For a fantasy wedding, you couldn’t do better than the fairytale buildings at Vidago Palace, in Portugal
In 1910, Portugal’s King Manuel II was days away from inaugurating his family’s newest holiday compound when he was overthrown and exiled. Instead of becoming a royal retreat, Vidago Palace was turned into a hotel and spa, inviting European elite to take the waters for 100 years.
And then came Grace Leo. The famed French hotelier has taken this magnificent pile, about an hour north of Porto, and transformed it into a true fairytale resort that stages some of the most elaborate weddings on the Continent. Fifty million Euros were spent bringing the Belle Epoque fantasy into the 21st century, while lavishing the spaces with hand-loomed rugs, traditional tiles, and the type of traditional Portuguese handicrafts that make even a place this massive feel warm and personal.
While the hotel boasts plenty of ballrooms and party spaces, terraces and gardens, most fantastical of all are the water pavilions, elaborate follies that dot the grounds. We can’t imagine more romantic wedding spots.
Thre Vidago Palace Hotel is still very much under the radar, in terms of American visitors; its location, about an hour northeast of Porto, isn’t exactly a tourist magnet. So while this type of wedding fantasy fills the hearts of many brides, you’re guaranteed to be the first on your block to make it a reality.
