We’ve featured so many weddings here and today we’re excited to finally be able to share our Algarve Destination Wedding Guide- packed with venues, vendors, things to do and helpful advice. Right at the southern tip of Portugal lies the magnificent Algarve, where a peaceful Mediterranean coastline meets the wild Atlantic shore. Beautiful shorelines are this region’s speciality with long sandy beaches, bays, coves and inlets. But that’s not all this beautiful area has to offer- fresh tasty cuisine, mountainous terrain, water sports and world-renowned golf courses.. It may be cliche to say the Algarve has something for everyone- yes, if you’re looking for a ski resort wedding this may not be the destination for you! With more hours of sunshine per year than California, temperatures in the Algarve rarely fall below freezing in winter. The wedding venues here are superb- beautiful villas, castles, monasteries, luxury and boutique hotels, golf resorts and more. There are so many gorgeous examples we could easily have added dozens more to this guide, but with the help of our on-site experts we managed to narrow it a little! Stay tuned for our Legal Guide to Getting Married in Portugal which we’ll have for you next week.

Alvor Beach by Matt + Lena Photography

CHURCHES

Church of Nossa Senhora do Carmo: The interior of this beautiful church near Tavira has baroque and rococo elements with an impressive exterior also (pictured below).

Igreja de São Lourenço de Matos: This lovely chuch in the town of Almancil is popular for its lovely interior with gilded altar and azulejo tiles covering the interior.

Church of Nossa Senhora Da Luz: Located in the centre of the small town of Praia da Luz near Lagos, the “Church on the Beach”  is beautifully maintained with a striking yellow and white exterior.

Nossa Senhora do Carmo: Wikimedia

VENUES HOTELS

Vila Vita Parc Resort: This resort is getting more and more famous for exclusive weddings. The gardens and the sea view are really outstanding and the hotel hosts both intimate and larger celebrations. With guest accommodation to cover most weddings in its 180 rooms, the hotel event has a private 72 foot yacht for guest tours.

Pine Cliffs Resort: Located on a cliff in Albufeira with spectacular views, this resort can host elopements to large wedding parties of several hundred and accommodation on the property will be sufficient for all your guests with rooms, apartments, townhouses and villas and that can hold up to 2000 guests. The gardens facing the ocean are perfect for ceremonies and the resort also has on-site planners for weddings held here. Facilities include a children’s village, a nine-hole golf course, four pools, a spa and water sports facilities.

The Lake Resort: A stone’s throw away from the beach in Vilamoura, this luxury hotel has 192 rooms and apartments all with private balconies. The facilities are top notch with three outdoor swimming pools, including one with a sand bottom. The Lake Resort is 20 minutes from Faro airport.

Grande Real Santa Eulalia: Located on the beach of Santa Eulalia near Albufeira, this resort is one of the most popular venues for destination weddings. The location is really beautiful and the hotel can host small weddings up to groups of several hundred. The facilities are top class with a kids club, tennis courts, a spa and free shuttle to seven golf courses, and the hotel is about 40 minutes from Faro airport.

Pousada de Estoi by Branco Prata 

VILLAS

Os Agostos: This beautiful rustic villa has an on-site marquee which allows it to host weddings of up to 300 for seated dinners. Ceremonies are help in the Palm Tree Garden with catering and decoration services available. The villa itself is small with just three bedrooms but there is a chapel on-site and the venue is located only 15 kilometers from Faro airport.

Ardblair: Located on a hillside in the resort of Quinta do Lago, this venue has 6 bedrooms and a choice of ceremony locations with several suitable terraces. A sweeping staircase makes a lovely entrance way for brides and the infinity pool completes the glamourous look.

Monte Rei: A golf club resort than can cater to weddings of up to 200, there are lovely villas on the grounds here that can easily accommodate most wedding parties. An award winning chef creates bespoke menus for weddings at Monte Rei.

Casa Reis das Praias: A small boutique hotel right near the beach, this venue is usually rented exclusively for weddings and has 10 bedrooms. The Casa Reis has amazing views and even a small spa for guests (below).

