Small Intimate Wedding Abroad, a wedding with the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop or surrounded by nature in an exclusive garden just for you. Can you imagine your wedding day here? Madeira Island can present you with many exotic, beautiful venues and a few reasons to choose the island.
This is an exquisite clifftop spot where your dreams are painted in sea blue and you can feel the ocean breeze. All your guests will be dazzled by the stunning landscape of Madeira.
In this safe haven, you can host your wedding ceremony and reception; and enjoy the little treats allowed by the emotion that precedes this moment.
Elopements or small intimate weddings are filled with intense feelings. It will deeply touch everyone’s heart for its exclusivity. Shared with your soulmate or just a select few, it will always be your dream big day.
Our team will be dedicated from day one to making your wedding a unique and memorable day. We will be happy to meet your needs, providing every detail to make your wedding ceremony a unique and memorable day – your perfect dream day.
Intimate Wedding on Madeira Island
It’s the perfect place to welcome your guests for a beachside wedding.
If you are only dreaming of a small, intimate or even informal ceremony, this is also an option. Madeira Island offers many choices for those who want a ceremony overlooking the sea.
You and your guests will discover all the hidden beauties of Madeira Island, its first-class gastronomy, its architecture, attentive service, unique setting and environment, and beautiful panorama, all this makes this Island the perfect place to host your wedding.
Madeira has many wedding venues that offer great hospitality and of course incredible cuisine. There is also the landscape, nature and beauty to make everything magical.
Small Intimate Wedding Abroad? 10 Reasons to Choose Madeira Island:
The advantages of having a small intimate wedding abroad on Madeira Island are the following:
1 – It’s all about you
The trend that more and more couples prefer when it comes to celebrating. Because a simpler wedding is often reflected in more love, more affection and more fun, come and discover what can make this day even more special!
Light, authentic and genuine… are these the words that should guide you? The motivation to celebrate more simply and consciously can come from many sources. From wanting to organize something unique and memorable, with only the essentials, the latest rules related to weddings, which although restrictive, allow us to adapt and celebrate during a pandemic, or the authenticity that so fascinates us, the break with traditional patterns and representative values of marriage.
2 – The option of having a less traditional wedding
Marriage is still “simple” because we don’t make the right choices. But without a doubt, these help in the process! At the wedding reception, forget the old menus that promise fusion dishes and five-story wedding cakes. Consult family businesses, and local producers, but above all, choose with conscience, not only in terms of time, and seasonality but sustainability.
Think of a city as a stage, in all the possibilities offered by historic buildings, staircases and palaces! Or imagine a beach bar that tells your story! They do not need a single location for solemn events. Even because a simple wedding is directly connoted with a civil ceremony. Where would you like to be right now? Perhaps this is the best answer.
3 – A celebration of what you love
After the wedding proposal, one of the first steps to take before starting the preparations is to define the style of your wedding. The choice of space, decorative elements, floral decoration and even the bride and groom’s look greatly define the style of a wedding. The task is not simple, especially given the range of options and ideas available, which is why it is not always easy to choose your ideal style.
Make a list of all the tastes you have in common and see how you can fit them into your wedding day. If you both like the beach, you can consider getting married on a beach, for example. Here you can also think about what is different about them. If one wants to marry by civil and the other by the church, it is important to talk to reach a conclusion that is valid for both parties. When defining the type of wedding you want, never forget the colours you like, the moments you want to live and the places that inspire you the most.
4 – Stunning scenery
If you are a sun and sea lover, there is no beach destination that escapes your itinerary. Get lost on these beaches and enjoy the many paradises that Madeira Island has to offer!
5 – Huge variety of locations and settings
Porto Santo, Madeira
The smallest island in the archipelago of Madeira – the pearl of the Atlantic – is one of the national alternatives for couples who cannot do without the sea. Located just 500 km from the African coast, it uses the warm climate to attract more and more travellers, amazed by its biodiversity and natural landscape. But don’t just get carried away by the landscape in this paradise… the hospitality and friendliness of the population, the mild climate throughout the year, the gastronomy and the variety of natural, historical and cultural resources will enrich your visit and give you a program very diverse to fill your days.
