Last week, I made a huge post here on the famtour website that I organized for Turkey’s International Mice and Wedding Forum (IMWF) managers and my international friends and partners (there’s everything on this link ). And today is the time to share the second part of the trip, here with another group, the most expressive wedding planners from India.
But why India , Simone? Because it is the country with the grandest weddings, in terms of the amount spent on a whole, and increasingly this market is seeking destination wedding . Your favorite destinations so far are Thailand, Seychelles, Italy and Turkey. And I always wondered: why not Portugal? It was then that on behalf of Aonde Casar and in partnership with Turismo de Portugal, the Convention Centers, the hotel chain and big names in the Portuguese wedding market, I organized this trip through Lusitanian lands.
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In all, our group gathered 10 top wedding planners , and the journey began on the aircraft. Turkish Airlines has supported us 100% and strongly believes that the country is the right stop for many couples from the East. And the trip was great, full of company team pampering and perfect times for boarding and disembarking . As I said in the previous post, the trip is not restricted to presenting Portugal as a wedding destination, but as a paradise for a romantic trip in general. That is, ideal from marriage proposal to honeymoon or renewal of vows.
Arriving in Lisbon, the group begins the trip through the capital and the region of Estoril, where we stay at my darling Hotel Estoril Palace Golf & SPA . In it, the group did a site inspection for the halls and space of the property and were able to taste the wonderful cuisine of the hotel, which I consider one of the best in the region.
The next day, still in Lisbon, we organized a city tour , with a stop at strategic points of the Lisbon capital and a delicious dinner at the Hotel Intercontinental Estoril .
On the third day of the trip, we took the road to Cascais and Sintra. Forte da Cruz was the start of the day, followed by a lunch at the Ritz Penha Longa Hotel (which has a green and a drool pool) , a tour of Sintra, where they could also visit the Pena Palace and the Tivoli Hotel Palace of Seteais , in the latter, a dinner to keep in memory. We returned to Estoril, where we were accommodated. And why did we do it? To show how easy access is in Portugal. The country is small, everything is close and coming and going is no problem – thinking of a wedding where there are many guests.
The fourth day was marked by the beach. We left Lisbon, now with our bags, heading towards Algarve. On the way, we had lunch at the delicious Port of Santa Marina , where our transfer to Algarve also departed. And as it could not have a better reception, we were greeted at the Tivoli Carvoeiro Hotel (I already did an elopement wedding on it, who remembers? It is in this link ). And as the hotel has one of the most amazing rooftops , our welcome was with drinks in it, the Sky Bar! At dinner, we received the Algarve Convention Group, who shared all the facilities and wonders of the region with the visitors.
The next day, we began the visits to the hotels in the area. We left Tivoli Carvoeiro and went to the Vila Vita Parc Hotel , which welcomed us with a delicious lunch. From there we entered the Hotel Vidamar , where we spent the night after dinner served in one of their beautiful wedding rooms.
After so much running, I think the group deserved a day off, right? LOL! And I booked the penultimate day to enjoy the Algarve sea, which is one of the most wonderful in Portugal in a boat trip where we saw the famous caves of Benagil and even dolphins. At the end of the day, we said goodbye to the beaches and returned to Lisbon, where the group was received at Corinthia Lisboa hotel for the last night of our Famtour . And once again our dinner was a feast! Really divine!
The next day, after a delicious coffee tomorrow, we left our visitors at the airport to board Turkish Airlines at 11:25 am (I said the flight times were good!)
So, what did you think?
After two long trips, I already miss Portugal lol! Who is excited to get married there? Write me, I will love to help you.
The photos are by dear photographer Lucho Vargas.
Kisses and until next time,
Simone