Here at Porto Weddings, we only run destination weddings, so pretty much all of our guests and couples are coming from abroad. As a result, in the vast majority of weddings that we plan, we will also include activities that extend beyond the wedding itself – typically this will include organising accommodation for guests, a fun activity on the day before the wedding and then a casual event the day after the wedding. Here we will look at some examples of what this might look like for your wedding.
The first thing to say is that we are a bit spoilt for choice, because northern Portugal is such a wonderful place to go on holiday, so generally it is very easy to keep your guests happy! Looking first at where your guests may stay, many of the venues that we use will not have sufficient accommodation for all the guests or there may be an issue with the cost of accommodation if the venue is a fancy hotel. Regardless, generally it is a good idea to try and have all your guests stay in the same hotel, both because of the easier logistics involved with ferrying them around, but also because it helps to create a good atmosphere between them all. Whether your wedding is held in Porto itself or somewhere else in northern Portugal, there is almost always a good selection of hotels to choose from, because the tourism infrastructure is so good. So, the best thing to do is when you are choosing your venue, to keep the nearby accommodation options in mind and we will help you select a venue that will make accommodating your guests as convenient as possible. If your guests are not staying at the venue, we can organise transportation to and from the venue, typically running buses at different times of the night.
On the day before the wedding, you can either opt for an activity where you take your guests off to do a fun activity or do something relaxes in situ. We find that for smaller weddings, it can work really well to do something like wine tasting, boat trip or a touristic visit, but for larger groups we suggest for example a pool party with barbeque. In and around Porto there are so many things to do, depending on what you are looking for, so if you have something particular in mind, just let us know!
It can be rather difficult to herd together a larger group to all go out en masse for a wine tasting at a nearby vineyard, whereas having a relaxing lunch or dinner barbeque allows people to come and go in their own time. We have a fantastic team of caterers who can lay on a really high-end barbeque (no burnt sausages and half-cooked chicken here!), which really helps set an informal atmosphere and with some live music and a pool it can be a great contrast to the more formal setting of the wedding itself. Having said that, it is really up to you – whatever your vision is for the pre-wedding activities, we will try and make it happen.
The day after the wedding, we have found that an outdoor brunch is really the go-to solution. It will give your guests a super-relaxed environment to compare notes on the previous day and one last opportunity to lap up the beautiful Portuguese sun (it does shine on most of our weddings!). Again, our catering team know how to put on a truly memorable brunch, with local specialities and freshly cooked options.
Most of our couples choose to come to Porto for their wedding in part because they want to tap into the relaxed local culture and give their guests a holiday to remember as well as attending the wedding itself. Our job as your wedding planner is bring you the very best of Porto and we will guide you to the very best venues, accommodation and activities!
