Madeira Weddings
Creating Love Stories In Paradise
A Wedding with a Tropical Touch at Vidamar: Mitch & Kathleen’s Journey to a Flawless Day
This is the story of a beautiful wedding with 41 guests, a celebration that brought family and friends from around the world to Madeira. We share how our team transformed Mitch and Kathleen's vision into a stress-free reality, with a personal touch and a flawless plan.
Mitch & Kathleen's
Madeira Wedding
Once in a while, right in the middle of an ordinary life, love gives us a fairytale
Mitch, who is from Belgium, and Kathleen, who is from Hong Kong but grew up in San Francisco, have a love story that is a testament to resilience and unwavering connection. Separated during the height of Covid, their love never faltered. After months of trying to plan their wedding on their own, the complexities of a destination wedding in Madeira proved too much. They reached out to us, and we were honored to step in to create a celebration that was a true reflection of their international love and adventurous spirit, with 41 of their closest friends and family.
Their wedding was a beautiful fusion of cultures, with guests traveling from Hong Kong and all over Northern Europe to celebrate with them. We knew we had to create a day that was not only seamless but also deeply personal. The entire celebration was meticulously planned to take place at the breathtaking Vidamar Hotel, culminating in a unique surprise for their guests.
Morning Preparations: A Calm Start
Their day began at 8:00 am with a calm and relaxing breakfast. While renowned bridal hair and makeup specialists Virginia Pastrano and Francis Relva worked their magic on Kathleen, the couple’s partner had a peaceful morning. This relaxed start was crucial to ensuring a calm and joyous atmosphere before the excitement of the day truly began.
The First Look: A Moment of Pure Joy
After final touches and getting ready, a brief “First Look” photoshoot at 13:25 beautifully captured the couple seeing each other for the first time. Though both Mitch and Kathleen were nervous, it was the very happy kind of nervous—the joyful anticipation of finally being married. I was with Kathleen and her dad as we walked toward the man of her dreams. Even though her beautiful shoes seemed to be killing her feet, she was beaming with excitement.
We created a detailed wedding day timeline in a beautiful, easy-to-read Canva design so all of the guests and vendors knew where they needed to be. You can view the timeline given to the guests here: https://www.canva.com/design/DAGi77cG6vw/_KTrpC6guDyXxamT4eJSAg/view?utm_content=DAGi77cG6vw&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=publishsharelink&mode=preview
And Download the full timeline here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LyBQOwijcr7x5h1I1UteiPKfj50Phf-NYLf3szgxrI4/edit?usp=sharing
The Ceremony & A Personal Water Exchange
At 14:00, the wedding ceremony began at the VidaMar Hotel. As the guests arrived and were seated, they were greeted by the beautiful sound of a violin playing pop songs and works by Ludovico Einaudi. Tom, the officiant, began the ceremony facing the audience, while Mitch faced the sea.
The ceremony was filled with beautiful moments, beginning with Tom’s heartfelt introduction and a touching 8-10 minute speech. Mitch and Kathleen then spoke their own vows, pouring their hearts out to one another.
The most unique and moving moment was the Water Exchange Ceremony. As the violinist played a perfect, romantic song, Mitch and Kathleen poured water from individual bowls into a larger one, symbolizing the merging of their lives. The two children brought the rings, and as the violinist played “I’m Yours,” they exchanged their vows and sealed their promise with a kiss.
The ceremony concluded with the emotional release of the water back to the sea, a beautiful symbol of their promise to move forward together. The violinist played a final, celebratory pop song as the newlyweds walked off to begin their celebration.
The Cocktail Hour & A Moving Performance
After the ceremony, guests enjoyed a welcome cocktail hour with canapés and live music. The incredibly talented violinist, Joao Ignatius, brought half the wedding crowd to tears with his emotional version of Sia’s “Chandelier,” which absolutely blew us all away. It was a beautiful and emotional start to the reception.
