Carina & Sébastien
For Carina & Sébastien's wedding, we're taking you on a trip to Portugal, specifically to Sintra, near Lisbon.
The meeting and the proposal :
It has been almost twenty years since we met in Portugal. Initially friends, our love truly blossomed on 17 February 2001. We were dining in a Japanese restaurant near Lisbon when Sébastien proposed. A little detail not to be overlooked, the ring was hidden in a maki roll.
Our first civil wedding took place on 4 October 2009. On that day, we each had two witnesses by our side. Then, after 18 years of love, we finally made our dream come true on 14 August 2019. We were united in church in a religious ceremony, at which we also baptised our two children, born in 2011 and 2015.
The venue :
For us, celebrating our union in Sintra was an obvious choice. The romanticism of this town definitely did not leave us indifferent. We got ready at Marmoris Palace, and the ceremony took place at Sao Pedro de Penaferrim church. The reception took place at Quinta dos Pizões in Colares.
As you can imagine, it was the perfect setting for our wedding and the baptism of our two children!
The most memorable moments were the ceremonies, which were held in both languages. ‘I had recorded a surprise dedication beforehand, which was played before I entered and the church doors opened. The whole thing was set to the piano notes of La Comptine d'un autre été by Yann Tiersen (Amélie Poulain) - magical ! ‘.
The shoe creation :
My shoes were waiting for me, they were already all set and I didn't need to create them. It was a real crush on the Dessine-Moi un soulier website. As for the colour, ‘I think that all the accessories should match. I particularly like soft colours. It is also important to be comfortable with the heel height you choose.’
The inspirations :
For my dress, I found it in the first boutique I visited, and it was the second one I tried on. It came from a Parisian boutique called Couture Nuptiale. My mother and sister-in-law helped me choose it.
All the decoration (vases, candles, christening linen, dress, for example) was made entirely by me, straight from France, in order to create the bohemian chic look we were looking for.
The colour was determined by my love for the shoes. This choice also guided my selection of fabrics for my daughter's dress.
I highly recommend Etsy, where I have ordered many details such as bathrobes, hangers and envelope boxes.
Their favorite service providers :
Dress : Couture Nuptiale Paris
Photographer : all_for_love_photography /Portugal
Jewellery : lou yetu
Groom : Palenzo et finsbury
Stationery : Coton bird
The other service providers are all located in Portugal.
Our bride's advice :
"For me, a wedding is perfect when it reflects the couple and the image they want to convey to their guests."