“The theme of greenery and delicate florals fit perfectly. We wanted to create a romantic and pretty look for the ceremony as that was ‘our special part’.”
Your Names: Chloé and Josh
Length of engagement: 18 months
Wedding Date: 2019-07-30
Wedding location: The Algarve, Portugal – Lady of the Rock / Monte das Oliveiras
Photographer/Videographer: Visual Stories (João)
Planner: Algarve Weddings by Rebecca
How did you meet and get engaged?
Josh and I met when we were only 16. We shared a friendship group and were friends for years before finally getting together. We moved to the Middle East to work for 3 years which brought so close together as we had to rely on each other for everything. During a holiday to Sri Lanka, Josh popped the question on the beach at sunset. It was the most perfect surprise; think Josh surprised himself at how romantic he could be! We planned our wedding in time for moving back home to the UK as we missed “home”. Our wedding was a celebration of homecoming as well as getting married. The most perfect 5 days!
Describe your wedding:
We always thought we would be married in the UK but when it came down to deciding we thought a destination wedding suited us better and told our story best. It made sense as we’d spent 3 years living abroad and we needed the sunshine! I think by fate we fell upon the Algarve and Weddings by Rebecca. The blue sea, the sun and the green outdoor settings were exactly what we envisaged for our day. We initially had the wedding set in one garden location but then changed it 6 months into planning for the Lady of the Rock as it just felt more “us” for our ceremony. The cliff out into the sea was that “wow” view we dreamt of. The theme of greenery and delicate florals fit perfectly. We wanted to create a romantic and pretty look for the ceremony as that was ‘our special part’. When I saw the floral arch and the aisle I just cried! For the reception we moved to Monte das Oliveiras which was just stunning. The lighting, the decor, the flowers – the whole setting was just perfect.
Tell us about your bridal look:
I always knew the style of dress I wanted but the task for finding that dress is so hard for any bride. After months of searching I fell upon the most lovely wedding dress shop in Warrington. They stocked the designer I had hunted for and brought in the 2 designs I loved from Barcelona. My dress was the first one I tried on. It was just the one! My mum cried so we knew it was. My dress was very delicate so my hair needed to match that. I went for a loose curl, pinned half up-half down. I did my own makeup, very natural with a dark eye.
What did your bridesmaids wear?
My beautiful bridesmaids had their dresses made from a dress maker I found on Instagram. The dress maker searched high and low for the perfect sage green fabric and finally found the perfect shade to match our theme. Their dresses were fitted with a fishtail and scoop back. They both looked stunning.
What was your ceremony like?
Our ceremony was perfect in every way. My mum walked me down the aisle to a special Whitney song played live on saxophone – there wasn’t a dry eye! I cried the whole way down the aisle, Josh was at the other end crying too. We wrote our own vows which made it so personal, we had 2 lovely readings from family members and we included the hand binding too.
Tell us about your wedding venue:
Monte das Oliveiras was just amazing. The setting was stunning and the staff couldn’t do enough for us. We decided on an Al Fresco bbq on the lawn, relaxed and calm; the food was amazing (our guests still talk about how good it was!) We had a wooden structure for the head table, decorated with hanging lights and beautiful white flowers. We also had string lights right across the table area. Rebecca and Clementine from WBR made our vision become real and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts.
What is your favourite memory from your wedding day?
Our whole day was just perfect! One of our favourite moments, apart from seeing each other at the end of aisle, would have to be dancing under the stars to our favourite song “From Now On” which is all about coming home. Our band had all our guests lie down on the grass, staring up at the stars and singing along. We’ll never forget it.
Have you got any advice for other couples?
Enjoy every moment because it’s gone in the blink of an eye, and make sure it is exactly what you want as it’s your day.
Suppliers
Wedding venue: Lady of the Rock / Monte das Oliveiras | Planner/coordinator: Algarve Weddings by Rebecca | Musician: The Originals Algarve / Mr Sax (Carlos) | DJ: DJ Solutions Algarve | Hair: Myah Isabel | Makeup: Bride | Dress: Pronovias Atelier | Suit: Navy blue 3 piece suit with a white shirt | Bridesmaids dresses: Sage green fishtail (custom made) | Groomsmen outfits: TM Lewin | Caterer: Monte das Oliveiras | Cake: SM wedding cakes | Celebrant: Pastor John | Stationery: VistaPrint / Handmade | Jewellery: Custom made | Flowers: Ely Flores
