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Portugal: from the the historic charm of cities like Lisbon and Sintra, to the deservedly popular Algarve coastline and the sun-drenched vineyards of the Douro Valley… Whether you envisage a city wedding, a winery wedding, a beachside wedding or anything in between, Portugal is the place and I’m the planner to make it happen.

Exquisite dishes fill plates and bring smiles all round. Local wines add a flavour of fun to the events and the eternal sounds of Fado promises a truly unique atmosphere. Weave in touches of Portugal’s cultural traditions for a wedding you’ll never forget. Discover more about getting married in Portugal.

Absolutely! Plan your destination wedding with me and it’s all about an easy breezy, no fuss experience to craft the wedding you dream of. I specialise in destination weddings, with more than I can count under my belt, and infinite inspiration for hundreds more.

I’m fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and English, so we’ll weave together your plans in English, before I translate them into reality with the help of handpicked local vendors.

This is a big decision, so let’s break it down into manageable steps to make the process seamless.

Step 1: Research

Spend time looking at the different wedding planners available in your chosen area. As you do, make a note of those who speak to you more than others. These are the planners to get in touch with and request a bespoke proposal. With a bit more detail for your specific day, your next step is to chat with them in more depth.

Step 2: Meet

Whether it’s in person or online, now is the time to interview your shortlist of planners. Have a list of questions handy and dive into the details that are most important to you. Ask each planner the same series of questions. Once the talking is done, it’s time to evaluate their responses and identify the perfect planner for you.

Step 3: Choose

The planner you choose should be the one who you felt:

– answered all your questions clearly and objectively.

– has the experience and credibility you need.

– communicates openly with you and speaks both your native language and Portuguese.

– is someone you have a genuine connection with. Your wedding planner will be by your side for some of the most important months of your life, so it’s really important that you identify with them as a person as well as a professional.

If a planner ticks all these boxes, you’ve chosen the right person for you!

Legal ceremonies are possible in Portugal, but they come with a whole lot of bureaucratic paperwork and not a lot of romance. Think contracts not vows, translators not celebrants. And if you’d like a religious ceremony, then you’ll still need to be legally married first. 

So, while it may sound appealing at first glance, many couples opt for a symbolic ceremony for their destination wedding in Portugal and legally marry back home. You’ll reduce your paperwork and need to translate documents by tying the knot officially in your hometown. You’ll also then be able to take your pick of ceremony styles in Portugal – religious or symbolic.

I work hand in hand with some sensational celebrants who craft truly personal and unique ceremonies. The wording, the format, the timings are all up to you, so a symbolic ceremony is guaranteed to be memorable, romantic and tailor-made for you.

Anything you can possibly imagine and then even more! My wedding planning powers know no bounds, so consider me your holistic, start to finish, all inclusive Portugal wedding planner.

If there’s an element I can’t create personally, I subcontract the service to a trusted, high quality supplier. I’ll source anything and everything, so your planning experience is completely stress free.

Not a drop! Weddings are intimate, personal and oh-so important and my Portugal wedding planning services reflect that. My approach is dynamic, driven and flexible. I will help you as far as I possibly can to find solutions – problem solving is all part of the package.

Love knows no limits and neither do my services as a Portugal wedding planner. I arrange civil, destination, same sex, LGBTQ, express, large scale and intimate weddings and elopements. Just let me know what you have in mind and I’ll make it happen. Pre- and post-wedding events are totally on the table too. You deserve to celebrate your wedding for more than one day!

Of course. There’s no point planning a wedding that would cost ten times your budget, and that’s certainly not a surprise I’d be comfortable to give any couple. Let me know your budget as soon as possible and I’ll craft the closest celebration to your vision possible without compromising on quality.

I’ll also be honest with you, so if your budget and your vision are miles apart, we can work on that too. It doesn’t mean that we can’t make magic happen, but it does mean ensuring expectations and expense are both realistically matched.

In my role as a destination wedding planner in Portugal, I take your preferences, budget and wishes seriously. That means making your plans as cost effective as possible and also showing you what’s possible if you increased the budget in certain areas but not others, to create the effect you desire.

I don’t believe in cookie cutter weddings, so we’ll work together to build up a picture for your own unique big day and I’ll create a bespoke proposal for you. Memorable, fun, timeless, adventurous – your wedding can be any or all of the above. Get in touch to request a quote.

Your initial consultation is complimentary before you decide to proceed with La Key Events. I want to get to know you and for you to get to know me and feel confident we’ll make a good team.

Me! My name is Carina Olim and I will be with you every step of the way, from your first enquiry to delivering your final photo albums, and every detail in between.

Because we redefine what bespoke means and provide a service that is second to none. This really is your wedding, not our idea of your wedding. It’s all about you as a couple, what you want and what you envisage, without red tape or supplier restrictions or style limitations.

