Lisbon Destination Wedding at Vandelli Botanical Garden

Lisbon Destination Wedding at Vandelli Botanical Garden

March 27, 2026
Words by Kinsley Brown
Photos courtesy of Kim Raaf

A coffee, a bagel, a barcade in Boston, and a whole lot of cheeseless pizza. That’s how the love story of Anh and Eric began, and it all came full circle in Lisbon, Portugal, surrounded by peacocks, blooming gardens, and a view of one of Europe’s most iconic bridges.

A couple stands together in front of a large wooden door framed by dense green ivy on a sunny day.

How it started: A modern love story, told in four stanzas

“He was a coffee, she was a bagel,
Met on an app; love’s modern fable.
Their first date was at a barcade,
In Boston’s winter, a chilly day.

Cheeseless pizza, games galore,
Taro dessert, they wanted more.
He drove her home, a perfect night,
Two hearts warming in the frostbite.”

Okay, we’re obsessed. The couple literally submitted their origin story as a poem, which honestly tells you everything you need to know about Anh and Eric. They’re playful, romantic, and completely in sync. From a dating app match to a barcade first date (so fun, so them), these two were clearly building something special from the very beginning.

A suspension bridge with red towers spans across a body of water, with trees and foliage in the foreground.

Why Lisbon? Their first overseas trip, reimagined as a wedding

When it came to picking a destination, Lisbon wasn’t just a beautiful backdrop. It was a part of Eric and Anh’s story. Portugal was the first overseas trip the couple ever took together, so returning there to get married felt like a way to honor their journey to the altar.

Outdoor stone staircase with balustrades, floral arrangements, a central classical statue in an alcove, and rows of chairs set up for an event.

“[Lisbon] felt like a ‘European San Francisco’ with its bridges, hills, trams, earthquakes, and moderate maritime climate,” the bride says. The couple now lives in the Bay Area, and Lisbon’s familiar energy, those rolling hills, the bridge, the laid-back coastal vibe, made it feel like home away from home.

“Our friends and family love to travel,” Anh says, “and we wanted to give them an excuse to make a trip out of our wedding.” An excuse to fly to Portugal?! As far as destination wedding justifications go, this one might be our favorite.

A group of people walk through a formal garden, some holding white parasols, dressed in formal and colorful attire, likely attending an outdoor event or ceremony. A woman stands indoors wearing a traditional outfit with a white and red long tunic over red pants, smiling at the camera.

The venue: Wild peacocks and a bridge view that lives rent-free in your head

The Vandelli Botanical Garden in Lisbon had been on their shortlist of venues from the very beginning, and once they saw it in person, it was game over.

“We found the venue through research online and fell in love with the natural beauty of the gardens, the view of the Ponte 25 de Abril, the friendly and helpful staff, and the wild peacocks roaming around sealed the deal!” the bride says.

A white peacock stands on a stone balustrade in a garden at sunset, with trees and flowers in the background. Rows of white chairs face stone steps decorated with flower arrangements, with a large statue and ornate balustrade in the background.

Wild. Peacocks. Roaming. Around. If that’s not the most spectacular wedding venue detail we’ve heard all year, we don’t know what is. The florals, handled by local florist Flo, were intentionally kept simple. The goal was to complement the garden’s existing beauty rather than compete with it.

A stone staircase outdoors with a large, colorful floral arrangement on the railing, featuring various flowers in pink, white, yellow, and purple. A white arched shelf displays rows of small vases filled with pink and white flowers, each vase holding a card.

The details: Pottery vases, azulejos tiles, and a seating chart you’d want to take home

Anh has a passion for gardening, so it should surprise exactly no one that the decor centered on something vibrant, living, and rooted in the local culture. The couple purchased locally made pottery vases and filled them with fresh flowers for a unique seating chart. Plus, guests got to take them to their tables and bring them home as keepsakes!

Rows of brown and white pitchers filled with pink and white flowers are arranged on white shelves, each pitcher labeled with a tag. A square tile as a place card with blue accents lies on a linen tablecloth beside a glass plate, spoon, and a blurred vase with flowers.

They also designed custom azulejos tile name cards, those gorgeous hand-painted Portuguese ceramic tiles, that doubled as another little souvenir from Lisbon.

A bride walks down an outdoor aisle holding a bouquet, accompanied by two people, as guests stand and watch under white umbrellas.

The ceremony: Studio Ghibli, private vows, and a fully unplugged moment

Eric and Anh had opinions about their ceremony, and we respect every single one of them. First: fully unplugged. “We knew early on that we wanted a fully unplugged ceremony after experiencing way too many ceremonies inundated with guests on their cell phones,” Eric says.

A couple stands at the altar holding hands during an outdoor wedding ceremony, surrounded by guests holding white parasols in a formal garden setting.

The couple also kept their vows private, just between the two of them, which kept the ceremony short, sweet, and genuinely intimate. The wedding party walked in to a violinist performing Studio Ghibli pieces, a nod to a shared love of the films that honestly sounds like the most beautiful thing we’ve ever pictured. The officiant was Eric’s friend, colleague, and former graduate school teaching assistant, someone personal, warm, and perfect for the moment.

A bride and groom hold hands and smile at each other during an outdoor wedding ceremony, with guests and bridesmaids in the background. A bride and groom walk down an outdoor aisle smiling, surrounded by guests holding white umbrellas at a daytime wedding ceremony.

Planning from afar: Why a local partner changed everything

Planning a destination wedding is no small feat, and Anh and Eric did it without being able to just pop over to Lisbon on a Tuesday. They made one pre-wedding site visit to lock in the venue, and from there, it was all about finding the right vendors on the ground.

A table decorated with flowers, a guestbook, instant cameras, and a framed sign at an event, with chairs and a decorated table in the background. A long, elegant dining table is set outdoors with white tablecloth, candles, flowers, and neatly arranged chairs, ready for a formal event or celebration. A floral arrangement in a small vase featuring yellow, pink, and white flowers with green foliage, placed on a white tablecloth.

“When we interviewed wedding planners, we wanted to partner with a group that was enthusiastic and had deep local connections with an array of vendors,” Anh says. “WP&C fit the bill.”

Their planner, Catarina Neves of Wedding Planner & Curator, was the throughline that made everything possible, from navigating the language barrier to connecting them with local vendors like florist FLO., cake studio FoodStory, and B-Lust Hair and Make-up. The couple is effusive about WP&C’s role: “Without WP&C, we wouldn’t have been able to pull off such an ambitious endeavor,” Eric admits.

Elegant table setting with white tablecloth, light blue plates, pink napkins, floral centerpieces, and glassware arranged for a formal event or celebration. A printed menu with floral designs rests on a decorative blue plate, with shadow patterns cast across it. A person is scooping pink ice cream onto a cone held by another person at an outdoor ice cream stand.

One of the most interesting logistical hurdles? Cultural differences in how receptions are structured. In Portugal, it’s common to have dinner in one space and then move the party to a separate area. Anh and Eric wanted something different. They wanted guests to be able to eat at their own pace and stay in the same room as the dancing, so the energy stayed high all night long. It took a few meetings to make that vision clear, but they got there.

“Learn to communicate traditions or preferences that are special or meaningful to your own culture,” Anh advises. “Having a local partner was critical.”

People raising wine glasses in a toast at a long, decorated table during an event or celebration. A bride in a white wedding dress dances with a partner indoors, surrounded by soft lighting and a misty atmosphere.