Week-long celebration of an autumn micro wedding in Alentejo’s wine country
Caitlin and Guillermo’s intimate wedding in Portugal
Some couples want a single-day wedding. Caitlin and Guillermo wanted a week-long destination wedding in Portugal with their favorite people, where the wedding itself was just one highlight of an extended adventure.
They brought forty guests to Alentejo's wine country for a small wedding in Portugal that stretched across multiple days and felt more like an intimate vacation than a traditional celebration. They chose a hotel surrounded by vineyards for an outdoor ceremony among the vines, followed by a courtyard dinner under the stars and live music that lasted until late evening.
But the celebration started well before the wedding day — with wine tastings when guests arrived Friday, a welcome dinner that same evening, and stargazing under Alentejo's famously clear skies.
With Patricia, their wedding planner in Portugal, handling every detail from vendor recommendations to day-of coordination, they created exactly what they envisioned: a relaxed, week-long experience where everyone could lounge, explore, bond, and celebrate together without the formality or stress of traditional weddings.
The venue: A hotel among Alentejo's vineyards
When Caitlin and Guillermo started searching for wedding venues in Portugal, they had specific requirements.
They wanted to feel surrounded by nature and wine country. They wanted spaces for activities and lounging. They needed accommodation on-site so the celebration could span multiple days. They wanted places nearby to explore after the wedding, and an intimate vibe without needing exclusive use of the entire property.
This hotel in Alentejo's wine region delivered everything. Surrounded by vineyards stretching toward the horizon, the property offered multiple outdoor spaces perfect for different parts of their celebration — the vineyard itself for their ceremony, the pool area for cocktails, and a courtyard for their long-table dinner.
The hotel's positioning in wine country meant easy access to tastings, tours, and the kind of Portuguese landscape that photographs beautifully at any time of day.
September timing proved ideal. Late summer in Alentejo offers warm days and comfortable evenings, with that golden light photographers dream about. The vineyards showed late summer abundance, heavy with grapes approaching harvest. Outdoor celebrations remained comfortable with heaters available for when evening temperatures dropped slightly.
Planning a multi-day celebration from abroad with Patricia
Coordinating a wedding in Portugal from another country is challenging. Planning a multi-day experience for forty guests with activities and multiple dinners takes it further. Patricia became Caitlin and Guillermo's essential partner, handling complexities they couldn't navigate remotely.
Patricia curated an entire weekend experience. She arranged Friday's wine tasting and venue tour for arriving guests, coordinated the welcome dinner, and organized stargazing under Alentejo's clear skies. She recommended and booked every wedding vendor — photographer, officiant (a friend of the couple), florist, musicians for live music instead of a DJ, and caterers for both reception and Friday dinner.
Planning focused on creating the relaxed celebration they envisioned. They didn't want a big dance party — they wanted conversation, live music, and genuine connection. Patricia built their timeline around intimacy rather than traditional production.
Their forty-thousand-euro budget including transportation meant thoughtful allocation across multiple days.
Our wedding planner in Portugal ensured every euro created the week-long vacation atmosphere they wanted.
A vineyard ceremony featuring Alentejo’s golden hour
At three in the afternoon on September 13th, forty guests gathered among the vines for Caitlin and Guillermo's outdoor ceremony. The vineyard setting provided everything they needed — natural beauty requiring minimal decoration, comfortable shade from afternoon sun, and that authentic Portuguese wine country atmosphere they'd specifically chosen Alentejo to experience.
Having a friend officiate added personal meaning that hired officiants rarely achieve. The ceremony reflected their relationship and values rather than conforming to traditional or legal templates. September's reliable weather meant no backup indoor location was necessary — clear skies and comfortable temperatures allowed everyone to relax completely into the moment.
The timing built toward their sunset photos later. By starting the ceremony at three, they had time for cocktails by the pool and the beginning of dinner before breaking away at seven-fifteen for portraits in that magical light right before sunset at seven forty-eight.
This strategic scheduling — coordinated entirely by Patricia — meant capturing both the ceremony in afternoon light and couple portraits in golden hour without feeling rushed.
Creating a week-long celebration experience
Caitlin and Guillermo's wedding extended across multiple days, creating the vacation atmosphere they'd specifically requested. The wedding day was important, but experiences before and after allowed genuine bonding with their forty guests.
Friday set the tone perfectly. Patricia arranged a wine tasting and venue tour as guests arrived, immediately immersing everyone in Alentejo's wine culture. That evening's welcome dinner brought everyone together casually. Then stargazing under Alentejo's famously clear skies — free from light pollution — created shared experiences traditional rehearsal dinners rarely match.
This multi-day approach meant guests who'd traveled internationally got real value from their journey. They weren't just attending a single event — they were experiencing Portuguese wine country together, creating memories beyond ceremony and reception. The hotel setting allowed everyone to lounge by the pool, explore vineyards, and spend unstructured time together without rigid schedules.
An intimate courtyard dinner
After the vineyard ceremony and poolside cocktails, their small wedding in Portugal moved to the hotel's courtyard for dinner. Patricia had arranged one long table seating all guests together — the kind of setup that encourages conversation and connection rather than the isolation that often happens at separate round tables.
Outdoor heaters ensured comfort as evening temperatures dropped slightly. The courtyard setting meant dining under Alentejo's clear September sky, with stars emerging as dinner progressed. This wasn't a rushed meal. Guests enjoyed multiple courses of Portuguese cuisine with local wine, punctuated by heartfelt speeches.
The cake cutting preceded Caitlin and Guillermo slipping away for sunset photos. While they captured portraits in that magical pre-sunset light, guests transitioned to open bar and the more relaxed evening portion of celebration. When the couple returned, live music started at eight — not a DJ or dance party, but musicians creating atmosphere for conversation and occasional dancing that felt organic rather than forced.
The celebration continued until eleven, exactly the relaxed, enjoyable evening they'd envisioned. No pressure to perform or maintain energy for a massive dance floor. Just good music, good wine, good food, and forty people they loved spending a perfect September evening together in Portuguese wine country.
Worth the journey to Alentejo
Looking back at Caitlin and Guillermo's decision to create a week-long celebration in Portugal's Alentejo region, every element aligned with what they'd told Patricia they wanted. It felt like a long vacation.
They did activities with everyone. They had time to lounge and explore. The atmosphere stayed intimate despite forty guests. And most importantly, everyone had a genuinely good time without the stress or formality traditional weddings often create.
Patricia's comprehensive planning made something potentially complicated feel completely effortless. From the Friday wine tasting through the Sunday departures, every detail was handled by someone who knew Alentejo's venues and vendors intimately.
The result was exactly what destination weddings should deliver — a celebration so memorable that the wedding itself becomes just one highlight of an incredible shared experience.
