There are some fantastic wedding venue options in or near Porto, but there are also some locations within an hour or so of Porto which you might also want to consider. Outside of Porto you will find more competitive prices, particularly in the more rural locations, but there are also some nearby cities which can make a great case for a wedding location. Here are a three options you might want to consider, all of which are easily accessible from Porto and all of which have their own unique attractions as well as generally offering more competitive pricing than is available for comparable wedding venues in Porto.
Guimarães
Known as the birth place of Portugal (from where it was ruled from a still existing castle several centuries ago, Guimarães is blessed with a historic charm and has some very atmospheric venues for weddings as well as plenty of accommodation options. You reach it by train from Porto in just over an hour or it is around 40 minutes drive from Porto airport. In very rough numbers, you will pay around 20% less for a venue in Guimarães compared to a similar wedding venue in Porto and generally availability is better also. Given that it is so easily accessible from Porto airport, it can really be a compelling option for a wedding location.
Amarante
Not too far from Guimarães and directly inland from Porto is another historic and beautiful city, Amarante. The centre clings the banks of the Tâmega river and it is a delightful spot to stroll around, particularly given that it is a relatively small city, which lends it an intimate feel to it. There are some manor houses and Vinho Verde vineyards in and around Amarante which make great wedding venues and the Douro river is also nearby.
Aveiro
One hour down the coast (by car or train) form Porto is the city of Aveiro. Famous for its canals with its brightly colour boats and a very charming cobbled city centre, Aveiro is a laid-back city, not far from the beach, with a handful of attractive wedding venues in and around the city itself. Wedding venue prices can be significantly lower than Porto and whilst the city does not have the history of Guimarâes it really has a friendly vibe and a unique eccentric feel to it.
Although we are called ‘Porto Weddings’ we find that a lot of our clients are interested in northern Portugal in general and many are not familiar enough with the area to really understand what their options are. The way we like to work with new clients is to get a really good feel for the kind of wedding they are looking for and then offer a few different options for locations that they may not have previously considered. We like to think that nobody knows northern Portugal like we do when it comes to wedding planning, so we are uniquely positioned to give you the best possible advice! Furthermore, because we specialize in destination weddings, it means that we really understand our clients’ requirements in terms of accommodation, logistics and activities for guests outside of the wedding itself, which can have a really important bearing on the best location for the wedding to be held.
So if you are interested in getting married in northern Portugal, but are scratching your head to find the best option, then please get in touch and tell us about how you picture your dream wedding and we can almost certainly pull something out of our hat for you!