Funchal, Madeira
The capital of Madeira is located on the south coast of the island and, with its relaxed atmosphere and relaxed lifestyle, it is the ideal stage for a romantic dinner in the company of your loved one. Funchal is a city full of colour and movement, with breathtaking views of the sea and the mountains.
The “Atlantic Pearl”, also known as Madeira Island, is a dream destination that combines beaches and natural pools with crystal clear waters meadows and green hills, with breathtaking natural scenery. You don’t have to worry if it’s cold at your wedding and if your guests will wear long evening dresses, as the island’s climate is mild, temperate and somewhat tropical, which makes it pleasant to visit throughout the year.
6 – Exclusive wedding options
There are many ways to make your Small intimate wedding abroad day unforgettable, not only for the bride and groom but also for the guests. A place that brings together a series of qualities, such as temperature, location, ease of accommodation, etc. Portugal has several points within the country that fulfil these characteristics, but today we are going to tell you about our pearl of the Atlantic… Madeira!
Religious Marriage
For all those newlyweds residing in Madeira and Porto Santo, there are some basic steps and conditions to carry out your religious wedding. First, both must be baptized by the Catholic Church and have Confirmation. If you don’t meet these two conditions, there won’t be a problem either, you’ll just have to contact the parish in your area to help you solve the situation! Thus, you must choose a wedding date and check availability in the Parish to which the groom or bride belongs. Religious weddings cannot be held on farms, hotels, restaurants, etc. and, if it is a private chapel or a parish church outside the residence area, they can do so by paying a fee at the Ecclesiastical Chamber!
Civil marriage
Portugal is one of the countries that has a very positive advantage, approved by the European Union, which allows foreign couples to marry in our country. If this is your case, there are some basic steps to take. First, in the country of origin, they must deal with the certified translation of a document of the marriage capacity of the country of origin and birth certificate, which must be sent to Portugal together with the passports/identification.
After this information is verified, it is necessary to choose the date of the big day! However, we want to emphasise the fact that it is essential to hire an interpreter for the translation into the mother tongue!
In Madeira, your civil wedding can be held with incredible views, whether you choose a space at the top of the island, where you will have magnificent photographs with a very green landscape or choose to get married with a view of the sea, and you may even have the link on the beach. Whatever your favourite option, your wedding will certainly result in a unique and fabulous photo album.
Beach Wedding
In a dreamlike setting, with beaches that are unique, in Porto Santo, the couple will be able to find one of the best hotels in the archipelago.
Outdoor wedding
Palheiro Nature Estate offers incredible settings in which to hold your ceremony and where you can complete your wedding album with unparalleled landscapes. The newlyweds will be able to count, among other excellent services, beautiful award-winning gardens and even a private chapel. In addition to this, in this space, you can also offer your guests a stay and spend a great weekend!
Wedding in a space with a garden and dream interiors
For the bride and groom looking for versatile spaces with incredible interiors and breathtaking gardens, we leave other suggestions recommended by our bride and groom.
On the one hand, the Quinta Splendida Wellness & Botanical Garden, with a renovated events hall located next to the secular manor house, where the Gourmet La Perla restaurant operates. The space is also known for the wonderful celebrations in its lush botanical garden that surrounds the hotel.
The impressive Belmond Reid’s Palace is perfect for those couples looking for a luxurious environment filled with elegance and good taste. Its incredible rooms and unrivalled outdoor facilities make it the perfect option for your Intimate Wedding Abroad. Take the opportunity to celebrate an unforgettable wedding night in one of the suites that the hotel has to offer and have the first day of marriage worthy of royalty.
7 – Combine the trip of a lifetime with your wedding
You will have the opportunity to put together a dream trip and celebrate your big day. Your Wedding is the joining of two wishes in a single destination.
8 – Culinary excellence
The gastronomic simplicity of the Madeira Archipelago portrays the soul of a simple but generous people.
