Wedding & Lifestyle Photography
Algarve, Portugal
. . . . .
When you are madly in love with someone you just want to SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS !! Yes, this literally happened with Sam and Janine. We all get crazy ideas sometimes and climbing on to the roof after a couple of beers may not have been the best one, but love is sometimes just that crazy and this was totally awesome!
. . . . .
. . . . .
Arwa and Khalid celebrated their one year wedding anniversary in Portugal and we were so happy to photograph them for the special occasion. We had an amazing time spending the evening with them and exchanging travel stories, a passion we all have in common. Khalid works in the travel industry and Arwa works in interior design. They live in Amsterdam, but often visit family and friends in Libya. They had their wedding there, their honeymoon in Thailand and have spent the last year traveling together through Turkey, Dubai and the Maldives. We spent the evening talking about food, beautiful landscapes, architecture and art. They even brought us traditional caramel sweets form Holland, which were so delicious! It was so great to meet them and we hope to visit them sometime in Amsterdam.
. . . . .
. . . . .
This beautiful spring day started out in Vilamoura with Ciara at the Tivoli and Declan at a villa a few blocks away. The morning was full of excitement, perhaps too much excitement because every once in a while there was a little bottle of “Calming” spray that kept making it’s appearance!
The day was magically perfect. And with only one near dress disaster* quickly remedied by the bride’s mum, – and some calming spray.
{*it’s a secret.}
Ciara and Declan were married in the most beautiful church with blue tiled walls and a grand piano. The cocktail hour was inside Tavira caste walls, a gorgeous garden in full bloom. Just a few steps away was the reception at the Pousada de Tavira. The dinner was al fresco style in the courtyard of the Pousada, it was lit by candles that made the whole evening glow.
The guests came form all around the world to share in the joy. Ciara and Declan are both form Ireland but love to travel and their friends came from as far as Texas where Ciara studied for a year, to Australia. It was a night full of love, beautiful memories and magical wishes for an amazing future.
Later on that night The Six Irish Men band got everyone on the dance floor, and these Irish, well they can dance all right! From the flower girls fantastic impromptu river dance performance to the men’s end of night dance floor pile up (after perhaps one too many beers), it was a crazy party!
. . . . .
…just a few blocks away…
…meanwhile back at the hotel…
Matt and I were in the midst of taking some pretty, romantic portraits of Ciara and Declan when they both spontaneously burst in to laughter – I turned to Matt to see what was so funny?….Matt?…Matt?…. Two brown Doc Martins peaked from the top of the hedge, Matt had fallen into the bushes after leaning on a hedge a little too hard! HA!
Looking at Ciara and Declans faces I can only imagine it happening in slow motion. After a quick, full recovery, we continued….
Wedding Planner: Algarve Wedding Planners | Ceremony: Igreja da Misericórdia Tavira | Reception: Pousada de Tavira | Video: JM Wedding Cinematography | Cake: Benedita Dias | Flowers: Gina Oura Flores Bouquet | Band: Six Irish Man Band | DJ: Tim Fortune
. . . . .
We met Susana last year, we were thrilled when she decided to become a wedding planner and honoured that she wanted us to photograph her wedding.
We couldn’t wait to meet up with her and Mario in Monchique for their engagement session. It was an amazing afternoon. We took a trail up to the ruins of an old monastery, and then walked down into Monchique, a very rustic and colourful little place. Susana and Mario are a super sweet couple, we loved spending the afternoon with them sharing wedding ideas, and we are so excited about their beach wedding this September!
. . . . .
Doreen, our bride, dancing on Portugal’s west coast….and on the page of UK’s Wedding magazine.
We couldn’t be happier the editors at Wedding magazine choose one of our images for their “All About You” section opener in the 2O14 June/July issue! We got our copy just a few days ago in the post, I love it, with all it’s pretty pages and amazing ideas.
Daniel and Doreen’s wedding was something truly special and it will always be close to our hearts.
What our couples have to say about us
We are immensely grateful for the exceptional work of Matt and Lena, our wedding photographers. Their talent and dedication shone through as they skillfully captured every precious moment of our special day. The photos are not just images; they are beautiful memories that transport us back to the joy, emotion, and beauty of our celebration. Matt and Lena's professionalism, creativity, and attention to detail exceeded our expectations. We wholeheartedly recommend them to couples seeking photographers who can turn their wedding moments into timeless treasures. Thank you, Matt and Lena, for beautifully documenting the magic of our day!
