Getting Married in the Alentejo

Often it is the better choice. Local planners know the estates and suppliers in depth, and a planner with proven experience at the chosen estate usually does more than an international one brought in from elsewhere.

July and August are hard on the plain. A couple set on a summer date should plan a late afternoon or evening ceremony, with catering and waiting areas in deep shade or cooled spaces.

Most estates offer their own production on favourable terms for weddings. Quality varies enough between estates to justify a tasting before booking.

Lisbon Airport is the main international gateway, with direct services from the major UK airports, New York and most European hubs, and most venues are within a couple of hours of it on the A2 motorway. Faro serves the southern Alentejo more efficiently for guests from the UK, and suits weddings nearer Beja than Evora. Dedicated coaches are standard for larger wedding parties.

Evora works well as an overnight base, with guesthouses and small hotels in the walled city and a convent hotel inside the UNESCO-listed walls. Many estates ask for a block of nights, with guests staying in Evora or in local agriturismo rooms. Around the Alqueva reservoir there are rural estates and glamping sites.