In Madeira, gastronomy stands out for the traditional and the contemporary, in a constructive subtlety between the various regional products, of great quality, which allows the elaboration of a varied menu of gastronomic specialities ranging from regional to international cuisine, including the gourmet.
In the middle of the Atlantic, the archipelago’s fish and shellfish are tasty and traditionally cooked, such as black scabbard fillets or tuna steaks, accompanied by crispy fried corn. Or the delicious octopus and seafood, starting with limpets, snails and many others.
In meat, the most traditional dish is the famous “Espetada” on a laurel stick, which gives it an unmistakable flavour. Also, very popular are homemade couscous, wheat soup, and garlic vine meat.
A place with an exceptional climate, Madeira has a wide variety of crops, with a place for sugar cane and tropical fruits (from the appreciated banana to pineapple, avocado pear, custard apple, mango and passion fruit), present in drinks and delicate desserts.
Madeira is known for its wine, it has a wide variety of grapes varieties are Sercial, Boal, Verdelho, Malvasia, Terrantez and Tinta Negra, ideal as an aperitif or digestive, as well as with other delicacies, especially the traditional honey cake (from sugarcane honey). It is also with sugar cane that Madeira Rum is made, also known as sugar cane spirit, from the famous Poncha, still made with honey and lemon, to taste when climbing Pico do Arieiro.
9 – Your guests will have a wedding like no other
How do you want to celebrate your day? With how many guests? Will it be a destination wedding or a traditional wedding? More and more are opting for an intimate wedding full of personality, only with the people who really matter to them. But, after all, what is a wedding with few guests? It all depends on the perception of each one, but, as a rule, a small intimate wedding abroad varies between 15 to 70 guests at most. Would you like to know the advantages of organizing a celebration of this style?
To get that intimate wedding you dream of so much, start by setting priorities and cutting down on the guest list. The big advantage of limiting your list. Being able to dedicate more time to the people who are really special to you! With a reduced guest list, your “yes” will be a day filled with magic, intimacy and relaxation.
10 – Your wedding photos will look amazing!
Every couple knows that wedding photos are one of the most important parts of their long-awaited day, so creating a must-have wedding photo list should be at the top of your wedding planning priorities. These are memories you will cherish forever and even look back on the next day. Choosing the venue where the wedding will take place is very important because the photos will portray moments, landscapes, feelings… The photos will be your eyes for years, because they will relive all the unique and special moments, just browsing your album, you will save all the details of your big day.
Our Conclusion about Getting Married Abroad
Small Intimate wedding abroad requires their own format and settings. With the total numbers down, we’ll see more guest-centric detail. We anticipate the emergence of “small freebies”. Speeches will become more casual in the easy, relaxed atmosphere of a simple small dinner or “dinner with best friends” rather than a formal reception.
With the high appeal of destination weddings, planning a small wedding becomes much more manageable and affordable to set up travel details for a small group of guests to your best day’s destination!
And what better way to do that than with fashion moments to match the sentiment? Couples stray from traditions and choose unconventional cuts, bold prints and trendy accessories for their wedding day fashion.
The move to small intimate weddings also allows for more control over the entire aesthetic of the event, even where guests are concerned. Guest clothes are becoming part of the wedding decor, unlocking the meaning of a unique wedding. The Big Day is part of a ‘photo shoot’, communication with guests is a key point to coordinating colour palettes and style.
Why choose a Small Intimate Wedding Abroad? It is simple “LESS IS MORE” and the concept of minimalism is now spreading all over the world with great success.
Planning a small wedding is definitely easier and a lot less stressful than a big wedding. A destination wedding with your closest family and friends isn’t just the latest trend. We also highly recommend enjoying a wedding, honeymoon and vacation at the same time.
Madeira Island brings together all the reasons to celebrate your big day, in an intimate and small ceremony. The ideal destination to welcome you! Let nature and the beautiful landscapes be the backdrop for a unique and stunning day, filled with memories and photographs for a lifetime!
Visit us!
