outdoor engagement

Check out this pair’s honeymoon in Algarve, Portugal. Nothing like some fun in the sun to wash off the stress wedding planning brings & bathe in the sunshine as you start a new chapter in your lives. This post-wedding shoot was shared by CarolynMarie Photography. Portugal is an actual favorite destination of Elayna & Kyle. They were truly inspired by Portugal’s beauty so they decided to hold their destination wedding here. Their wedding was held in Lisbon. And had  included some minor personal details to it. They actually had Kyle’s mother’s earring made into Elayna’s engagement ring. And Elayna used her mother’s diamonds on their wedding bands. Such a sweet & sentimental way of making a very special day so much memorable! Her aunt did all the calligraphy for the seating cards & table numbers. And they chose to use light lavender & white as the wedding color palette. Congratulations on your new journey together as husband & wife Elayna & Kyle!

What is your story as a couple, how did you meet & fall in love?

I studied at the University of Cape Town, South Africa for my full degree and met Kyle through a mutual friend during my second year there.

What inspired your wedding décor? Why did you choose the things that you did?

Portugal inspired us. We have traveled there together many times and decided to keep our decor simple to highlight the Lisbon aesthetic.

Where did you save the most money?

My rings. My mother-in-law’s earring was made into my engagement ring and I used my mother’s diamonds for my two wedding bands. It saved money, but the best part is the sentimental value behind it.

How many guests were invited in your wedding and what was the final guest count?

120 people came to Portugal and we invited around 190.

What songs did you use during the ceremony?

The organist at Se Cathedral played traditional songs for us.

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

Since we had a destination wedding, we decided to include our family and friends who traveled with us. Our wedding was in Lisbon and after the wedding everyone traveled to the Algarve in Portugal to enjoy a beach holiday and a few more festivities.

Do you have advice for couples still in the planning process?

Hire a wedding planner, so worth it! We used Portugal Wedding Planners and they were beyond helpful in planning a destination wedding in Lisbon.

What would you say, the overall story for this album?

Honeymoon shoot in the Algarve.

What inspired the wedding day outfits?

The honeymoon shoot outfits were just casual beach outfits that we packed for our nights out.

Was there any Do it Yourself (DIY) projects? If so, can you describe them in detail?

My aunt did all of our calligraphy for the seating cards and table numbers. Each table had a number and a destination we have traveled together as a couple. The place cards had everybody’s name and were color coded according to menu choices.

Was there a theme for the ceremony and reception?

There wasn’t a theme, but our colors were light lavender and white. We wanted to keep it as simple as possible to compliment all of the old Portuguese decor and tiling.

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Photographer:  CarolynMarie Photography