A Wedding Day in Sintra: how the photographer saw it

After being married, the bride and groom go down, hand in hand and seen by a woman, from the Church of Santa Maria in Sintra to the center of the village of Sintra accompanied by the wedding photographer in Sintra.

INSIDE THE VILLAGE OF SINTRA by THE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER IN LISBON

After being married, the bride and groom go down, hand in hand and seen by a woman, from the Church of Santa Maria in Sintra to the center of the village of Sintra accompanied by the wedding photographer in Sintra.

Photos of a wedding in Sintra, with the ceremony at Santa Maria Church and the party at Café Paris, right in the center of town


• Pode ler este artigo em Português. 

Weddings in Sintra

At the hairdresser, the bride with curlers in her hair as she prepares for the wedding.

I’ve photographed many weddings that take place in Sintra, but it’s usually either the ceremony or the celebration. This time, Ulrica and João chose Sintra for both the wedding ceremony at the Church of Santa Maria and the reception at Café Paris. The only problem for a wedding photographer in this ancient town is where and how to park the car. But that’s another topic.

Just the way a wedding photographer likes it

In a mirror at the hairdresser, the bride with her head inside a hair dryer

This way, I could photograph the wedding from the Church to the Hotel without taking my feet off the ground, and describe the path the couple walked. Something similar had only happened to me years ago in Alentejo, where the bride and groom walked through the village from their house to the Church.

As you can see in the photos, the party took over. As soon as the couple arrived at the place where all their guests were waiting, anything previously planned was quickly forgotten because it was the flow of the guests that decided what to photograph, not because they asked, but simply because they made it happen. Just the way a wedding photographer likes it.

Seen in mirrors, the bride chats with a friend as they comb their hair at the hairdresser's.

Weddings in Sintra: A Charming Setting for Memorable Photographs

Among the blurs, the bride, in profile, being combed, seen in a mirror.

Sintra, with its natural beauty and historical heritage, is one of the most sought-after destinations by couples who want an unforgettable wedding. As a wedding photographer, I’ve had the privilege of capturing unique moments in this enchanting town, where every corner tells a story and offers a perfect setting for wedding photography.

The Church of Santa Maria: A Gothic Treasure for the Ceremony

The bride gives instructions to the hairdresser, with a circular mirror in her hands, for the placement of the tiara in her hair.

The Church of Santa Maria, located in the heart of Sintra, is one of the most iconic venues for wedding ceremonies. With its gothic architecture, Roman and Manueline elements, it provides a sacred and romantic atmosphere for exchanging vows.

  • Unique architectural beauty that enriches wedding photographs.
  • The central location facilitates access for the wedding couple and guests.

Photographing a ceremony in this church is always a rewarding experience, allowing me to capture the couple’s emotions and the unique atmosphere of the location.

From the Altar to the Streets of Sintra: An Authentic Photographic Journey

As she waits to stop dressing for the wedding, the bride in profile, seen through an opening, pensive.

After the ceremony, the couple’s walk through the streets of Sintra to the reception venue offers unique opportunities to capture spontaneous moments. On this journey, the couple interacts with the environment and passersby, resulting in wedding photographs full of life and authenticity.

  • Picturesque settings that enrich the wedding album.
  • Genuine moments between the bride, groom, and guests.

This kind of journey allows the wedding photographer to tell the story of the wedding day continuously and engagingly.

Café Paris: An Iconic Venue for the Celebration

The bride's shoes, cream-colored and beaded, on an antique chair.

Café Paris, located in the center of Sintra, is an emblematic venue for hosting a wedding reception. With its classic décor and cozy atmosphere, it provides an elegant backdrop for the interaction between the couple and their guests.

  • Sophisticated environment that enhances wedding photographs.
  • Proximity to tourist landmarks facilitates wedding day logistics.

Capturing the celebration in this space is always rewarding, as every detail contributes to creating unforgettable visual memories.

The Importance of Spontaneity in Wedding Photography

Three female friends, while waiting to help the bride get dressed for the wedding, talk and laugh.

During the wedding day, many spontaneous moments arise naturally, especially during the reception. Wedding guests interact, laugh, and celebrate, providing the wedding photographer with opportunities to capture authentic and emotional images.

  • Genuine expressions that reflect the joy of the moment.
  • Natural interactions between the bride, groom, and wedding guests.

These spontaneous photos complement the posed images, offering a complete and truthful portrait of the wedding day.

Sintra: A Versatile Setting for Different Wedding Styles

The bride, thoughtfully, waits for the moment to start dressing for the wedding.

The variety of venues in Sintra allows couples to choose locations that align with the style they want for their wedding. From rustic estates to historic palaces, the town offers options for every taste.