Choosing your destination wedding planner in Portugal is an enormous decision, so choose the person who you can identify with and trust to represent your dream throughout the planning.

Talk to your shortlist of planners and get to know them. Portugal is blessed with many fantastic wedding professionals and there’s room for us all. I want couples to come to me because they connect with me and know intuitively that I’ll honour their vision when bringing their wedding to life.

As exciting as it is to start planning your wedding (and it is!), I always encourage couples to wait until 18 months before they plan to marry or less to get in touch.

Lots can change in the space of a year, so 12-18 months before your wedding gives us plenty of time to perfect your plans, without you worrying about changing your mind on the finishing touches.

Our couples come from all over the world and we specialise in destination weddings, so time difference and long distances are built into the planning process. If we can meet in person, wonderful! But if not, we’ll plan everything remotely without you noticing the difference.

We’ll talk openly and as often as you like, at times that are flexible to accommodate our schedules and time differences. In addition, I’ll also share summaries and visual aids so you can see how all the moving parts are coming together for the day you’ve always dreamed of.

Absolutely! Whether it’s a venue I know and love or a first timer for me, if the venue is happy for wedding planners to come in, then I’ll be right there with you.

A venue event coordinator and a wedding planner are two very different things. While it is true that a venue event coordinator and wedding planner will have some overlap in their roles, both professionals complement each other rather than act as substitutes.

The main difference is that an event coordinator has as a main objective to represent the venue and handles all kinds of different events and clients. They will supervise staff, manage venue facilities and ensure the spaces are suitably prepared.

Your wedding planner, on the other hand, only has one focus: you! As a destination wedding planner in Portugal, I attend solely to your personal needs and requirements, as well as offering creative ideas and inspiration that will take your vision to the next level and ensure that all the details you wish for are present at every moment.

These are what reflect the essence and personality of each couple. This effect demands a personalised service, tailored to your individual needs and expectations.

I wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else! I’ll be there to ensure every detail comes together flawlessly and to support you from start to finish. I’m usually one of the first people at the venue and one of the last to leave.

Being there on the day is fundamental to assure you have everything you need, but also that all suppliers have all the conditions they need in order to produce their best work. I will be there to personally supervise everyone, so you can relax and really soak up the moment.

Yes! One or two assistants as a minimum will be working by my side on the big day. If your celebrations span multiple locations or involve a larger scale guest list, I’ll invite additional assistants to ensure everything runs effortlessly.

If a new-to-us location or supplier is the one you want, then we’re happy to bring them on board to plan the day of your dreams. This is your day, not ours. It’s your vision, your ideas and your love story. 

The benefit of working with our handpicked suppliers is that they are tried and tested and we know they’ll knock your socks off. They know us and we know them, so on the day the flow is effortless and it’s like one big family working together in harmony.

If you’re ready to find out more about planning a destination wedding in Portugal, discover more about my planning services and get in touch.

Your family and friends are many things. Loyal, loving, supportive, enthusiastic. They’re there for you through the highs and lows, the engagement announcements and the search to find the dress, no matter how many boutique visits that entails.

But with that love comes emotional investment too. Remember that your wedding becomes their daughter’s, their best friend’s or their sister’s wedding to them. And while we wouldn’t for a minute want you to plan your wedding without your bride tribe right beside you, all that love and emotion adds up to one thing: a lack of objectivity.

That’s where your professional wedding planner steps in. Fielding opinions and negotiating different suggestions can become a minefield with personal relationships involved. No matter how well intentioned the advice or thoughtful the idea, there will be moments where your visions diverge.

As your dedicated Portugal wedding planner, I’ll be there every step to help you through every wedding planning scenario. That includes planning a wedding that both you and your family and friends will love. 

It also includes helping you manage relationships and decision making delicately. I’ll help you run with the ideas you love, and take the reins when you want to step back without placing any stress on a relationship.

Bring as many family and friends as you like on the journey with you. Together we’ll work hand in hand to deliver the wedding experience that’s right for you. It all starts with a plan, so please feel free to get in touch.

I can’t encourage couples enough to take their time when choosing their Portugal wedding planner. So much more comes into it than aesthetics alone. So, while one planner’s branding may blow you away, or you may have seen a wedding of theirs that you love, be sure that they’re the right person, as well as planner, for you.

Make sure that you can identify with your planner. Make sure that you can trust them to represent you honestly and authentic throughout, in decisions great or small. There is no rush when planning your wedding, no matter how soon the date, so get to know your planner as well as possible before making that all-important decision.

And if you didn’t find ‘the one’ the first time around? Don’t panic! If you find the connection I hope you will with La Key, I would be delighted to step in, take the pressure off and plan the day of your dreams together. Let’s do this!