Casamento descontraído na Aldeia da Pedralva: Angela + Laurentiu

Fechamos a semana com dias de verão: é o casamento descontraído na Aldeia da Pedralva, da Angela + Laurentiu.

Esta foi uma festaça, acreditem! Um dos meus luxos de editora é poder navegar pelas galerias completas e viver a festa como se fosse uma das convidadas. E este foi um casamento muito especial, cheio de gente feliz, descontraída, muito bem vestida e cool, miudagem feliz e à solta, e um sentido de estilo absoluto!

A pista de dança foi o ponto alto da festa, e a animação esteve a cargoa da Rituais. O estacionário e detalhes bonitos, é da In Love Unique Weddings, e o registo fotográfico, electrizante e peculiar como sempre, é da conta da dupla Menino conhece Menina, em grande forma.

 

Bom fim-de-semana!

 

 

 

 

 

When the answer was “yes!”, how did you imagine your day?

Well, assuming that there was a yes, is a bit of a jump! It would mean a question was asked…

When Laurentiu popped the ring, there were some very sweet and incoherent sentences in the mumbling that was going on, but definitely not a question, at least that we can remember. Not that is was needed, thought. It was clear we were the one for each other.

We started planning our day on that same evening, in Lanzarote, walking back to our rented flat. It was clear what we wanted: spend a good time with all our best friends and family without the hush rush that usually comes with wedding days.

 

 

 

 

Did you feel prepared or was it a nerve-racking path?

Can’t say we were prepared, as being married had never been on our life plans, so we had no preconceived ideas to go with.

However, by end of day one, we already had the “masterplan” in our heads. We knew what we wanted, and, most importantly, what we did not want. From that moment on, everything went as planned, even though we felt running a little out of time, when two weeks left for the big day we were still looking for some parts of the outfits we had in mind for the day. No stress.

 

 

 

 

 

At what point in the wedding planning did you feel, “this is for real”?

Never. Even today, 6 months later, it still feels like: Is this for real? Are we really husband and wife? Oh yes!

 

Is the result true to the initial ideas or is it very different? Did you have any help?

100% as we wanted it to be: simple, fun and relaxed. No great conventions or protocol, just us with family and friends. Enjoying a fantastic weekend in the Algarve countryside, not too far from the coast, so we could go for a swim in the ocean.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What was fundamental to you? And unimportant?

Fundamental: we wanted to keep it simple and spend time with our family and friends. We wanted everyone to feel comfortable and at home. If they wanted to be on flip flops, be it; if they wanted to be on tuxedo and fancy gown, be it as well. We wanted everyone to be as they felt like, to fully enjoy their time off with us.

Unimportant: the formality and etiquette.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What was easier? And what was more difficult?

Easy: choosing the location. The day after the ring showed up, we had already decided to marry in Portugal in Pedralva. We found it by pure chance while browsing the internet. It was perfect. Unpretentious, with its rustic stone white walls and beautiful little cottages. We loved it. It was just us. A village where we were the locals, and where we could have everyone together, while still enjoying some privacy, with no TV, no internet and poor mobile reception. A place to “be in” and relax. Luckily, the weekend of September 23rd was the last one available, perfect. Booked!!!

Living abroad meant that we couldn’t do a lot ourselves, so we had wedding planners with whom was not always easy to get our message across: a simple wedding. But by far, the biggest challenge was to go through all the bureaucracy. For us to get all necessary papers to have a civil wedding was a huge task. After long queues on embassies and notaries, translations and flights to Portugal, we succeed. We got our moment of joy and celebration when we finally got the right papers in our hands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What was the sentimental peak of your day?

We had our song playing out a few times over the day: “I Follow River” by Triggerfinger, but it was only when the party was in full swing and the song came on again, that it hit me. For Laurentiu, when he saw me coming out of our little cottage holding hands with my father, at the sound of our song.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And the peak of fun?

We had attempted to rehearse a few months before the wedding an electric swing dance, very unsuccessfully. So the time we wanted to show some skills, we totally forgot the steps and quickly had to improvise. I must say, we did it quite well and almost could be mistaken for professional dancers!

Or, if you prefer, the moment at the end of the ceremony, when we realized I had forgotten the bouquet in our cottage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A special detail …

Everyone wrote us a letter that was posted to us at the end of the party, and, as we speak, we still receive postcards from our family and friends.

 

Now that it has happened, would you change anything?

On our way back home, impossible to avoid the thoughts: would have been better if we had done this, or that, but you know what? It was beautifully chaotic and genuinely full of laughs. Looking back, it could have not been better.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some words of advice for upcoming brides …

Plan the day for yourselves and not for what you believe others would want or expect. This is not easy, and we almost fell on that trap as well. At the end, we had to stop and think: it’s our day and we should enjoy it the most.

So be yourselves, all way through. Own your party, and have it as you dream it!

 

 

 

 

Os fornecedores envolvidos:

 

convites e materiais gráficos: In Love Unique Weddings;

espaço e catering: Aldeia da Pedralva;

cabelo e makeup: Jordana & Dorota;

boquet de noiva e decoração: Teresa Beja, Aldeia da Pedralva;

fotografia: Menino conhece Menina;

luzes e DJ: Rituais Eventos.