworks can be burdensome if you want a legal wedding abroad.
In some countries, couples need to get married with the registrar officiating the ceremony, while some require couples to have a town hall ceremony for their wedding to be considered legal.
In Portugal, however, beach weddings are considered legally-binding. This means that you can tie the knot in any beachside venue of your choice and you don’t have to go through a complicated process to make the ceremony legal.
The only thing you need is a license from the maritime police which can be easily procured. For a more detailed info on this, you can visit our page about the different types of wedding ceremonies in Portugal.
Best seafood dishes for wedding receptions
With so many towns, villages, and wedding venues located on the Portuguese coast, you can expect local cuisines here to be largely influenced by the Atlantic.
After having the best sunset wedding on the Portuguese coast, enjoy a feast of authentic seafood cuisines for your intimate dinner!
One of our most favorite seafood dishes is the peppery and garlicky Cataplana de Marisco. It’s a Portuguese dish loaded with prawns, clams, and shellfish varieties. We also love the savoury dip called Sapateira Recheada which is a flavourful seafood sauce made of crab meat, and the ameijos a bulhao pato, which is basically fresh clams seasoned with garlic and cilantro.
Estoril: The hidden gem of Portugal
Estoril is a cosmopolitan holiday destination in Portugal that competes in beauty and luxury with resorts on the Côte d’Azur and Ibiza in Spain. It’s a beach hub for the rich and the famous along the Portuguese Riviera where the sought-after Estoril casino is located.
Estoril is home to many Portuguese monarchs and royal families, so expect elegant wedding venues and posh beach resorts here. Have a luxury beach elopement here and follow it up with a grand honeymoon vacation for just the two of you!
Recite your vows in front of unparalleled views of the Portuguese Riviera and have the time of your life in Estoril palace hotels and beachside villas that offer grand amenities for everyone!
Now that you’ve read about the reasons why we love Portugal as a beach wedding destination in Europe, you may want to start planning your elopement here. Get a quote and see how you can make that dream wedding come true.
