Alex & Marc´s Forte da Cruz Wedding- Tale of Love, Joy and Togetherness

This Forte da Cruz wedding will stay in our hearts forever for a few reasons.
The lovely couple, Alex & Marc have been the sweetest, most generous and kind people; our brother, Karol from Spotcuts Films was the wedding videographer and the celebrant was Alex´s dad, who reminded us of my and Karol´s own dad.
You might still remember this handsome duo from our latest engagement session in Lisbon. We seemed to hit it off right away with the couple and throughout the year of wedding preparations, email and DM exchanges we grew fonder and fonder of them.
Last month was their wedding day in Forte da Cruz. It was a cloudy but warm day- perfect for an outdoor ceremony and portrait pictures. Funny fact- we actually mentioned to Alex just how overcast weather is an ideal atmospheric condition for photographers. And guess what, their wedding day was the first day of clouds in the unusually hot and sunny month of May we had this year. We joked that they had the weather pre-booked for their wedding:)

Our day started with meeting Marc getting ready at a cute Sintra hotel while Alex had her hair done at a nearby hair salon. We then met her at the Forte da Cruz where she was ready to put on her dress and prepared for a first look with her bridesmaids. We were excited for this moment because it was the first time we actually captured the bridesmaids’ first look! The adorable group greeted Alex with cheers and joy and we had plenty of opportunities for amazing bridal portraits. Another “first photography experience” was the first touch that Alex and Marc decided to do before the ceremony. At first, we were sceptical but having done it and seeing how intimate and special this moment can be, we are now great fans of the lovely alternative to the bride and groom’s first look.

The outdoor ceremony was simply beautiful an had yet another very unique aspect. The person who conducted it was no other than Alex´s father himself! How more memorable and unique the moment could be? And not only did Alex´s dad share some lovely thoughts with us from his fatherly perspective, but his beautiful voice and gentle demeanour turned this ceremony into a very personal and unforgettable moment.

The heartfelt event was followed by some portrait taking, after which we were joined by the happy wedding party of bridesmaids and groomsmen! They were tireless to take some fun photos with us and poor Marc wasn’t spared from being tossed up to the air- which only marked the beginning of what the groom had to endure throughout the whole party! ;)

A dinner with speeches followed and we were once again surprised by a couple of other very personal and familiar touches during the dinner. Firstly, the table markers were made by Alex´s adorable nieces, aged 6 and 10 – how cute is that?! Secondly, the couple wrote to each and every guest a letter – around 100 letters we heard! Alex had handwritten hers while Marc typed some rhimes/poems. The idea popped out as the couple feared that they might not be able to interact with every guest during the wedding day. And the couple wanted to ensure that they expressed their appreciation and love to each and every guest present. In the end, they managed to speak to everyone during the dinner and in between the speeches, which in our view was yet again Alex and Marc´s very selfless act of love to abandon the comfort of having a quiet dinner, in order to give everyone a few minutes of their time! So inspiring! 

The dinner was followed by the couple’s first dance at Forte da Cruz outdoor patio where the ceremony took place. And we were very fortunate that mother nature spared us from rain- which was expected that evening! A crazy fun party followed and the great crowd of friends and family danced with the couple all throughout the evening!

What a day! So unique in many ways: the father’s involvement, how family and friends centred the wedding was, and how in love and dedicated to one another the couple is. Plus, having our brother by our side to document the amazing event with his video lens made our working conditions even more pleasurable and fun! You can see a teaser of this gorgeous wedding from Karol´s work.

Alex and Marc, thank you so much for entrusting us with the privilege to be your wedding photographers.

We are so thrilled for you both and so honoured to have been at your wedding day! It truly was the most magical day and we feel like we´ve gained great friends! Many blessings for the years to come and let us know whenever you´re back in Portugal!