  • A variety of venues that suit different wedding themes.
  • Natural and architectural landscapes that enrich wedding photographs.
The groom helped by two friends to put on the cufflinks of his shirt.

As a wedding photographer, working in such diverse settings is inspiring, each one contributing to the uniqueness of the captured images. Wherever your wedding takes place, I’ll bring out what matters most. Book a meeting and I’ll be happy to welcome you.

Give me a Call
  • You can see a full wedding story:
Wedding
The groom's father, in front of him, tightens his tie.
Surrounded by his father and two friends, the groom adjusts his tie.
The groom's mother fastens the cufflinks of his shirt, with him in front of him and a few friends behind.
In a large mirror, the groom, already ready, fine-tunes details in the suit, together with his parents and friends.
Portrait of the groom smiling, in profile, inside orange colors.
The groom laughing, eyes closed and looking down, in a portrait by the wedding photographer.
In an elliptical mirror, the groom smiles, with two friends behind him, out of focus
The groom with a friend, playing with a dog, on the porch of his parents' house.
While waiting for the bride to start dressing for the wedding, a friend paints her lips, looking at herself in a small mirror that has a hand.
The bride hugs and kisses her mother in the kitchen, before starting to dress for the wedding.
Friends of the bride, with her mother, help her with the dress.
The mother of the bride, dressed in red and with a hat on her head, talks to her, after dressed for the wedding, next to two friends.
Standing next to her mother and two friends, the bride puts on an earring.
Bride's face with one hand touching an earring, with the mother, in profile, from the front and out of focus.
In a small mirror in front of her, the bride looks back, with her mother and a friend behind her.
The bride descends the stairs of her parents' house, on the way out to the church, where the wedding ceremony will take place.
The bride's father gives her the bouquet as she is about to leave for the wedding ceremony.
The groom enters the church with his mother, among the guests, on his way to the altar.
The bride is seen between the car doors, the bouquet in her hand in front of her chest, as she starts to leave for the church.
Arm in arm with her father, the bride enters the Church of Santa Maria in Sintra flanked by her guests.
Among the wedding guests at the Church of Santa Maria in Sintra, the mother of the bride composes the veil when the bride arrives with the groom at the altar.
The groom's grandmother, dressed in blue, among wedding guests at the Church of Santa Maria in Sintra.
The little boy, with a cell phone in his hand, looks on smiling, leaning against the back of the bench at the Church of Santa Maria in Sintra.
Interior of the Church of Santa Maria in Sintra, with a view of the altar and all the wedding gifts.
The bride and groom, standing and facing the altar, among all the wedding guests, in a part of the ceremony.
Side by side, the bride and groom look at each other smiling during the wedding ceremony.
Behind the mother of the bride and a little boy, out of focus, the groom's grandmother smiles happily at the wedding ceremony.
The bride's mother, dressed in red and with a hat on her head, is seated at the wedding ceremony, caresses a boy next to her.
The groom, in profile, during a wedding ceremony.
The bride, in profile, very attentive to the course of the wedding ceremony.
The bride in profile, next to the groom, listening to the priest in the homily.
The bride's father, in profile, next to his wife, the bride's mother, out of focus.
The mother of the bride with a boy beside her, who caresses her hair.
The groom, listening to the priest during the homily, at the wedding at the Church of Santa Maria in Sintra.
The bride and groom, side by side, in front of the priest, at the beginning of the wedding ring ceremony.
The groom, beside the bride, in the oath of marriage.
The boy with the rings hands them over to the priest to bless them.
The moment when the groom puts the ring on the bride's finger, in front of her, during the wedding ceremony.
After the wedding ceremony, the bride hugs her mother, inside the Church of Santa Maria in Sintra.
The bride and groom, holding hands, leave the Church of Santa Maria in Sintra, among guests who throw flower petals at them.
The groom among wedding guests, during greetings after leaving the church.
The bride, just before hugging a guest who congratulates her on the wedding.
In profile, the groom surrounded by wedding guests as they congratulate him on the wedding.
The groom with several wedding guests, laughing, as they leave the Church of Santa Maria in Sintra, where the wedding ceremony took place.
Next to some wedding guests, the groom observes something, in front of the Church of Santa Maria in Sintra, after the ceremony.
The groom is hugged by a female wedding guest, who congratulates him.
In the midst of some wedding guests, the bride chats with some on the way out of the wedding ceremony.
Face of the groom, half-hidden, as he hugs a wedding guest, who congratulates him on the wedding as he leaves the Church of Santa Maria in Sintra.