The "Linner" & First Dance
After the cocktail hour, the main reception was what we affectionately called a “Linner” (Lunch + Dinner). It was a beautiful, relaxed affair where speeches and toasts were shared. The VidaMar’s kitchen is absolutely outstanding, and I even had a little time to try at least 3 of the 5 courses, proving that a seamless day doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the incredible food.
Mitch and Kathleen had their hearts set on having everyone seated together at a single table. While we couldn’t get the square tables needed to do this, we chose a wonderful serpentine table by creatively arranging the venue’s round tables. This solution beautifully brought everyone together and created a sense of intimacy and family.
16:15: The “Linner” reception begins.
16:25: Mitch and Kathleen made a grand entrance to cheers and applause.
The Cake Cutting: A Unique and Delicious Treat
The cake was a strange and wonderful combination of citrus and passionfruit, which came out absolutely delicious. It was a beautiful tropical-themed cake by Olga at SLicE Bakery. We worked closely with all our service providers to ensure we got as close to perfection as possible. A hilarious moment happened during the cake cutting when a piece of cake fell onto Kathleen’s upper chest. Mitch was so overcome with desire for his new wife that he couldn’t help but take a playful bite of the cake himself.
18:25: The cake cutting ceremony.
18:45: The first dance, followed by parent dances.
18:55: The open dance floor and celebration begin!
A Wedding with a Tropical Touch
The wedding design and decor were centered on a lush tropical theme. We were faced with a unique challenge: the summer heat in Madeira could have a negative impact on the flowers, and the VidaMar’s large spaces required a lot to fill. Our in-house florist, Verena, had a wonderful solution: to use a combination of high-quality artificial flowers with real ones, which came out beautifully and kept the project on budget. The floral arrangements included:
Flowers: Agapanthus, Anthurium, Lilies, Gloriosa, Frangipani, Heliconias, Strelitzias, Carnations, Roses, Baby’s Breath, Proteas, and different shades of Cymbidium Orchids, and Alstroemeria.
Greenery: Eucalyptus, Schefflera, Philodendron, Ficus, and Palm leaves.
Madeira Wedding Flowers successfully completed this design in under 40 hours.
A Magical Sunset & Grand Finale on the Water
As the sun began to set, the guests were preparing for a transfer. At 20:00, we organized a transfer to the harbor where everyone was surprised with a private celebration on a beautiful sailboat. The timing was absolutely perfect, as the boat was positioned to give the guests a front-row seat to the spectacular fireworks of the Atlantic Festival. It was a magical and unique end to a perfect day. We also had a significant challenge in that we didn’t know the exact time the boat was permitted to leave the port until just two days before the wedding, which required us to plan for a great deal of flexibility. In the end, everything worked out perfectly. We chose a classic VW Beetle to deliver them to the boat from the hotel, a charming detail that perfectly suited their adventurous spirit. As they returned to the port, they were sent off with picnic basket tote bags filled with tasty snacks and drinks, a final thoughtful touch that was the perfect way to end the day in a relaxed, intimate way.
We also experienced a last-minute issue with the caterer, who only delivered half the food meant for the boat. We had to act quickly and one of our team members rushed to the caterer to get the missing food, ensuring everything worked out in the end.
A Final Thought
Getting to know Mitch and Kathleen was an absolute pleasure, and bringing their wedding day to life really reminded us why we love what we do. Their story is a beautiful example of why an experienced wedding planner is so essential for a destination wedding. It was a challenging process for them, as they were extremely busy and had moved three times during the planning. We all relieved to know they are happily settled and enjoying marital bliss. We know that no wedding is absolutely perfect, but we do our best to ensure every wedding feels perfect for the couple and their guests. We handle every detail, from the big-picture timeline to the smallest moments, so you can have a stress-free and truly unforgettable day.
Hair: Virginia Pastrano
Makeup: Francis Relva
Photography: Diogo Baeta
Cake: A beautiful tropical-themed cake by Olga at SLicE Bakery. We worked closely with all our service providers to ensure we got as close to perfection as possible.