Our US real wedding couple Jessica and Aaron chose a jaw-dropping, sun-soaked location in Portugal for their big day. They are both travel lovers and they dreamt up a winning combination for their destination nuptials. They whisked their family and friends off to Forte Da Cruz, a castle by the beach in Estoril, for fantastic food, cocktails, and a great big party! If you are putting a list together of dreamy destination wedding locations let this stunning celebration of love serve as inspiration. Get ready to swoon over the images from Weddings by KARA, and don't say we didn't warn you, the view is breathtaking!
Before we take you on the magical journey of their wedding day, we're going to get to know our real wedding couple. Jessica is from Michigan and Aaron hails from Illinois but they met in Denver, Colorado. Jessica was working as a travel nurse when she met Aaron who had been working in the oil and gas industry in Denver since after college. It was Jessica who made the first move. She says "I was out for Sunday brunch with some of my girlfriends and Aaron was sitting at the bar. I walked up and sat right next to him. We started chatting and the rest is history."
They had a destination proposal too. Aaron popped the question while they were in Seville in Spain visiting Jessica's family. Reflecting on the time he got down on bended knee, Jessica says: "He proposed along the Guadalquivir River on the second evening. We had celebratory champagne on the rooftop with everyone after. It was a beautiful night!" While they originally planned to get married in May 2020, the had to postpone because of the pandemic. The wait, however, was completely worth it!
Jessica and Aaron wanted to share their love of travel with their nearest and dearest and they knew Portugal would be the perfect location for a destination wedding. "We waited 2-plus years to get married because we were so passionate and stubborn about having our wedding in Portugal," Jessica explains. As for the aesthetic, their nuptials were saturated in white and blue shades to celebrate the azulejos ceramic tiles native to the country.
Jessica was a picture of sophistication on her wedding day in a crepe gown by Made With Love with a plunging neckline and back with a skirt that hugged her curves sublimely. She styled her elegant gown with heels by Vince Camuto, Zoe Lev earrings, a Cult Gaia clutch, and a floor-skimming sheer veil. For her reception, she slipped into comfier shoes, AGL runners! Her bridesmaids wore dresses from Club Monaco, BHLDN, Significant Other, and Anthropologie.
The couple had their wedding ceremony in Iglesia Parrquial de Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion in Cascais. They chose calla lilies as they symbolise life, good luck and beauty along with greenery at the ceremony and reception. "We wanted to keep the décor simple and have the focus on the incredible history and architecture of the church, castle and coast."
The couple admits that planning a destination wedding came with its challenges but their wedding planners went "above and beyond" to make it an easy and fun experience.
Jessica and Aaron describe themselves as having a clean and minimalistic style and they both favour neutral shades. They kept the planning and styling simple and sleek to create an elegant and timeless event. They let the stunning location do all the talking. Jessica shares: "There was no need to add décor. The history of the buildings in Cascais, the tiled streets, intricate architecture, natural landscaping are so beautiful on their own. We just brought our family and friends."
After they exchanged vows it was on to Forte Da Cruz for the reception and the party of course! The 17-century castle makes for a very romantic wedding venue with its gorgeous architecture and beautiful natural surrounds. While it is an elegant building rich in history it is well-equipped for partying! It also happens to be located only 20 minutes from the airport.
The reception room was set against a breathtaking view of the bright blue sky and the sparkling ocean. The area was dressed with calla lilies, greenery, gold and blue accents, candles, and drapery. All the stationary from the save the dates to the invitations and right through to the menu were all drawn by Aaron and they picked up the same oceanic accents.
Foodie-related wedding favours always go down a hit with wedding-goers and the couples gave their lucky guests wedding bags loaded with local treats and Portuguese wine!
There were many "pinch-me" moments for the couple. Being able to share their big day with the people they loved most in the whole world was the cherry on top though. "For everyone to travel overseas, to surround us with love and celebrate us is an incredible feeling. We are so lucky. We could not stop smiling. We didn’t want it to end. It was wonderful to spend time with everyone over the entire weekend and hear about everyone’s travel adventures."
The outdoor reception area looks out over the beach and we can only imagine it left the wedding guests absolutely spellbound.
The pair had a very special VIP guest at their wedding as their friend from Oklahoma City flew in to DJ. The good times were flowing from the outset. "We didn’t do a first dance everyone was already dancing and enjoying the cocktails and Aperol Spritz bar. We did an entrance at Forte Da Cruz to 'Sonnentanz' by Klangkarussell and the dancing never stopped!"
The couple cut their cake as the sun began to set and the venue took on a whole new level of dreamy in the soft glow of the evening light. As for their words of wisdom to couples planning their wedding day, Jessica and Aaron say: "Decide on what is important to you, prioritize those things, have fun and go with the flow. Our original wedding was scheduled in Portugal in 2020. Obviously due to the lockdown that did not happen. Many wanted us to just go get married. Aaron and I wanted to wait and have the celebration in Portugal when it was safe. We are so happy we waited. It was amazing!"
The couple jetted off to the South of France and Monaco right after their wedding which they highly recommend for honeymooners.
What a dreamy wedding! We would like to say a huge thank you to Jessica and Aaron for sharing their big day with us, we're still swooning over the incredible wedding pictures by Weddings by KARA.
Fancy tying the knot in stunning and sunny Portugal? Then you need to check out our wedding abroad guide to getting married in Portugal.
