Mona and Kamran chose Areias do Seixo without ever seeing it in person. Set near the ocean and surrounded by dunes and gardens, the eco-conscious hotel had the natural, organic setting Mona had been searching for. For their May Portugal destination wedding, spring flowers filled long wooden tables, candles glowed throughout the reception, and a traditional Persian Sofreh Aghd brought Mona’s heritage into the ceremony.

Portugal already had a place in their relationship. Mona and Kamran met on Hinge while living in different Southern California cities, with Kamran in San Diego and Mona in Los Angeles. Travel soon became something they loved doing together, and a previous trip to Portugal made returning there to get married an easy choice.

What We Love About This Portugal Destination Wedding:

• A Persian Sofreh Aghd complete with a mirror, candles, honey, sweets, fruits, nuts, and sugar cones
• An eco-conscious hotel near the ocean, booked entirely sight unseen
• A sparkler-lined cake cutting followed by disco balls and a packed dance floor

Featured Vendor:
Nuno Lopes Photography

Planning the Entire Wedding and Hiring Their Vendors From Afar

Areias do Seixo came with a wedding planner who already knew the property and had coordinated many celebrations there. Mona arrived with a clear idea of the look she liked, using Pinterest images of flowers, tablescapes, and other details to communicate it. The planner then translated those references into plans that worked with the property.

The rest of the vendor search happened online, too. Mona spent hours looking through weddings on Instagram, then researching the teams behind the work that caught her attention. She and Kamran ultimately booked their entire team without meeting anyone in person beforehand. Junebug vendor Nuno Lopes was among those finds, along with hair and makeup artist Tom Perdigao. “We actually chose our entire team through the power of the internet without meeting them in person beforehand, which definitely required a little trust!” Mona says.

Keeping the guest list smaller also helped them decide where to spend. The venue, food and drinks, and details for the people traveling to Portugal took priority. Mona admits there was some flexibility involved: “We definitely had a budget, and I definitely went a little over it. Kamran knows now!”

Areias do Seixo Was a Sight-Unseen Gamble That Paid Off

Mona was initially drawn to Areias do Seixo for its eco-conscious approach, proximity to the ocean, and architecture surrounded by nature. The hotel grows flowers and greenery in its own garden, while natural materials appear throughout the property. Ocean views, dunes, gardens, and the hotel’s distinctive design gave them several different settings without leaving the venue.

For the tables, spring flowers in reds, pinks, purples, and softer seasonal shades were arranged loosely in glass vases along long wooden tables. Clear ghost chairs kept the tables visually open, while candles and greenery filled the spaces between place settings.

Booking the property without visiting first could have been one of the bigger risks of their Portugal destination wedding. Once Mona finally saw it in person, the property exceeded what she had imagined.

Mona and Kamran Saved Their First Look for the Aisle

Mona skipped a first look because she wanted Kamran to see her wedding dress for the first time during the ceremony. She wore a Tom Sébastien gown covered from top to bottom in intricate beading and lace, while Kamran chose a custom Enzo suit in deep maroon. The couple also skipped traditional bridesmaids and groomsmen, inviting their family members to walk down the aisle instead.

As an aesthetics nurse, Mona started preparing her skin about six months before the wedding. Tom Perdigao handled her wedding-day hair and makeup, with Mona asking for a look that still resembled her usual self.

Of waiting until the ceremony to see each other, she says, “Seeing his reaction as I walked toward him, surrounded by all of our closest friends and family, was incredibly emotional and something I’ll never forget.”

Their Persian Sofreh Aghd Brought Family and Heritage Into the Ceremony

A traditional Persian Sofreh Aghd was one of the central elements of the ceremony. The display included a mirror and candles representing light and a bright future, honey for sweetness in married life, and nuts, fruits, and sweets associated with abundance and prosperity. During the ceremony, sugar cones were rubbed above the couple, symbolically showering their marriage with sweetness.

Mona’s sister officiated. With family surrounding them and the Sofreh Aghd arranged beneath an arch overflowing with flowers and greenery, Mona and Kamran exchanged vows with traditions from her Persian heritage incorporated into the ceremony.

They Actually Stayed for Cocktail Hour

After the ceremony,food stations opened for cocktail hour. Instead of spending the entire stretch taking portraits, Mona and Kamran stayed long enough to mingle, grab a drink, and spend time with their guests. They later slipped away for a shorter portrait session together before joining everyone again for the reception.

It was one of the choices Mona appreciated in hindsight. Wedding days move quickly, and staying for part of the cocktail hour meant they actually got to enjoy some of the time they had planned for their guests.

A Heavy Wedding Dress Changed the Reception Plan

Real-flame candles and flowers filled the dining space for dinner before the evening shifted toward dancing. Mona and Kamran cut their cake with guests holding sparklers along the way, and later, disco balls and their DJ took over as everyone moved to the dance floor.

One part of the timeline changed earlier than expected. Mona loved her beaded wedding gown, but after wearing it for several hours, its weight became difficult to manage. She changed into her second dress sooner than planned and didn’t end up doing the couple’s first dance in her original gown. “It wasn’t what I had pictured, but in the moment, I just went with it,” she says. “Honestly, being comfortable made it so much easier to enjoy the rest of the night and actually dance!”

The other surprisingly tricky task was gathering relatives for family photos while everyone was busy talking and enjoying themselves. Mona’s practical recommendation for other couples is simple: designate someone ahead of time to round up the necessary people.

Their Advice: Build in Time to Step Away Together

For Mona, one of the biggest surprises was simply how fast the wedding passed after months of planning. She recommends deliberately finding a few moments when both people can leave the activity around them and be alone together. 

That was something she and Kamran managed during their own Portugal destination wedding, particularly when they briefly left cocktail hour for portraits. “Make sure you carve out a few moments throughout the day to step away together, just the two of you, and soak it all in,” Mona says. “Enjoy the planning, trust your vendors, and on the wedding day, let go and have the best time!”