A different wedding at the Hotel Convento de São Paulo, in Redondo
I’ve photographed over 100 weddings. The vast majority are held on wedding-specific venues, which end up invariably having some (or many) elements in common. For that reason, whenever I’m contacted about a wedding taking place at a different venue, I get excited! This was the case of the wedding of Joana and César, which took place at the Hotel Convento de São Paulo, in Redondo, Alentejo.
The three elements for a perfect wedding
In my view there are three elements for a perfect wedding: a beautiful place, a great chemistry between the couple and the photographer and the guests and how fun they are
The Location
Joana and César contacted me at the beginning of the year, talking about an amazing venue in the interior of the country, more specifically Alentejo, where they were planning on getting married. I had never heard of it, so in the first survey I was very excited to discover such an original space where to hold a wedding. The Hotel Convento de São Paulo is, as the name implies, a former convent built in 1182. It has the largest private collection of tiles in Portugal. My first thought was immediately “with or without marriage, I have to visit that place!”. In the meeting with the couple everything would become more interesting!
Chemistry
Chemistry is the key word! It is what makes us feel alive and connected to other people – be it our partners, friends or even acquaintances.
When I had that first meeting with Joana and Caesar in early 2019, that’s what I felt – an incredible connection between them as a couple and between the three of us, as if we were life long friends. I enjoyed meeting them and getting to know their history, which had so many similarities with my own life. A short time later they confirmed that they chose me to be their wedding photographer.
The wedding happened 9 months later. I was curious to know whether the third element for a perfect wedding would take place, so when I got there I was about to find out.
The Guests
Yes, oh yes! My first contact with the guests in that late morning reassured me that it would be a great wedding – everybody was nice and friendly, maybe a little sleepy from the previous day as they went go karting and partying until late. As the day moved on and the night came, everybody started getting increasingly energised and more fun. From dinner in the cloisters to the cutting of the cake and to the dance floor in that historical place, there was a crescendo of animation and good vibes, very much thanks to the DJ Jukebox, who also provided me with the best lighting in all the weddings I’ve been to!
At the end of the day was what I consider to be the perfect wedding!
Here are some more photos.
Hotel – Convento of São Paulo: https://www.hotelconventosaopaulo.com/
DJ: Jukebox https://www.jukebox.com.pt/
Videographer: Souza Filmes https://souzafilmes.pt/
TOP!!!