A magical elopement story in Sintra, Portugal with Michelle & Carley
Sometimes, spontaneity is all you need for an extra special and beautiful day. This is what happened with Michelle and Carley, who came all the way from AmSterica to exchange their vows in one of the most special spots in Europe: Sintra in Portugal. Let me tell you the story of their Portugal elopement.
Love at first sight - meeting Michelle and Carley
First things first - how did I meet these wonderful people? Michelle and Carley reached out to me in September 2021 and it was love at first sight. Their personal intro was badass, they love to travel, both ride motorbikes, and are overall very adventurous, a perfect fit!
They chose Sintra close to Lisbon for their eloping as they expected it to be magical, beautiful and whimsical. It truly truly is - but it’s also a very popular place full of tourists. The city is well known for its whimsical green forests, lush parks, and most importantly their beautiful castles and houses. Like in many other places in Portugal, the place is covered in traditional portuguese tiles and bus loads of tourists travel there every year to look at its caves and to have a stroll in its parks.
Starting our Sintra elopement adventure
We met in Sintra in September, a day before their elopement. The night before their special day, we sat together, got comfortable with each other and discussed the details for the next day. In the morning, we met again in their beautiful Airbnb. It had a stunning view over the Sintra forest, so naturally the balcony became a core location to take pictures. Michelle and Carley were accompanied by female family members that had flown all the way from America to spend the morning with them and celebrate together in the evening. You could feel the love and support in the air, the couple got some help with their make-up and they got dressed. In the meantime, I took some lovely detailed shots to start off the day. Michelle and Carley met on the balcony and when Michelle saw Carley, her eyes filled with tears of joy. “Usually, I am the one who never cries”, she said, overcome by her happiness. That’s when it really sank in for both of them: It’s their wedding day. It’s there and it’s real.
Why Sintra is a wonderful place to elope
In the 19th century, Sintra became the first center of European Romantic architecture, when Ferdinand II turned the ruins of a monastery into a castle surrounded by a romantic park with a mix of exotic and local trees, stunning fountains, little nooks and caves, perfect for long strolls and distraction. It’s a truly magical place, straight out of a fairy tale.
Avoiding the crowds in Sintra, at least sort of
We started our adventure with a stroll through the historic city center and aimed for some beautiful parks. However, the city center was crammed with tourists and Michelle felt a little overwhelmed by the crowd of people. It’s hard to stay unnoticed in beautiful wedding attire. I was prepared for this moment: I had done some location scouting the days before just in case. However, we decided to still give it a go. We could always escape if the crowds felt too busy but both Michelle and Carley also didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity.
On our way, we passed the famous ornamental fountain covered in tiles and took some pictures there. Luckily, nobody else was around and the two danced around and enjoyed the place. The city felt crowded, so we escaped into a narrow side alley to have a shot and some of the famous Queijadas de Sintra, a sort of cheese cake but totally different from what you would imagine. If you are ever there, definitely try it! We combined it with a galao, a Portuguese variation of cappuccino.
Feeling more brave, it was time for a little adventure. On the way back to the more touristy areas, we found some beautiful spots to take pictures. Right in the city center, there was a big traffic jam: Buses with tourists and especially TukTuks were stranded there, waiting to get by. Of course, they were delighted to see our dressed up couple and they were welcomed with many nice words and cheers, a very sweet scene.
Then we had enough of the bustle of the city, hopped into my car and found this beautiful empty road in a Eucalyptus forest. We soaked in the wonderful smell of the trees, enjoyed the great view, and of course took some pictures.
Our next stop was a cute convent in the mountains. Cork was one of the main decorative elements here, the view was equally as stunning as the decoration. In many places in Sintra, you have to pay for a permit to take pictures in a wedding dress. Luckily, we knew this, so we brought a different dress and took the opportunity to take beautiful pictures in a non-wedding dress, what a life hack. ;)
When Carley and Michelle got hungry, we stopped at one of my favorite restaurants in this area. We had a beautiful car ride down from the mountains to the coast. The village Azenha do Mar is beautifully located at the cliffs, again blessed with a stunning view and sweet little white houses, nestled onto the cliffs. Underneath the restaurant, you can find a natural pool, which looks beautiful. However, we had the perfect seafood lunch, embraced the sound of the waves and the stunning view.
Then we went to the best location for taking pictures: We found some beautiful Portuguese tiles, and took plenty of pictures.The day before, I drove around and found a beautiful spot , where we could be just for us, but still have the flair of sintra city. This place had whimsical trees,parks and buildings. We took the time to stroll around, soak it in, danced around and Carley swirled Michelle around in her beautiful wedding dress.
Exchanging the vows with a stunning view
As we all know, when something feels amazing time seems to pass even quicker and after our sweet session it was time for a really special moment. Exchanging the vows. For that we chose a wonderful spot at the stunning coastline of Portugal. After a very sunny day, the first clouds approached and first we were a bit sad to not have an epic sunset but with it came also a bit of relief, because the whole day we were seeking for shadow because it was hot! And in the End we can’t change the weather and just embrace what we have. We chose a spot directly at the cliffs and the scenery was epic.
Michelle and Carley exchanged their vows and it was incredibly sweet. You could see all the emotions, both were filled with joy and happiness, it was very touching to watch. To celebrate, they opened a bottle of champagne and (safely) walked along the edge of the cliff together.
Food, family and of course: more pictures!
Suddenly, the time was over and we had to head back. The rest of the family was waiting for us in an amazing fish restaurant at praia da adraga. Everybody was there, so we took the opportunity for some group pictures. Then, a long and wonderful day filled with happiness, spontaneous little changes of plan, and wonderful moments was over. Sometimes, you can find quiet spots even in the most crowded places, if you are prepared to walk off the beaten path a little. ;)