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We met Natalie and Mike a couple of years ago in Toronto. They had just got engaged and were planning their destination wedding in Portugal, where they both have roots.
They picked a magical place for their ceremony, the Monserrate Palace in Sintra and we were so excited to hear all the details. We could’t wait to celebrate with them and capture all the beauty of the day.
But first they were off to Paris for an engagement trip and we came along to photograph their engagement session, strolling along Parisian streets. A little bit of rain made the session all that much more romantic and a true ‘Paris in the spring’ experience. (Natalie + Mike Engagement in Paris)
This summer we met them again in sunny Portugal for their wedding and it was even more magical then we expected. True romantics at heart, they chose two amazing venues, both steeped in romance, in both history and architecture. Natalie and Mike’s wedding is one of the most romantic we had the pleasure of photographing, we are so excited to share the story of their day….
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Ceremony Venue: Monserrate Palace, Sintra
“The Monserrate Palace is an exotic palatial villa located near Sintra, Portugal, the traditional summer resort of the Portuguese court. It is one of the most beautiful architectural and landscape Romantic creations. The Palace combines gothic and Indian influences as well as Moorish suggestions together with exotic and plant motifs which are harmoniously extended to the exterior. The terrace leads out into the large park. It is designed in a romantic style with a lake, several springs and fountains, grottoes, and a picturesque chapel ruin.”
Reception Venue: Penna Palace, Sintra
“The Pena Palace is a Romanticist castle in São Pedro de Penaferrim, in Sintra, Portugal. Almost the entire palace stands on rock in the Sintra Mountains. It is a national monument and constitutes one of the major expressions of 19th-century Romanticism in the world. The Pena Palaceis a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal.
It has a profusion of styles much in accordance with the exotic taste of the Romanticism. The Park and Palace of Pena are the fruit of King Ferdinand II’s creative genius, denoting clear influences from the Manueline and Moorish styles of architecture. The palace was built in such a way as to be visible from any point in the park, which consists of a forest and luxuriant gardens with over five hundred different species of trees originating from the four corners of the earth.”
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