The bride and groom, after the wedding ceremony, walk down a street in Sintra when they go to Café Paris in Sintra, where the wedding party will take place.
On the street, in the middle of Sintra, a friend adjusts the bride's tiara as they head to the wedding party.
Next to a wall with an old gate in Sintra, the bride, with the bouquet in her hand, looks at the groom in front of her.
The couple, just married, at the door of a store in Sintra, looking at the things that are for sale.
Together with objects on display in front of a shop in Sintra, the bride and groom look at straw hats.
The newly married couple, sitting on the steps of a street in Sintra, among vases with flowers.
Together, the bride and groom descend a staircase on a street in Sintra, on their way to the wedding reception at Café Paris.
In a shopping street in old Sintra, the bride and groom stop to see the objects for sale in a shop.
The bride smiling, among the objects for sale in a shop on a street in the old part of Sintra.
The bride and groom walk down a street in Sintra, next to a large display of postcards about the town.
The bride begins to climb the stairs of Café Paris in Sintra, to join her guests.
Wedding guests, sitting on the terrace of Café Paris in Sintra, chatting during the conviviality before the meal.
Three wedding guests chatting during the get-together after the wedding ceremony.
Among other guests, a couple chats as if they are telling each other a secret.
A group of wedding guests in conversation, sitting among others in the Café Paris in Sintra.
A wedding guest caresses another during a socializing at Café Paris in Sintra.
Alongside other wedding guests, a lady laughs with them, on the esplanade of Café Paris in Sintra.
A boy talks to the bride, along with her mother and two other ladies.
The groom sitting in conversation with two wedding guests.
The groom, standing, talks to the bride, sitting on the stairs of Café Paris in Sintra, with the bouquet in hand before going up to the wedding dining room.
Among the guests in the dining room of Café Paris in Sintra, the bride and groom head to their table.
In the midst of applauding wedding guests, the groom walks from the table to the wedding meal.
Seen through the crystals of a chandelier, the bride, pensive with her face resting on her hand.
The groom, amid blurred decorative objects on the table, caresses a newly arrived ring on her finger, during the wedding party at Café Paris in Sintra.
The Moorish castle lit up at dawn, seen from the street in front of Café Paris in Sintra, where the wedding party takes place.
A halo of light coming from the Moorish castle in Sintra, during the dawn of the wedding party.
View of Café Paris in Sintra and its esplanade, in the early hours of the wedding party.
The mother of the bride, between two wedding guests with whom she is talking.
On the street in front of Café Paris in Sintra, the bride and groom dance, celebrating their wedding day.
Seen from behind, the bride and groom dance in front of the Sintra National Palace, during the wedding party.
The bride and groom sitting on the steps of the Sintra National Palace, in the fresh air of their wedding night.
Between the bride and groom, in front of Café Paris in Sintra, a wedding guest dances with them.
Under a large chandelier in the dining room of Café Paris in Sintra, the bride's mother speaks.
The groom's grandmother, dressed in blue, listens attentively to a speech, sitting at the wedding meal table.
Wedding guests at the table applaud a speech.
The bride's father speaks, beside the table where the bride and groom are.
Three wedding guests at the table at Café Paris in Sintra, smiling, listen to the bride's father's speech.
A wedding guest, reflected in a mirror, looks at someone giving a speech on their wedding night.
The groom's father speaks.
Behind lit decorative candles, the groom's hand makes a speech.
A wedding guest, at the table and with others, unfocused, attentive to what is said in a speech at the wedding at Café Paris in Sintra.
Among other blurred wedding guests, a couple laughs, looking at each other.
Behind unfocused lit candles, the groom speaks on the night of his wedding party.
Looking at the groom, the bride speaks during her wedding reception at Café Paris in Sintra.
During the wedding party at Café Paris in Sintra, the groom with his hands on his father-in-law's shoulders as they look at each other, smiling both.
The bride and groom cutting the wedding cake.
The bride and groom enjoying the wedding cake between guests at their wedding, on the terrace of Café Paris in Sintra.
The wedding cake looks like a floral arrangement as it is being cut to distribute among the guests.
At dawn, the groom talks to wedding guests, on the terrace of Café Paris in Sintra.
During a re-enactment of the wedding feast, the bride sits on the groom's lap as he offers her a red rose.
The bride and groom dance opening the dance floor of the wedding party at Café Paris in Sintra.
The bride and groom together during an opening dance at the wedding ball.

By Fernando Colaço

I am Fernando Colaço a wedding photographer based in Portugal. My approach to wedding photography is open and not intruder, leaving the event just to happen. We may call it photojournalism. But, it is better to let the photos talk. I am at your service.

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