Real Weddings: Meghan & Alex Stunning Portugal Wedding
This blog was originally created by Madeleine Villa.
Picture this, a stunning mountain-top wedding at the Pousada Castelo Palmela in Portugal, moody florals, and a dramatic colour scheme. This is where Meghan and Alex share their vows with family and friends. This wedding features Henkaa’s Burgundy Wine and Navy Blue Sakura Maxi Convertible Dresses. You need to see this incredible destination wedding for yourself!
Can you tell us a bit about the two of you?
Alex and I met when we were 17 years old in school in Montreal. We were both in the same program and had an instant connection. I invited him to a new years eve party I was hosting that year and we shared our first kiss at midnight! From that moment on we were pretty inseparable and dated for ten years before he proposed. During that time we lived together in Montreal through University and shared a pet hedgehog together (she was adorable!).
We then packed up and moved to Toronto in search of job opportunities and lived there for four years. A few months before our wedding I got a great job offer in Ottawa so we made the move here! It was super stressful with the wedding planning but of course, we made it work! Now, I’m an engineer working for Natural Resources Canada and Alex has an Architecture background and is in commercial sales for a materials distribution company. We both love sports, travel, nature, food and wine and couldn't be more excited for what’s to come! We actually just adopted a puppy beagle together named Suzanne she has made our lives even more amazing!!!
Who proposed, can you describe the moment?
Alex proposed to me when we were living in Toronto. One rainy Wednesday in October 2017 he arrived home with some beautiful flowers. We had plans to go out for dinner that night and thought he was just making a nice gesture (he’d come home with flowers on other occasions). I was getting ready to go to dinner and next thing I know he’s down on one knee!
Initially, I was so confused, then he pulled out a ring! I literally had NO idea I was totally surprised. Usually, he’s not very good at surprises haha I have no clue how he pulled that one-off. He told me he couldn't wait until dinner to propose he was too excited which I really enjoyed because it was more intimate with just the two of us. I, of course, said yes, and here we are!
Could you describe your day and how it came together?
It was incredible!!!! We planned our wedding completely from Canada for one-and-a-half years without having visited our venue in Portugal beforehand. We used Skype to coordinate with all of our Portuguese vendors.
Arriving at the location was impressive we were so happy with our venue selection it was even more beautiful than the pictures. Our decorators and florist did an incredible job as well, they really brought our decor dreams to life.
Alex and I did our “first look” near our ceremony patio and when I walked through to meet him and saw the decorations, flowers and incredible view I actually started crying!! I couldn't believe how amazing everything looked. The entire few days came together perfectly it was everything I could have ever dreamed of.
Can you recall your favourite moment or most memorable detail?
How relaxed and happy our guests were. Being on vacation and all staying multiple nights at the venue/hotel took so much stress out of the equation and everyone was just there to celebrate and have fun. It was so lovely and intimate to be able to enjoy multiple days with our guests in another country.
Why did you choose Henkaa Convertible Dresses for your wedding party?
One of my bridesmaids and I attended the wedding show in Toronto where we were introduced to Henkaa. When choosing dresses for my wedding party I thought about what I would want to wear. Being comfortable is definitely number one for me as you’re in the dress for hours. The convertible flowy style looks great on everyone so we knew we wanted something similar.
A few months later we attended a pop-up shop in Toronto with another bridesmaid and my maid of honour to try on the dresses. They loved them, the fabric was so soft, they were flattering on all body types and they didn't break the bank. Our colour scheme was burgundy for the girls and navy blue for the guys. The burgundy Henkaa colour matched my colour selection exactly.
We were even able to find a navy blue Henkaa dress for my sister in law who ended up being my husband’s best woman. It matched perfectly with their navy suits. Another plus is that we were all travelling for 10+ hours to Portugal so we needed something that wouldn't wrinkle and was easy to travel with. All in all, they were perfect! We were so happy with our decision to purchase from Henkaa.
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