Alentejo Wedding Photographer: a matrimony in Avis

Among the cane fields, the bride puts her face to the groom's, laughing a lot, by the Évora wedding photographer.

AT HOME, AGAIN by PORTALEGRE WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

Among the cane fields, the bride puts her face to the groom's, laughing a lot, by the Évora wedding photographer.

The photos are from a wedding in Alentejo


• Pode ler este artigo em Português. 

Photographing a Wedding, Down South

The groom's shoes on a windowsill.

As an Alentejano, I wouldn’t be telling the truth if I said I didn’t feel like a fish in water when I go down there, to my south, to photograph a wedding. Although I’ve been an expatriate in Parede for most of my life, I can’t help but feel that special something when, past Setúbal, it truly begins to feel like the Alentejo.

This time, the destination was Avis. After a trip the day before, relying on a GPS that sent me down strange paths, almost heading back instead of arriving, we eventually made it to Avis late in the evening to rest and rise early for a hot day in the heart of the Alentejo. One of the things photographing weddings offers me is, between comings and goings, the delight of discovering unknown landscapes, broadening my knowledge of the country.

Trust in the Wedding Photographer

In profile, receiving the light from a window, the groom tightens his shirt collar.

That’s how it went at Inês and Raul’s wedding, which had its ceremony at the Church of Nossa Senhora da Orada, the parish church of Aviz. Each from their hometown, the celebration took place a few kilometres further up. Let’s just say I learned more about the land of dry grass, cork oaks and holm oaks, more or less flat, and with Alentejanos who, contrary to the jokes, are great fun, as was clear that day. I truly enjoyed it and thank them for trusting me to be their wedding photographer.

Wedding in Avis: Tradition, Emotion and Photography in the Heart of the Alentejo

Looking at the hand, the groom tightens the cufflinks of his shirt.

Photographing a wedding in the Alentejo is always a special experience. For me, as a wedding photographer and Alentejano by birth, every return to the south is a reunion with my roots, with the golden light of the plains and the authenticity of the people. Inês and Raul’s wedding, held in Avis, was one of those unique moments where tradition and emotion intertwined unforgettably.

The Ceremony: Church of Nossa Senhora da Orada, Parish Church of Avis

Seen through a mirror on a piece of furniture, the groom adjusts the length of his tie.

The wedding ceremony took place at the imposing Church of Nossa Senhora da Orada, also known as the Parish Church of Avis. This temple, built in the 15th century and later renovated, features a classical façade and two prominent towers. Inside, we can find a limestone image of the Virgin and beautiful tile panels, especially in the main chapel.

Choosing this location for the wedding ceremony could not have been more fitting. The solemn atmosphere and architectural beauty of the church provided the perfect setting for wedding photographs, capturing the emotion of the bride and groom, the wedding guests, and all the special moments of the wedding day.

  • Church of Nossa Senhora da Orada: a historical and spiritual setting for the ceremony
  • Gothic architecture and artistic elements that enrich the wedding photographs
  • Intimate and welcoming environment, ideal for capturing the emotion of the bride, groom, and wedding guests

The Celebration: Joy and Tradition in the Alentejo

The groom buttoning his coat.

After the ceremony, the wedding celebration took place a few kilometres from Avis, in a venue that reflected the essence of the Alentejo. The golden fields, the cork trees, and the serene landscape served as a backdrop for a celebration full of joy and tradition.

The wedding guests, coming from different regions, were welcomed with the characteristic hospitality of the Alentejanos. The music, dancing, and local cuisine created a festive atmosphere where each moment was an opportunity to capture smiles, hugs, and moments of pure happiness.

  • Celebration venue: rural and authentic environment, typical of the Alentejo
  • Lively gathering with traditional music and dance
  • Perfect setting for spontaneous and vibrant wedding photographs

The Importance of a Wedding Photographer Who Knows the Territory

On the street from her parents' house, the groom, hands in his pockets, in a portrait for the wedding photographer.

Being a wedding photographer in the Alentejo is more than only photographing; it’s about understanding the culture, the rhythms, and the nuances that make each celebration unique. At Inês and Raul’s wedding, the trust placed in me allowed me to be present for all the important moments, from the preparations to the final dance.

Knowing the region and its particularities is essential to anticipate situations, choose the best angles, and take advantage of the natural light that characterises the Alentejo. Each wedding photograph thus becomes an authentic and emotional testimony of the wedding day.

  • Knowledge of the region is an advantage for capturing unique moments
  • Importance of the trust between the couple and the wedding photographer
  • Capturing genuine emotions and meaningful details

Are you ready to immortalise your wedding day with authentic and emotional photographs? As a wedding photographer passionate about the Alentejo, I’m here to tell your story through images that reflect the beauty and emotion of your wedding.

Get in touch and let’s create unforgettable memories together. Give me a call, now.

