FRANCISCO & ALEXANDRA | WEDDING AT PESTANA PALACE LISBON

Francisco and Alexandra were married at Pestana Palace Lisboa, a national monument built in the Romantic revival style, before moving the evening’s celebration to Quinta dos Espadeiros in Almada. Published in Vogue Arabia and Vogue Australia Weddings. Seen in Tatler and British Vogue. We photograph a limited number of weddings each year across Portugal, Italy, and France, and this was one of the more architecturally distinct days we have covered in Lisbon.

ELEGANT AND TRADITIONAL VENUES

Alexandra prepared for the ceremony at Pestana Palace Lisboa, whose gardens and 19th-century interiors gave the getting-ready portraits a formal, layered backdrop. The building's Romantic revival architecture, with its detailed plasterwork and period furniture, meant that almost every room offered a usable frame without additional styling.

The pale green facade of Pestana Palace Lisbon above its stone balustrade and stairs
An ornate gold chandelier hanging beneath a pale ceiling with gold decorative moldings at Pestana Palace Lisbon

The ceremony took place in a chapel known for its stained glass and ornate altar. The narrow, directional light through the windows shaped the ceremony photographs in a way that open venues rarely allow, giving the vows a more contained, intimate register despite the grandeur of the setting.

The bride and groom holding hands before the priest during their church ceremony
The groom signing the marriage register while the bride looks on, smiling
The bride and groom seated before an ornate gilded altar during their church ceremony

The celebration continued that evening at Quinta dos Espadeiros in Almada, whose grounds and main facade provided a different architectural register from the palace, better suited to the reception's more relaxed pace.

Wedding guests gathered on the lawn in front of a blue and white building with palm trees

Sophisticated Attire

Alexandra wore two dresses over the course of the day. The ceremony gown was a sleeveless Rosa Clará design with a bateau neckline, an open back, and a detachable train, finished with Jimmy Choo slingback pumps in white fishnet mesh and latte nappa leather. For the reception, she changed into a silk mousseline gown by Maria Lucia Hohan, paired with Superga shoes for the dancing that followed.

A wedding dress with a long train displayed on a dress form between tall windows with pink curtains
The bride holding a white bouquet beside a bright window, with her veil draped over her shoulders
Bridal earrings in a navy jewelry box beside a pearl necklace and a ring on patterned fabric
A pair of Jimmy Choo slingback heels on a dark floral carpet
The bride applying lip makeup while looking in a mirror, with her veil in the foreground
Black and white photo of wedding guests holding parasols beside a lily pond

Francisco wore a custom-made suit and incorporated family heirlooms into his attire, a detail that gave his look a specificity that the rest of the day's styling matched.

WHY THIS DAY WORKED PHOTOGRAPHICALLY

The value of a day like this for photography is the range: a formal palace ceremony, a chapel with directional light unlike anything else on the schedule, and an evening reception with an entirely different architectural mood. Few single-venue weddings offer that much variation across one day, and it meant the resulting gallery reads as several distinct settings rather than one location photographed from different angles.

A reception table set with blue and white floral china, white linens, and white flower centerpieces
Black and white photo of lit candles among floral centerpieces on a reception table at night

If you are planning a wedding at a historic property in Lisbon and want to understand how we approach multi-venue days like this, our services page explains our process in detail. To begin the conversation, reach out here.

Real WeddingsRui Lopes