When couples start looking for a destination wedding in Portugal, they usually look at Lisbon, the Algarve or Porto.
And yes, they are beautiful, you see them a lot on your social media, but there is another Portugal that often gets overlooked: Central Portugal.
And honestly? We think that is almost a better choice. And no, not just, because our own wedding venue is based here. :-)
A different kind of Portugal
Around places like Sardoal, Tomar and the Tejo region, you find old villages, stone houses, olive trees, vineyards, historic churches and little cafés where people actually have time to sit down and talk. Places where you meet locals and experience the real Portugal, not just Tourists.
It feels like the Portugal many people imagine before they arrive.
And it is still easy to reach. Sardoal, for example, is around 90 minutes from Lisbon Airport by car or Flixbus.
Your money can go further
This is the less romantic part of wedding planning, but an important one:
Wedding prices vary everywhere, but outside the big tourist hotspots, local suppliers and services are often more affordable.
That can mean photographers, florists, musicians, transport, hotels and other wedding services.
And there is another advantage: you often get a much more personal experience.
Instead of dealing with a large company, you might be talking directly to the person making your cake, arranging your flowers or cooking your food. It also means: The wedding is much more curated to you and not just one of a few hundred every year.
Less touristy can be a very good thing
A destination wedding shouldn't have to mean flying in, attending the wedding and flying straight home.
Central Portugal gives your guests plenty to explore and to talk about for weeks and months after your wedding.
Visit Tomar and the Convent of Christ, known from Netflix and like out of Game of Thrones. Take a trip to Almourol Castle. Explore the N2. Visit vineyards. Walk through historic towns. Spend an afternoon by the river or simply enjoy authentic moments in a really good and old portuguese Café.
Nobody is going to complain about that.
You are less likely to find huge crowds, tour buses and restaurants designed mainly for tourists.
Instead, you might find a little family-run restaurant where the menu is handwritten, a village square where locals meet in the evening, or a hotel in a building with 200 years of history.
It feels less like a holiday resort and more like actually being in Portugal.
And isn't that one of the reasons you wanted a destination wedding here in the first place?
But...Is it perfect?
The true answer: Not quite.
Central Portugal doesn't have an international airport around the corner, and getting around smaller towns usually requires a car or organised transport (which our wedding planning team 100% takes care of!).
But once that part is planned, you get something quite special:
A wedding that is not just a wedding, but a few days of discovering Portugal together.
And sometimes, going slightly off the beaten path is exactly what makes a destination wedding memorable and for couples who love sharing their wedding online, that means a new look and a story that feels much more personal and much less like everyone else's.
