Dreaming of a Wedding Destination That Feels Like a Real-Life Fairytale? Look No Further.

Lauren Megerdichian
July 30, 2020
Categories: Photo Shoot, The Blog, Wedding Decor, Wedding Details, Wedding Fashion, Wedding Style

Italy and France are completely amazing, we all know that… but if you ask us, Portugal is one of the most underrated wedding destinations out there. For today’s editorial, StudioVictorias and Malvina Frolova were inspired by the beauty and diversity of Portuguese landscapes – stunning beaches, broad vineyards and ancient castles. Speaking of castles… we can’t get over how gorgeous this venue is. StudioVictorias said it best, it’s like “a fairytale palace in the middle of an enchanted forest.” Head on over to the full gallery to fall in love with the refined elegance and beauty of Portugal.

From Malvina Frolova… Dreaming of a wedding destination that feels like a real-life fairytale? Look no further. Portugal is a country of endless inspiration. The beauty and diversity of Portuguese landscapes are impressive: 800 km of stunning beaches, broad vineyards of the Douro Valley, amber cork fields of Alentejo, lonely lighthouses, ancient castles, and royal palaces. And the idea of this editorial shoot was to create an inspiration capturing the refined simplicity of the country itself combining it with an old-world European aesthetic and modern elegance. A former royal palace in central Portugal sets the scene for this editorial shoot, created by Portuguese wedding agency StudioVictorias and beautifully captured by fine art photographer Malvina Frolova.

This magnificent palace of the Portuguese monarchs was built in the unique Neo-Manueline style and now is now turned into one of the most beautiful historic hotels in the world. From StudioVictorias: “A fairytale palace in the middle of an enchanted forest” would be the best definition of this venue. The palace is a genuine ode to romanticism, enclosed in the uniqueness and beauty of its interiors, the exceptional framing of the landscape and the grandeur of its eclectic facade. This is a real architectural fantasy with an atmosphere of mystery, surrounded by gardens with exotic trees from far corners of the Portuguese Empire. We brought together a talented team of international vendors to inspire the couples from all over the world to celebrate the wedding in the real royal palace, where the atmosphere of the luxury of the past days is intertwined with the romance of the present.

We wanted to maximally show all the possibilities of this unique historical venue in the heart of Old Europe. Despite the grandeur of the palace located in a dark mysterious forest, we wanted to create a very light and charming project that could convey the sensuality and tenderness of our couple in love. And as it seems, everything worked out perfectly. In Bussaco Palace any girl instantly turns into a princess. The feminine style of boudoir sets for the morning of the bride, the minimum of accessories, natural makeup and loose updo make her a true embodiment of sensuality and tenderness. The bride’s embroidered lace wedding dress from Vanila Studio and minimalist earrings from OlgaDelice added aristocratic elegance, while a delicate bouquet in an airy garden style complemented her sophisticated look.

A classic sharp-looking suit from Penhalta fashion house and accessories from the Portuguese designer Maison Nuno Gama were selected for the groom. We intentionally supplemented the magnificence of the old palace and the wild nature of the region with elegant details of the decor and delicate looks of the couple, harmoniously combining the eternal and the modern. In the concept, we used soft pastel shades, from cold grey to warm beige and pale pink and complementing them with dusty yellow. For the ceremony area, floral designer Yana Metlinskaya created an asymmetric arch that harmoniously blends with the surrounding garden space and complements the intricate architecture of the palace. On the balcony of the palace, decorated with luxurious stucco work, a table for eight people was served. Modern gold cutlery and plates were remarkably combined with a heavy silk tablecloth, vintage wooden chairs and a floral arrangement in an airy organic style. The stationery designed by To Be Dream creates an exquisite modern look with handcrafted paper and a typical Portuguese pattern for the envelope. Elegance is added by hand-illustrated details like the drawing of the architectural elements of the palace. Gorgeous four-tier cake by Julie Deffence was created taking into account the general concept and decorated with sugar flowers matching a project’s color palette and handcrafted wafer paper with the same typical Portuguese tiles pattern. At the end of a romantic day, a vintage car was waiting for a couple to take them on their first family trip.