Rita and Miguel celebrated their wedding at the Chapel of São Miguel at the University of Coimbra, followed by the reception at Convento de Sandelgas.
I met Miguel and Rita in 2018 — that was already four years ago! Their wedding was originally planned for 2020, but life had other plans. The celebration was postponed for two years, after the pandemic, although masks were still occasionally present.
Here is a short summary of this wedding at Convento de Sandelgas.
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Chapel of São Miguel, University of Coimbra
Rita and Miguel both studied Law at the University of Coimbra.
They spent years walking through those centuries-old corridors, where they would eventually return years later to get married after finishing their studies.
The Chapel of São Miguel was one of the places they frequently passed by during their time at university. By coincidence, the day they got married — June 18th — is an important date for Coimbra students. It is the day of the “Bênção das Pastas”, part of the Queima das Fitas celebrations.
Below are photos from Rita and Miguel’s preparations, as well as the ceremony at the Chapel of São Miguel. Fun fact: this chapel dates back to the 16th century, and it was also here that I attended the wedding of my first university friend to get married. Since then, it has been one of my favorite places in Coimbra for a religious ceremony.
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Convento de Sandelgas
Convento de Sandelgas is located in… Sandelgas! It’s funny how I had never heard of Sandelgas before, even though I lived near Coimbra for 25 years.
It’s only a few minutes by car from Coimbra and dates back to the 17th century. It’s a wonderful place to celebrate a wedding, combining historical character with the beauty of the building and the surrounding gardens. There is also a chapel where some friends sang Fado de Coimbra during the celebration. It was one of the highlights of my wedding season that year. While listening, I was reminded how lucky I am to do what I do.
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Thank you for your interest in this summary of a wedding at Convento de Sandelgas. If you would like to see other weddings, feel free to visit my portfolio here. I also have opinion articles here, where I discuss topics such as different styles of wedding photography or the study I conducted with other colleagues about the impact that Covid-19 had on the wedding market in Portugal, among other subjects.
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Suppliers
Wedding Planner: Diamonds Weddings and Events
Wedding Venue: Convento de Sandelgas
