Alex’s family is from Portugal and she spent her summers there growing up. Even though we haven’t been there together, we love to travel and knew we needed to have a destination wedding. Lisbon offered all the European charm and history that we wanted, allows us some comfort when working with vendors and also is a major transport hub (direct flights from NYC daily). What’s not to love?
Neither does Enrico! Lisbon is a cosmopolitan city that receives over a million foreign tourists a year. You should be just fine without being fluent but just like anywhere else, it’s always good to know a few travel phrases.
U.S. citizens may enter Portugal for up to 90 days for tourism or business without a visa. Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond the period of stay.
Humberto Delgado Airport (airport code: LIS) is Lisbon’s international airport and located about 10km from downtown Lisbon. It’s the largest airport in Portugal and one of the busiest in Europe, so lots of options for those traveling in. Flight
Our wedding is late Saturday afternoon and we will be having a welcome event on Friday evening which is optional but who can pass up a sunset cruise? Arrival and departure dates are up to you but we suggest arriving by Thursday so you have some time to shake off the jet lag and check out the sights!
We’ve arranged for hotel blocks which provide a discounted rate for stay - that information can be found in the travel and accommodation section of this site. But if those don’t appeal to you - you are welcome to book any alternate hotel or airbnb. Full transparency: we are staying at an airbnb in the Chiado region ourselves.
Both the ceremony and reception will be held at Palace Fronteira. Fronteira palace is holds the largest collection of seventeenth-century “azulejos” (Portuguese tiles). It was built around 1670 and was used as a second residence and hunting lodge by the Mascarenhas family before the Lisbon earthquake. The family moved to Benfica in 1755, after their main downtown residence was destroyed in the disaster. The Fronteira palace is still inhabited by the descendants of Dom João de Mascarenhas.
We will be hosting a welcome sunset sail event the night before the wedding. More details can be found on the events page. Otherwise, you have the time to yourself!
Given it’s a small wedding, we ask that unless your date or +1 was specifically invited that you refrain from bringing along someone else to the wedding and event. We appreciate your understanding.
Whilst our welcome event is casual, the wedding is black tie optional. That means you can go as formal as you want (gowns and tuxedo) or with a cocktail dress and suit. Whatever you feel most comfortable in!
Attendees should arrive between 4:30 and 4:45p. The ceremony will start at 5pm promptly.
Absolutely. Catering offers vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options so please make that note when rsvping!
No, we are grateful that we have everything we need and have decided not to register.