For all of the weddings we feature, its often the simple, sweet, understated affairs that make us squeeze the hands of the one we love a bit tighter. Because it’s in weddings where simplicity reigns queen, that you can truly feel the love. The joy. The nearly bursting with excitement energy. And this wedding, photographed by Piteira Photography, is nothing if not utterly joyful. And quite pretty to look at too. Just make sure you click here to see the rest of the story.
From Piteira Photography… It sounds like a cliché, but I swear it’s true — Joana and João’s wedding was truly magical. The location was the ancient monastery of São Cristovão de Lafões, which dates back to the 12th century. Even now, in the 21st century, it is lost in the middle of nowhere in the dense forests of central Portugal, so you can easily imagine the isolation and mystical existence of the monks who inhabited this monastery throughout the Middle Ages. If those walls could talk, the stories they could tell… The couple exchanged their vows under an orange tree in the central courtyard, and just to add to the romance and mystery, as the ceremony was about to end, a thick mist swept down the mountains and surrounded the entire area in a blanket of cloud. While this isn’t something that brides normally dream about for their wedding day, it honestly didn’t feel out of place.
Joana and João are both designers and together with a talented team of friends, they created every single piece of stationery and decor, all of which made this wedding truly exceptional. Instead of a traditional wedding invitation, they decided to tell the story of how they met in the form of a handwritten letter. Joana had her version, and João had his, and they wrote out the originals with an old calligraphy pen and then had copies made to send out to their guests. These two were an absolute dream to work with. They gave us all the time that we needed, took such good care of us and made us feel so welcome. We feel truly blessed to have been a part of this magical wedding.
Wedding Photography: Piteira Photography / Wedding Venue: São Cristovão de Lafões Monastery in Central Portugal / Event Planning, Floral + Event Design: Como Branco Wedding Concept / Wedding Invitations: Como Branco Wedding Concept / Wedding Dress: Maggie Sottero via Vestidus / Bride’s Shoes: Zilian / Makeup: Makeup Martist