Lorraine & Jacks Douro Valley wedding

Castigliano bride Lorraine married husband Jack in a a three day wedding celebration in the beautiful Douro Valley region of Portugal.  The couple picked the venue as it was the place were Jack had proposed a year earlier.

The ceremony took place in local church in the hillside village of Provesende overlooking the vineyards of the Douro Valley, with the wedding party hosted Quinta de la Rosa, a vineyard near the village of Pinhão.

Lorraine wore the Beloved designer wedding gown. She picked the dress as she loved the beaded Italian lace detail on the corset that made it shimmer in an understated way.

“I liked the dress because of the classic shape but it had a light and airy feel and I liked the way it moved at the bottom as it felt ‘floaty’. Knowing that it would be hot in the Douro Valley during August, I wanted something big but not a fabric that didn’t move as I would be too hot.  Walking down the isle towards my future husband with a string quartet playing, wearing my wedding dress was the best feeling in the world; I felt like a princess”.

“Coming to Castigliano for the fittings with Lisa was wonderful because she was an absolute perfectionist and also made each fitting appointment so calming. It was exciting to know that the dress was made for me”.

Lorraine accessorized with her sisters wedding head piece, a bespoke 100% pure silk veil, handmade T-bar satin and crystal/beaded  ‘Perdita’ shoes from Freya Rose (having met her at the Dorchester afternoon tea) and drop diamond earrings that were given to her as a wedding present by her husband Jack. In the evening, she changed her head piece to hair pins from Freya Rose and added a crystal belt from the Caroline Castigliano accessories collection.

For the reception at La Rosa guests were welcomed with port sangria in the vineyard. Dinner was served outside overlooking the Douro River and was accompanied with various wines and ports from La Rosa. The music during the meal was played by a string quartet.

Lorraine’s tips for brides to be:  “Enjoy every moment because it goes so quickly, do what you want to do and don’t worry about anything else”.  

Photographs by Gavin Irvine >