Algarve destination wedding venues: tips from the pros
I’ve recently come back from a trip to Portugal, discovering some great Algarve destination wedding venues. Are you planning a destination wedding in the Algarve? Read on for my venue recommendations…
The Algarve is a great choice for a destination wedding – it’s a short flight from the UK and is covered by most budget airlines. The weather is really reliable – and hot in the summer! There are pristine beaches, beautiful marinas and spectacular sunsets. There’s also a great choice of venues, from luxury 5-star hotels to smaller boutique wedding venues, great for weddings big and small.
My trip to the Algarve was with Tracy from WEDX and five leading wedding planners, Val, Sharn, Steven, Nadia and Lydia. Tracy supports wedding professionals and she couldn’t have been a better person to go with! Along with the venue wedding planners, Carina from Minor Hotels showed us around several venues over the space of a week. I learnt so much, saw some incredible views and now I can’t wait to shoot a wedding there!
Here’s my round up of destination wedding venues in Portugal. If you have any questions, about the venues or destination wedding photography in the Algarve, feel free to message me.
This venue has the most incredible beachfront location. You can choose to have a seafront ceremony, or beach wedding reception. For pre and post wedding chill out there are huge bed sun loungers on the beach itself. The interiors are modern and bright, perfect if you want something a little non-traditional. This is a great, large venue for those who love the sea and need a bit of relaxation time in between wedding madness!
This 5-star hotel has a pretty amazing location – one side overlooks the ocean and the other the harbour. It’s a pretty big hotel, great for large weddings and good for those on a budget. There’s also loads of choice with lots of indoor and outdoor spaces for ceremonies. I love the ocean but I’d definitely pick the harbourside for a ceremony, it’s pretty perfect
The most luxurious of the hotels we saw, it even has its own 18-hole golf course! This was one of the hotels we stayed at, so we were able to explore it in a little more detail. Much like the Tivoli, there are lots of different spaces, indoor and outdoor, for your ceremony. The Emo Restaurant, within the hotel, also serves delicious food. Great for a pre-wedding get together, and for catering on the day.
This Algarve wedding venue is wrapped around a cliff top overlooking the Atlantic. It’s recently been refurbished and the facilities are amazing – plenty of great restaurants, a fitness suite and beautiful ceremony rooms. One of my favourite venues of the trip – mainly because of the cliff top view from the pool.
The final venue we saw was the Tivoli Portimao, which is tucked into a little inlet on the south coast. This venue is perfect if you’re looking for something a little different. It has a Caribbean feel, with brightly coloured brick buildings and lush greenery. It’s wrapped around the marina too; all the fabulous yachts provide lots of opportunities for great couples photos!
As well as venues, there are also great suppliers working in the Algarve, I met with musician Leandro ‘The Pianoman’ Russo on my trip. He even sung a few numbers for us; do check out his Facebook page to see what he can bring to your day.
If you’re looking for a celebrant for your Portugal destination wedding I can recommend Leonard Beard, who I also met. He’s an English-speaking celebrant with lots of experience in the Algarve. He even performed a mock ceremony for at one of the venues, with Tracy and Val playing the part of the couple!
The trip was a great experience, the Algarve is a popular tourist destination but the venues we visited were not run of the mill, each provided something unique for a wedding. Whether you’re planning a small destination wedding or a big do, you’ll be able to find the perfect venue for your wedding.
If you need any help with planning your destination wedding please check out these fantastic wedding planners:
Nadia Wood – Amulet Weddings
Sharn – Desi Bride Dreams
Val – Benessamy Wedding and Event Planning
Steven – Steven Pellier Weddings
Lydia – Love Lydia Weddings