Zachary Polonus Zack + Melody West Cost Engagement
We had such a wonderful experience with Matt and Lena! They are such passionate and amiable people and totally incredible photographers. The proof is in the pictures and they were beyond our greatest expectation!
Shea Cole Shea + Felix Wedding in Monchique, Portugal
Everyone at our wedding commented on how great they were and the fact that they stayed until the very end capturing photos of our event. The photos are breathtaking, and people are still raving over them. They made us a slide show with music, and our family members keep playing it over and over at every event and saying how it was the most beautiful day. Matt & Lena captured it perfectly. Our album reads like a storybook. Thank you Matt & Lena!
Jessica Boland Jess + Bruce Algarve Engagement
Matt and Lena picked the most amazing beach for our shoot - somewhere we would have never discovered otherwise. We had so much fun and they made us feel really comfortable. It was overall an amazing experience and I would definitely love to work with them again if we are back in Portugal!
Jessie Hawthorn Jessie and Jonathan, Wedding in Luz, Portugal
Matt + Lena were so amazing to work with before, during and after the wedding! They paid so much attention to detail and really listened to ensure we were happy with our pictures. My husband and I came from Canada to get married in the Algarve so we didn't have the chance to meet with Matt + Lena in person ahead of time. I could tell by their pictures (of course they are stunning!!) but also their professionalism, prompt email responses and overall ease of communication that it was going to be a perfect fit! We were thrilled with our beautiful pictures and have received so many compliments that they look like pictures out of a magazine and that they truly capture our love and the story of our big day! They scouted out all the great spots for us ahead of time, ensuring the lighting would be just right, and I just adore their style of photography - so natural and genuine. Thank you again so much for giving us these pictures we will cherish forever!! xx
Adam Cummings Maria + Adam, Wedding in Sintra, Portugal
We got married at the Quinta in Cintra and my wife found Matt and Lena somehow on the internet. In all the craziness of organising a wedding, they were one of the few constants. Always organized, and very prepared (they even went on a trip from Alvor to Lisbon to check out the light in the area!). The wedding day was exceptional as they popped up around the place like Ninjas - you will never be able to see them both - making sure to get loads of genuine shots of everyone from dawn til dusk. Very highly recommended
Laur D Laura and Jonathon, Elopement in the Algarve
My husband and I traveled from Toronto to Portugal for our elopement and we were so fortunate that Matt and Lena were available on our wedding day. Throughout the booking process they were quick to respond to emails and set a Skype date to go over all of the logistics for our day, as well as to answer any questions we had - and we had a lot! Matt and Lena were very social and created a comfortable environment which was great since it was just the four of us during the six hour photo shoot. The photos turned out stunning and we have received compliments from everyone who has seen them. The photos really captured the nuance moments throughout the day in a very natural way and we will cherish them forever. Thank you Matt and Lena for being part of our day and for making the experience such a pleasure!
Natacha Manuel Natacha + Manuel, Beach Wedding Algarve
Matt and Lena were recommended to us by our wedding planner, Susana Santos. We were sold from the get-go (just take a look at their beautiful pictures!), and meeting them in person only reaffirmed that we had made the right decision. We were a bit iffy about doing an engagement shoot but it was a great idea in the end as we got to be very comfortable with Matt and Lena which made things far easier on the actual wedding day! The pictures are fabulous and a year after our wedding people are still commenting on just how beautiful the photos are. All in all, definitely a great choice and we heartily recommend them to anyone who is getting married! In fact, a couple who were at our wedding ended up booking them for their wedding! :)
Jelena Pinto Jelena + Joao, Wedding at Os Agostos, Portugal
Me and my husband got married last year in the south of Portugal and we still have family and friends raving about the beauty and elegance of our photographs. Matt and Lena take photographs that we will cherish forever. They are also a pleasure to work with. They make you feel comfortable and they get to know your style and personality. What first caught my eye about their work is the romantic feel and lighting of each photograph. Each photograph feels set in a natural and authentic manner. It's a staple of their professionalism and dedication to the work they do. Thank you Matt and Lena for your dedication and grace on our special day. :D
