We have to admit that as wedding planners based in Porto, we may not be completely unbiased when we say that Porto is one of the most wonderful locations in Europe to hold a destination wedding, but if we don’t stand up for Porto, then who will? So here are 5 great reasons that you should get married in Porto!

1. Cultural heritage – when you come to Porto you can feel the weight of history. It feels like there are so many stories to be told among the winding cobbled streets and ancient historic buildings. When you get married, you are building your own little piece of history and getting married in a city with so much heritage pays tribute to the monumental undertaking that a marriage involves. There is so much history in Porto connected to the Port wine trade as well as Porto’s ancient history as a worldwide trading hub and much of the architecture reflects a time when the city was incredibly wealthy. Thankfully as the city has grown, so much of this history has been preserved and there are a number of fabulous wedding venues that reflect some of this history as well as making it a wonderful city for your guests to visit.
2. Fabulous weather – Portugal as a whole is one of the countries in Europe with the most days of sunshine, so in wedding season (from April to October) you generally get wonderful warm weather, which means that the outside spaces at the wedding venue can form an important part of the wedding planning and of course a deep blue sky forms the perfect backdrop for your wedding photos!

3. Stunning venues – compared to some other popular destination wedding locations round Europe, there are not that many purpose build wedding venues (as Porto is still something of an undiscovered gem), but many of the existing and repurposed venues are quite something to behold. As well as a number of working vineyards which lend a bucolic atmosphere to any wedding, there are also a number of historic manor houses and palaces which can offer a wedding venue some genuine glamour.

4. Fair prices  – as Porto is still somewhat undiscovered as a destination wedding location, you will not feel that you are getting scalped with the pricing here, particularly in some of the less well-known venues where there are some amazing deals to be found. When you visit Porto as a tourist, you will often find that prices for meals and accommodation can be very reasonable and this carries over into wedding venues. Here at Porto Weddings we also work with vendors who offer fair value for money for the quality of service that they offer, so with the right guidance you will find that your Porto wedding can offer much better value compared to other comparable European wedding destination.

5. Easy to access – talking about access is hardly a glamorous thing to talk about when it comes to choosing your destination wedding venue, but these kind of practical points can make or break the experience that your guests will have. Porto airport has direct flights to 116 destinations (mainly within Europe of course, but increasingly further afield) and furthermore the airport is a 15 minute drive or 40 minute tram ride from central Porto. For weddings held outside of Porto somewhere else in northern Portugal, there is an excellent motorway network and venues along the Douro river can even be accessed by boat!

We know that choosing a location for your destination wedding is a very difficult one and Porto is perhaps less well-known than some other locations in Europe, but we like to think that Porto has an excellent case to make (we would say that wouldn’t we!) If you are looking for a wedding planner in Porto, please get in touch.