Douro Valley and Porto Wedding Photographer

We are Rui and Savannah, a husband-and-wife photography studio based in the Algarve, working with couples from the US, the UK, Canada, and Australia. We photograph weddings on film and digital, with Super 8 available, and we take a maximum of ten weddings a year. Published in Vogue Arabia and Vogue Australia Weddings. Seen in Tatler and British Vogue.

Bride and groom standing by the river at sunset with her long veil trailing behind them at Octant Douro

At a Glance

Who we work with: international couples planning a wedding, a full weekend, or an elopement in the Douro Valley, Porto, or northern Portugal.

Where we have photographed: Octant Douro in the Douro Valley, and Mosteiro de Landim in northern Portugal.

Who is there on the day: both of us, at every wedding.

Investment: collections start at €10,000, with VAT and travel within Portugal included.

When to inquire: around twelve months ahead is ideal, and we also take weddings at short notice when the date is free.

Weddings We Have Photographed in the Douro and the North

Octant Douro

Max and Mallory's wedding was spread across two days at Octant Douro, a contemporary hotel built into the hillside above the river. The rehearsal dinner on the first evening was set against the last light of the day, with a live string trio, and the wedding day moved from ceremony to reception as the light changed over the water. Sofia Gama Events led the planning and creative direction, and the wedding was published in Carats + Cake. See the wedding.

Dinner table set with candles and flowers on a terrace above the river at Octant Douro

Mosteiro de Landim

Celine and Jack's wedding was a three-day celebration: a rooftop evening in Porto, a black party the next night, and on the third day the wedding at Mosteiro de Landim, a monastery with eight centuries of history, with the reception in its sixteenth-century cloister. We photographed the whole wedding on film, in color and black and white, and the three days on Super 8. See their wedding.

Candlelit reception tables in the stone cloister of Mosteiro de Landim at dusk
Black and white portrait of the bride in a halter gown against the stone walls of Mosteiro de Landim

Photographing the Douro and Porto

In the Douro, the light follows the river. At Octant Douro the late afternoon is the best window: the river becomes a second light source, bouncing warm light back toward faces, while the dark schist walls hold the warmth, so we plan the portraits for that hour. Stone and candlelight, as in the cloister at Landim, suit film, which is why Celine and Jack's wedding was photographed entirely on it.

Where Couples Marry in the Douro Valley and Porto

The Douro Valley is a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape, where wine has been made for some 2,000 years on narrow terraces held up by schist walls. Places to marry there range from contemporary hotels such as Octant Douro to Six Senses Douro Valley, a restored 19th-century manor overlooking vine-covered terraces. Porto's historic center, built on the hillsides above the mouth of the Douro, is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the city works well for a welcome evening before the wedding. Further north are historic estates and monasteries such as Mosteiro de Landim. For a fuller list, see our guide to the best wedding venues in Porto and our guide to wedding venues in northern Portugal.

How We Work in the Douro and Porto

We visit your venue before the wedding, even when we know it, ideally with your planner or with you, to see the places planned for the ceremony, the cocktail hour, and the portraits at the right time of day. Then we write our own photography timeline. On the day, Savannah stays with the bride and Rui with the groom while you get ready, and we split up afterward so that one of us can be with you while the other covers your guests.

Our coverage starts from 10 hours. Every collection includes film and digital, and Super 8 can be added to any collection. You receive sneak peeks within 24 to 72 hours, and your full gallery in 3 to 3.5 months. You can read more on our services page.

For Couples from the US

Porto airport is the closest to most venues in the north. Delta flies nonstop from New York JFK and TAP from Boston, and both routes run through the winter of 2026 to 2027 for the first time; United also flies from Newark, so check the dates for your season. Savannah is from Southern California, so one of us has been where you are, planning across the Atlantic.

To marry legally in Portugal you need a license from a Portuguese civil registry office, and you do not need to be a resident. Our legal requirements guide covers the steps, and passports, entry rules, and the time to arrive are in the US section of our destination wedding timeline.

Questions About a Douro Valley or Porto Wedding Photographer

How much does a wedding photographer in the Douro Valley or Porto cost?

It depends on experience and coverage, and our cost guide sets out the market. Our collections start at €10,000, with VAT and travel within Portugal included.

How far in advance should we book?

Around twelve months ahead is ideal, and earlier for a full weekend or a peak-season Saturday. We also take weddings at short notice when the date is free.

Will you photograph at a venue in the north that is not on this page?

Yes. We visit every venue before the wedding, including the ones we know well, and we build the photography timeline around that visit. For more places to marry in the region, see our guide to wedding venues in northern Portugal.

Do you charge for travel to the Douro Valley or Porto?

No. Travel within Portugal is included in every collection.

Can we have film or Super 8?

Every collection includes film and digital, and you can add Super 8 to any collection. If you already have a photographer and a video team, Super 8 can be booked on its own, starting from €3,000.

Do you photograph elopements in the Douro Valley and Porto?

Yes. We plan an elopement the way we plan a wedding: we see the place first and choose the time of day for the light. Our guide to eloping in Portugal covers the legal side and the places we would choose.

Tell Us About Your Wedding

If our work feels right for your day in the Douro Valley or Porto, tell us your date, your venue if you have one, and what you have in mind. You can see more weddings in our portfolio, and we also photograph in Lisbon, Sintra, Comporta, and the Algarve. Other questions are answered in our wedding photography FAQ. We respond within 24 hours. Begin your inquiry.