u/AggravatingYou2342

Hi everyone,

My fiancé and I are getting legally married in our home country, and we’ve booked a beautiful villa abroad on Booking for a religious ceremony a few weeks later.

There will be only 9 guests (parents and witnesses) + the two of us. We’ll all be staying at the villa together for 2 nights for the occasion.

I’m wondering how to make the ceremony feel truly special and “wedding-like” when we’re all staying in the same place. For example, it feels a little strange to just decorate everything and get ready in a bedroom while everyone else is already hanging around the villa, and then suddenly come downstairs in my white dress. 😅

How would you create a special “bride/groom” moment or make the day feel different from a normal family stay at a villa?

I’d love ideas for the getting ready, the ceremony, meals, surprises for the parents/witnesses, or any little traditions that could make the day feel memorable and meaningful.

Bonjour, je cherche un bon restaurant ou hôtel pour organiser un brunch de mariage avec environ 40/50 personnes. Avez-vous des recommandations ?

Hi everyone, my fiancé and I are trying to decide how to organize our wedding and I’d love to hear what you think.

We’re considering having our civil wedding in our country with around 50 guests, including our family and a few very close friends. It would be something simple, we would do a little brunch after the court house and that's it.

Then, a few weeks later, we would go abroad for a small religious ceremony with only our parents and witnesses, around 10 people total. Our budget couldn't afford to invite more people. The religious ceremony would be something more intimate and symbolic, followed by a small dinner together.

I know that traditionally, it seems to be the other way around: the civil wedding is often smaller and the religious ceremony is the bigger celebration with more guests. So I’m wondering if our plan would seem strange.

Does it make sense to have the “big celebration” at the civil wedding and then have the religious ceremony abroad with only our closest family?

Hi everyone,

My fiancé and I are planning a very small wedding (max 10 people) in Portugal for May 2027, and we're working with a pretty tight budget: $2K to cover the ceremony location and dinner with our guests that evening.

The idea is simple: an outdoor ceremony with a beautiful background (ideally with water or vineyards), a few photos, then a simple, cozy restaurant dinner with our close family/friends afterward.

We're open to any region in Portugal or even outside of Portugal as long as there's pretty reliable sun in May. Any spots or venues you'd recommend? Any other tips?

Btw, we will have our civil wedding beforehand. Thanks so much 🙏

Hi everyone, my fiancé and I are in the early stages of planning our destination wedding and we really need your input!

Here is our vision:

• Budget: around €4000
• Guests: close family only, max 10 people
• A church or symbolic ceremony
• Beautiful outdoor photos in a scenic location afterward
• A simple meal together afterward

We would do our civil wedding in our country beforehand.

Right now we're leaning towards Portugal but honestly open to anywhere if it fits this kind of setup better.

Has anyone actually pulled off something this small and intimate? Is €4000 realistic for these criteria?

Would love to hear about any small weddings you've organized. Thanks so much! 🙏