Internationally awarded documentary work
We are The Lovellers, documentary wedding photographers based in Figueira da Foz, on Portugal's Silver Coast. For thirteen years we have been photographing weddings across the country, from the Atlantic coast to medieval cities, from quiet countryside chapels to family quintas. We work with couples who travel to Portugal to marry, and with couples who live here. Our approach is the same wherever we go. We watch, we wait, we keep out of the way. The photographs you take home are the day as it happened, told in your own light.
A WEDDING IN PORTUGAL
Choosing Portugal for your wedding
Couples come to Portugal from the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and beyond. Some have Portuguese roots and want to celebrate where their families began. Others fall for the country on a first visit and decide it is where they want to marry. Either way, what they find is the same: a country that takes celebration seriously, light that photographers travel for, and a coastline that does not feel crowded.
We have spent thirteen years photographing weddings here. We know which coastal venues hold up to Atlantic wind, which inland quintas catch the late afternoon light, and how the day usually unfolds when families travel from far away to be in the same room. Mauro photographs the day. Arlete supports the planning, the logistics, and the post-production. Everything happens in English.
PLANNING FROM ABROAD
The essentials
Marrying in Portugal from London, New York, Berlin, or São Paulo means coordinating most of the planning over email and video calls. The day stays the same, the run-up looks different. We hold regular video meetings in the months before the wedding, share what we know about your venues, and stay in close contact with planners and suppliers on the ground here. Most couples meet us in person for the first time on the wedding day. By then we already know each other well, and the camera feels like part of the room rather than something new.
WHERE WE SHOOT
We are based on the Silver Coast, the stretch of Atlantic shoreline between Nazaré and Aveiro. It is the part of the country where we know every venue, every chapel, every back road that catches the last light. From here we travel inland to Coimbra, the medieval university city, and across the central region to Leiria, Batalha, Alcobaça, and the quintas of the Bairrada wine country.
We also photograph weddings further afield, from Lisbon and Sintra to the Douro Valley and the Alentejo. Wherever the day takes place, the work is the same: we arrive early, we read the room, and we stay close enough to see what matters without ever being in the way. Travel within Portugal is straightforward and we are used to long days on the road for couples who choose us.
OUR APPROACH
No poses, no script
Documentary reportage of the day as it happens
What interests us is what happens at a wedding when nobody is asking the couple to look at the camera. The hour before the ceremony, when the bride is laughing with her sister. The grandfather who finds his seat early and watches the room fill up. The friend who cries quietly during the vows and then laughs at the first dance. We move through the day quietly. We do not direct, we do not stage, we do not interrupt. The photographs you take home are not a version of the day made for the camera. They are the day itself.
Our work has been recognised internationally by This is Reportage, Fearless Photographers, Inspiration Photographers, Bride Association, and Wedding Photography Select. None of these awards come from posed photographs.
WHAT COUPLES ASK US MOST
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Do you travel across Portugal?
Yes. We are based in Figueira da Foz and travel anywhere in the country, from Lisbon and Sintra to the Douro Valley and the Algarve. Travel costs depend on distance and the length of the day, and are quoted clearly upfront.
Do you speak English on the wedding day?
Yes. The wedding day is photographed by Mauro, who speaks English fluently. Communication during the planning process and on the day itself is in English, with your families, your guests, your planner, and your suppliers. If your family speaks Portuguese as well, that comes naturally.
How far in advance should we book?
For weddings in Portugal between May and September, twelve to eighteen months is normal. The most popular venues on the Silver Coast and around Coimbra book up early, and good planners and florists are reserved a year ahead. For weddings outside the high season, six to nine months is usually enough.
Do you offer pre-wedding or engagement sessions?
We do. A pre-wedding session is the best way for us to get to know each other in person before the wedding day, especially when most of the planning happens over video calls. We shoot these sessions in places that mean something to you in Portugal, often along the coast or in a city you both love. The session usually takes place a day or two before the wedding, while you are already in the country.
When will we receive our photographs?
You receive a small selection of preview images within a week of the wedding. The full edited gallery, between seven and nine hundred photographs, is delivered within sixty to ninety days. Galleries are private and online, available for download for three months, with the option to extend.
TESTIMONIALS
What couples say
My husband and I are from the United States, and we wanted to get married in Portugal. We found Mauro, and from the very first email we knew he was the right choice. He was flexible, he was our calm, he was more than a photographer that day. When we received the photographs, we were lost for words. Our photographer became a friend.
Nancy & Mickey
It was a pleasure to work with Mauro, his kindness, his professionalism, his skills to put you at ease, explain everything and his open and rapid communication. If we ever need a photographer again we know who to contact. Beautiful photographic memories are the result of this all. Thank you so much.
Cláudia & Yannick