VINEYARDS / HISTORICAL VENUES

Quinta de Sant’Ana: A family run vineyard, this venue hosts exclusive weddings and will help in planning your day. The building itself is a very pretty typical Portuguese building and there are a choice of reception locations. There is even a chapel on the property which used to be the parish church. Here’s a wedding at Quinta de Sant’Ana.

Le Roque Boutique: This beautiful villa has seven bedrooms and a beautiful roof terrace overlooking a golf course with an ocean view. The villa is just under an hour from Faro airport and can host either intimate celebrations or weddings of over 100 guests.

Pousada de Estoi: This pousada near Faro is a former palace that was recently renovated (above). It is now a hotel which can hold weddings of up to 250 inside, with bigger groups possible outside. Here’s a wedding at Pousada de Estoi.

Pousada de Tavira: A beautiful former convent at the centre of Tavila town (which is host to several beautiful churches), Pousada de Tavira has 36 rooms for guest accommodation. This pousada can hold weddings of up to 240 guests in the cloisters.

Casa Reis das Praias

WEDDING PLANNERS

Portugal Wedding Planners

Algarve Wedding Planners

Algarve Events

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Branco Prata

Piteira Photography

Pedro Vilela

Matt + Lena Photography 

Blush Photography Algarve

Yes I Do

Nelson Marques Photography

Pedro Taborda Fotografia

Nuno Palha Casamentos

 Portugal Wedding on Fly Away Bride by Piteira Photography

OFFICIANTS

Portugal Wedding Ceremonies

Algarve Events

VIDEOGRAPHERS

I Do Films

Video Art

Live Wedding Video

CATERING

The Fat Pig Hog Roast

Concept Catering

CAKES

Algarve Cakes

Doco Fino

FLORISTS

Suzanna’s Flowers

Oura Flores

Portugal Wedding on Fly Away Bride by R2Arte

MUSIC

Entertainment Solutions Algarve: Church singers, ceremony music, receptions bands

Algarve Music Agency: Ceremony music, reception bands and DJs

String Quartet Solutions: Ceremony music

Jukebox: DJs, sound systems and other services

HAIR & MAKE UP

Korine Hairstylist

Beauty and Stageworks

Algarve Bridal Makeup 

Unique and Chic

WEDDING CARS & TRANSPORT

The Old Village Carriage Co: Horse drawn carriage

Bike My Side: A vintage sidecar motorbike

Luxury Car Hire: Classic and high-end cars

ENTERTAINMENT

Circo Pequeno: Fire juggling, bouncing castles, clowns, face painting and more

Progress Bar Events: Flair bartending and mixology

Village of Burgau by Matt + Lena Photography

PRACTICAL INFORMATION & ACTIVITIES

Faro (FAO) is the closest international airport and most visitors to the region fly in here. There are SO many things to do in the Algarve and your guests will have no shortage of entertainment. Scenic tours, boat trips, golf, shark and dolphin watching, horse riding along with numerous water sports are among the few activities available. Here is a list of some suggestions.

✈ The Euro is the currency.

✈ Drive on the right hand side of the road here, as with most of Europe.

✈ The siesta from 3-7pm applies to many shops (Lojas) although in peak season many will stay open all day. Restaurants will often open 12-1pm for lunch and close till 7pm when they re-open for dinner.

✈ Post Offices (Correiros) are open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 6:00pm, some in smaller towns close for lunch. The red post boxes “Correiro normal” is for ordinary mail and the blue “Correiro azul” boxes are for priority or express mail.

✈ Banks are closed weekends and holidays and open 8.30am to 3pm generally during the week.

 Portugal Wedding on Fly Away Bride by Blush Photography

Thanks so much to the very obliging Joanna from Portugal Wedding Planners for being my on-site help with this guide, if you’re thinking about the Algarve for your wedding you should definitely check them out. Those wanting further recommendations should have a look at Your Portugal Wedding which has a great directory for vendors here too.

The post Algarve Destination Wedding Guide appeared first on Fly Away Bride.