Experience the full visual journey of a real wedding, in colour, at the Palácio Estoril Hotel, Portugal
Black and white portrait of the groom, when ready for the wedding.
Sitting on a chair, the bride next to the makeup artist who paints her lips.
With the wedding dress in the background, the bride being made up.
The bride's dress hung in a window with her shoes underneath.
The bride's bouquet inside a cardboard box.
The bride, before getting dressed for the wedding, in the midst of friends and family separating the bouquets of flowers, on a table.
An old photograph of the bride's grandmother when she was young, framed, on a marble top and along with other photographs and decorative objects.
The bride, by a window, looking down as two friends help her with her wedding dress.
The bride, hands on her hips, as two friends button her dress.
In a mirror, the bride being helped with her dress.
The bride's mother talking to her and smiling.
The mother of the bride and two friends behind her adjusting the dress.
The bride, standing, in front of friends who help her put on the dress.
The bride, laughing, as they put earrings in her ears.
The bride's mother's hands next to her face as she finishes putting the earring in her ear.
In front of girl friends who hold the tail of her dress, the bride, with the bouquet in her hand, hugs a boy.
The bride chats with a boy, among other wedding guests, before leaving for the wedding ceremony.
In the middle of the trees in the backyard of the parents' house, the bride smiles in a portrait by the wedding photographer.
In the garden of her parents' house, the bride, branch in hand, talking to wedding guests.
The bride's bouquet in her hand.
Celebrating and by her father's hand, the bride prepares to get into the car to go to the wedding ceremony.
The bride inside the car with the reflection of her parents in the window glass.
In the church square, the bride's father and two friends adjust the train of her dress, along with the boys with the rings and their parents.
The bride and her father, along with two children, walk through the church to the altar for the wedding ceremony.
The bride and father arrive with the groom, in front of the other guests, to begin the wedding ceremony.
A boy talking to the priest who will preside over the wedding ceremony.
Interior of the Church of Nossa Senhora da Orada, parish of Avis, with the bride and groom in the background, next to the altar, and the guests.
Sitting by the altar of the Church of Nossa Senhora da Orada, parish of Avis, the bride and groom smile while talking.
With two candles in front of them, the bride and groom look at each other during their wedding ceremony.
The bride and groom, seated in front of their guests, listen to the priest, next to him, in his homily on the wedding ceremony.
Sitting, the bride and groom talk, smiling at each other with the guests in the background.
A boy, sitting on his grandfather's lap, bites his nails.
Amid blurs of decorative church elements, the bride looks at her branch during the wedding ceremony.
The groom listens attentively to the priest, surrounded by objects from the church, out of focus.
The bride and groom, in front of the priest, read the oaths of the wedding ceremony.
The boys, with the bride, to give her the wedding rings.
A girl, in profile, with a bunch of flowers in her hand, in the church during the wedding ceremony.
The bride's hand receives the ring from the groom's hand.
After being married, in front of the priest, the bride and groom smile at each other.
A boy looking bored during the wedding ceremony while, on the left, a girl offers a bunch of flowers to a boy.
The bride and groom and groomsmen around the table, with the priest, for the wedding signatures.
Together with the priest, the groom signs the official marriage book.
Amid balloons in the air, the bride and groom leave the church Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Orada, parish of Avis, when the wedding ceremony is over.
The Church of Nossa Senhora da Orada, Avis, with all the participants of the wedding in front.
On leaving the church, after the wedding ceremony, the groom embraces a guest, who congratulates him.
Among wedding guests, the bride smiles, receiving greetings.
The bride gets into the car, along with the groom, to leave for the wedding party.
Entering the car door, the bride smiles, already seated.
The bride and groom enter the wedding dining room.
Three girls hold the train of the bride's dress as she waits in a room.
The bride chats with two guests when she gives her gifts during the wedding reception.
With a hand on the shoulder of a friend, a wedding guest, the groom talks to him as she hands him a gift.
The bride and groom laugh a lot when they open the dance of the wedding party.
The bride and groom dance at the opening of the wedding party ball.
Among wedding guests, the bride and groom open the ball.
On a path in the middle of the field, the bride and groom walk hand in hand.
By the bushes that flank the path, the bride and groom, together, look into the distance.
The newly married couple, embraced, in the middle of the grass of the field, next to a forest in the session with the wedding photographer.
Halfway across the field, the bride leaning against the groom, with one hand in her pocket and the other given to the bride.
The groom laughing, in a black and white portrait, during the session with the wedding photographer.
In soft pastel tones the bride is portrayed by the wedding photographer.
On a dirt path, in front of the plants of the field at the end of summer, the bride, standing, smiles.
On the way to the countryside, the bride and groom embrace, together with children who, on bicycles, pass them by.
Hand in hand, the newlywed couple walks down the country road, in the session with the wedding photographer.
As in an old movie, the bride and groom smile by a fence in the countryside.
Wedding guests dancing.
The groom, at a table, talks to a wedding guest during the party.
The bride dances with the groom and other wedding guests from behind.
Three little girls are staring at something happening in front of them at the wedding reception.
The bride, blindfolded, cuts the ribbons that will lead her to the maiden to whom she will deliver the bouquet.
In front of the wedding cake, the bride and groom taste a slice.
Wedding guests encourage the bride and groom at the time of cutting the cake.

By Fernando Colaço

Fernando Colaço, wedding photographer in Portugal. Natural, discreet and documentary. The photos will tell the story.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *