Penha Longa Wedding in Portugal - Ellen & Jacob

Wedding
Written by Ramses Garcia
Ellen and Jacob standing together in front of blue azulejo tile panels at Penha Longa in Sintra, Portugal

Ellen & Jacob's Penha Longa Wedding in Portugal

The Ritz-Carlton, Penha Longa Resort, Sintra

Ellen and Jacob got married at Penha Longa Resort, The Ritz-Carlton, Penha Longa, in the hills of Sintra, a short drive from Lisbon. Their Penha Longa wedding gave me a lot to work with in one place: pink buildings, gardens, open lawn, old stone halls and walls covered in blue tile.

The day began with the getting-ready details: the rings and a watch laid out on a table with books about Portugal, Ellen in her beaded gown and long veil by the window, and Jacob on a balcony with the green hills behind him. The soft window light worked well for her portraits.

The ceremony took place in an ornate hall with a carved dark altar covered in white flowers, with guests seated on both sides of the aisle. After the ceremony we spent time outside. The lawn, with the hills of Sintra behind it, gave us room for wide shots with the veil, and the garden paths and stone steps worked well for closer portraits.

My favorite portraits were made at the azulejo walls, the traditional Portuguese blue tile, and in the tiled hallways inside, where the light comes through the windows in patches. Dinner and the reception were in a room of white vaulted stone arches, with toasts and plenty of dancing.

If you're looking for a Penha Longa wedding photographer, or a Portugal destination wedding photographer who can cover a wedding in Sintra or Lisbon, here's my advice. Leave time in your timeline for the azulejo walls and the gardens, and plan a few extra minutes to move between locations so the portraits don't feel rushed.

Photography: Ramses Garcia Photo (@ramses__g)

Assistance and behind the scenes: Leiton & Co (@leitonandco)

Venue: Penha Longa Resort (@penhalongaresort) and The Ritz-Carlton (@ritzcarlton)

Wedding rings, a gold watch and a Portugal Encantado book laid out on a tableBlack and white side profile of Ellen at a window in her long veil, eyes lowered and one hand resting on her armBlack and white portrait of Ellen holding her veil open over her beaded wedding dressJacob in a tuxedo with a white boutonniere leaning on a balcony railing with green hills behind himJacob in his tuxedo with a white boutonniere being pinned to his lapel, with a pink wall behind himEllen holding a bouquet of white roses in front of her beaded wedding dressEllen smiling in her veil and pearl necklace beside a windowEllen in her veil and beaded dress beside Jacob on a garden path with pink buildings behind themEllen's veil trailing on the green lawn with Jacob standing in the distance and hills behindBlack and white photo of Ellen and Jacob pressing their foreheads together on the lawnEllen and Jacob embracing on the lawn with green hills behind themBlack and white wide shot of Ellen and Jacob standing on the lawn with a hillside behind themEllen and Jacob with the wedding party lined up on the lawnEllen and Jacob at a carved dark altar framed by white flowers, with guests seated in the ornate hallGuests in colorful dresses and dark suits seated in the hall watching the ceremonyBlack and white photo of Ellen and Jacob walking up the aisle between guestsEllen holding a white bouquet beside Jacob in a hallway with blue tile along the wallBlack and white motion-blur photo of Ellen in her veil looking back over her shoulder as Jacob walks ahead of her down a tiled hallwayEllen in her veil looking over her shoulder next to Jacob in soft window lightJacob sitting on a chair with Ellen standing beside him in front of a blue azulejo tile wallReception room with white vaulted stone arches and round tables set for dinnerReception table with white flowers, a table number and place settingsEllen dancing with Jacob among cheering guests under the arches at the receptionBlack and white photo of Ellen leading Jacob by the hand across the reception floorBlack and white photo of a guest in a tuxedo giving a toast with a microphoneEllen and Jacob walking along a stone path in front of a pink buildingEllen and Jacob standing side by side on a garden pathEllen and Jacob embracing on garden stairs surrounded by blue and purple flowersEllen and Jacob walking hand in hand on a cobblestone path past curved yellow walls, Ellen looking back over her shoulder in her open-back gownJacob holding the train of Ellen's dress as they walk down stone steps

Planning a destination wedding in Portugal? See my wedding photography page, and have a look at Krystine & Douglas's Medellín, Colombia wedding.

I'm a destination wedding photographer based in Miami. If you want photos like these, let's talk about your wedding.

Ramses Garcia https://www.ramsesgarciaphoto.com
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