Poppy’s TOP TIPS:

Choosing a venue…  Take your time, don’t rush. Wedding planners and venues will pressure you into putting a deposit down fast but make sure this is the right choice for you and your partner- Its one of the biggest decisions to make. When we were looking at luxury wedding venues in the Algarve, I knew that I wanted something different and with good food. I wanted a sea view however all of the wedding venues in the Algarve, just didn’t fit what I had visioned. My planner then recommended Casa do lago and it was perfect. It still had a beach wedding feel but with full privacy for me and my guests.

Keeping to a budget… This is the most difficult! We went over our budget. As much as I tried not too it couldn’t be helped. Make sure you know exactly what you are paying with your venue before you commit – Excel spreadsheets are amazing to log everything as see where you are with things.

 What you would do differently? I would enjoy the planning more. I am such an indecisive person which made everything a lot harder. I tried on about 50 dresses in around 15-20 shops.. yes that indecisive!! You only get to do it once so enjoy every second. It’s such a special time for you and those closest to you.

Where and how did you find your wedding dress?
So, the dress…. I bought a dress very soon after we put our deposit down on the venue. My dad drove me 4 hours to pick it up and after about 3 /4 weeks I decided I didn’t like it anymore and found another one I fell in LOVE with. Of course, I couldn’t tell my dad. I then found the perfect dress… it was everything I didn’t want when I was first looking but its true what they say… you always go for something you didn’t expect yourself to go for. The dress I ended up with was lace, backless and the longest train I’ve ever seen which seemed like a good idea at the time. Yes it was annoying throughout the day but the photos made it all worth it! It was the perfect dress for my Casa Do Lago wedding.

Did you wear any accessories / jewellery that had sentimental meaning for you?
I wore a small photo frame charm around my bouquet of my auntie who has sadly passed away on a it, attached to this was her engagement ring which had a blue stone in it (This is what I used as my ‘something blue’) – It was given to me by two of my bridesmaids which gave everyone a little tear on the wedding morning it was such a lovely thoughtful idea.

What did your groom wear? Did you know what he was wearing or was it a surprise?
My husband wore a black Tux. When we said we were going to get married that’s all he could picture himself in, I’m not sure if he pictured himself in a black tux in 30 degree heat in Portugal but it happened and they looked amazing! Luckily the breeze was on our side that day! We went through so many cream, beige, grey suits and he just couldn’t get the Tux out of his mind so that is what we chose. I personally also think that black tux wedding suits are the nicest.

Tell us about your bridesmaids’ outfits – how did they fit with the theme?
They were bespoke dresses by an online fashion brand called ‘hauseofJB’ – I designed them with help from the girls there, and they were perfect. They were stone coloured silk touch fabric with a low back and front and a train to tie in with mine. Perfect for a summer destination wedding in the heat.

How many were there and what was the age range?
I had 9 bridesmaids ageing from 26-36 – They all looked absolutely stunning.

RECEPTION /FOOD /DRINK
Did you serve canapes during the drinks reception?
We had a hour of canapes, wines and beers. We chose chicken teriyaki skewers and fish tacos which were amazing!

What style of catering did you have? 
We always said we would have a relaxed BBQ style dinner but our venue didn’t offer that option so we had a formal sit down meal where I had two separate options – Steak, veg and colcannon or sea bass, veg and new potatoes. The food was amazing and fresh all the guests were so impressed and I couldn’t fault it.

Did you have wedding favours?
My wedding favours were small atomizer bottles for the ladies filled with my wedding scent and the men all had scratch cards. I sneakily put a pretend winner in there to see if the pretend winner would own up ha!

Was there an overriding theme for the day?
White, Gold, Sparkle and a touch of blush pink. I wanted everything to look crisp, glamorous and elegant.

How did you choose your florist and what style look were you going for?
Our planner gave us a few to chose from. We met up with two of our favourites to go through some of our ideas and one lady stood out the most – She understood my visions and seemed just as excited with me about them. We went for tall glass cylinders with roses and orchids cascading down, we had matching across the top of the ceremony structure.

How did you choose your stationery style?
All my wedding stationary had a monogram which was used throughout the wedding – On the Food menus, Cake, a light up monogram, on our personalised fans and name cards. I wanted everything to tie in together.

Tell us about your cake – did you buy it, make it? What were the flavours and toppings?
My cake was Four tier – Victoria sponge on the biggest layer, chocolate velvet, lemon and white chocolate and raspberry. The cake was topped with real flowers and had gold piping around the edges of each later. The bottom layer had hand made flowers made out of icing – The cake was amazing. We visited Portugal just for cake tasting… any excuse ha ha.

This spectacular wedding was a dream to photograph.  Down to every single detail, Poppy and Liam left no stone unturned when it came to planning their Casa Do Lago wedding. Poppy communicated with me throughout the whole process, much like I ask of all of my Brides. Being a luxury wedding photographer means that I get to trave often and work with a huge variety of couples and venues. Often I may have never worked at that venue before but that’s ok! I ensure I have done enough research before arriving that it really doesn’t matter.  By communicating with you as much as possible before your day, This really does help ensure I capture and represent your day in a way that’s true to you and true to your day.
If you have any other questions about Poppy and Liams spectacular destination wedding in the Algarve, Portugal, please let me know and i’d love to try and help!